276 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



them if he wishes to have a successful issue to his expedition. 

 It is a very different thing from India, where, I believe, your 

 sJiikarie marks down game and then comes to you with the 

 information. The Burman hunter, than whom a better never 

 followed a spoor, will often mark down a herd of elephants or 

 bison, or even a solitary bull for you, and tell you that he had 

 seen certain fresh tracks in such and such a place, but as a 

 rule he much prefers you, and expects you, to accompany him 

 when he looks for game, and for my own part I think half the 

 excitement of big-game shooting is that derived from the 

 tracking up and rinding of your own animal. 



Some of the Burman shikaries I have known were marvellous 

 trackers, and one man especially, Moung Hpe, whose name will 

 often be mentioned in connection with the various hunts 

 narrated hereafter, never once made a mistake, or failed to 

 bring me up with an animal whose tracks he had once taken 

 up as being fresh. Tracking was the one thing, besides being 

 a good shot, that he prided himself on doing well, and that with 

 an energy and dogged determination that at times surprised 

 me. I have often come on tracks which, to my unpractised 

 eyes, appeared perfectly fresh. Moung Hpe, when taxed as to 

 its freshness or otherwise, would say, " Well, sir, that animal " 

 supposing the hour to be 9 a.m. " passed last night about 

 dark ; you will notice how the morning's dew has dulled its 

 freshness, and that a tiny cobweb has been spun across the 

 hollow of the slot or track ; we might come up with it if you 

 care to take on the tracks, but it is hardly advisable, as he 

 may have travelled a long way by this, besides we will come 

 across other more recent tracks." Of another track he may 

 say, " That track was made yesterday afternoon ; look at the 

 little insect-made earth furrows thrown across it ; it is useless 

 taking them on, besides the animal who made them is making 

 for such and such a tract of jungle," mentioning a particular 

 patch of cover or tree forest known to himself a long way off. 

 And of yet another track, some nine hours old, perhaps he 

 might say, if we had had bad luck and there was not much 

 game about, " I think we might take on these tracks, sir ; if 

 we keep at it long enough we may come up with the owner 

 before nightfall." 



