STALKING GAUR 371 



had been in the neighbourhood the previous day. We took 

 them on till late in the evening, when Moung Hpe said that 

 we would have to camp a night in the jungle if we wanted to 

 come up with the herd. This I agreed to do. After covering 

 some three or four miles of ground, Moung Hpe warned me, 

 from the signs he had seen en route, that the herd were 

 probably lying down resting in a shady patch of cover ahead 

 of us. It now behoved us to be very careful, as everything 

 was very still, and there being little or no breeze, the least 

 noise would have alarmed the whole herd. At about 4.30 p.m., 

 while seated for a minute or two on a fallen tree till Moung 

 Hpe and the other two men with me had had a chew of betel- 

 nut and a puff at their cheroots, the deep stillness of the 

 jungle was suddenly broken by a dull, muffled, prolonged roar 

 or bellow, which appeared to come from the jungle, some 

 hundred yards or so from where we were seated. The bellow 

 or call, which lasted for about seven seconds, had no sooner 

 been emitted, than we heard from all directions the sound of 

 animals walking quickly along over dry undergrowth and 

 leaves in the direction from which the call had come. We 

 had very nearly walked right into the middle of the herd, 

 which had apparently been asleep. It was marvellous with 

 what rapidity the animals had obeyed the call of their leader, 

 an old bull or probably a female. I tried to stalk this animal, 

 whose deep breathing could be heard quite distinctly before 

 the herd came up. I had, in fact, covered half the distance 

 between us, when a young bull suddenly stepped into view 

 within ten paces and stared hard at me. I lay in a crouched 

 position, not daring to move, hoping that he would move on 

 and allow me to get a shot at the leader; but no after staring 

 hard at me for a few seconds it obtained my wind and dashed 

 off, after sounding the customary snort of alarm. I was very 

 disappointed at not having got a shot at the old bull, and 

 yet I was very pleased to think I had witnessed the manner 

 by which the herd had been collected, and with what alacrity 

 the animals had obeyed their leader's call. 



After some very stiff walking we reached camp late that night. 

 I succeeded on the way back in shooting a large rock-snake, 

 or " sabagyi," or python. These snakes are fairly numerous 



