238 JIN ABU FINDS 



starting at sunrise the next morning Jin and I 

 hunted two days, early and late, seeing abundant 

 tracks, and once or twice hearing elephant, but on 

 each occasion being unsuccessful in our attempt 

 to approach them. All the time, though very hard 

 going in heavy rain, and under disappointing 

 stalks, Jin Abu maintained his good humor and 

 his running conversation. He was something of a 

 hunter, too, and I enjoyed my days with him as I 

 did no others in Sumatra. There were evidently 

 elephants in the country, for every day we saw 

 signs. Once, too, I saw a tiger cat, beautifully 

 marked, somewhat like that majestic cat, the great 

 " stripes," and perhaps of twenty pounds weight. 

 In this higher country were deer, of which I also 

 saw several, but of course I did not shoot; we 

 were after bigger game. We heard no more of the 

 wa wa with its pitiful plaint, but saw a good-sized 

 bird of a grouse species, and a racket-tailed magpie 

 of attractive appearance. 



We had been following some rather fresh tracks 

 all the morning of the fourth day, when we came 

 up with a herd of elephants, though as usual the 

 thick, high jungle prevented our viewing them. 

 We crawled for quite a distance through the under- 

 growth, seeking to close up, when, each of us intent 

 upon his own stalk, we became separated, at just 

 what point I know not, for I had gone a long way 



