376 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



tracked the whole of that day till 4 p.m. unsuccessfully, only 

 coming up with his tracks of that morning. We were, there- 

 fore, obliged to return to camp again that evening, arriving 

 there at 1.30 a.m. Next morning we started early for the 

 spot where we had relinquished the tracks the evening before, 

 and took them on again. For the second time we failed to 

 come up with the beast before it got dark, and were again 

 obliged to return to camp. Next day before daylight, for 

 the third morning in succession, we took on the trail, deter- 

 mined, if possible, to come up with the owner this time. At 

 about 9 a.m. we found signs that the animal had passed late 

 at night ; and at last, at about 1 1 a.m., we came upon unmis- 

 takable evidences of the gaur's near presence. The jungle 

 about here was mostly composed of open bamboo forest, 

 with little undergrowth, and hardly sufficient cover for a large 

 animal to lie up in during the heat of the day. We noticed 

 that a herd had been in the neighbourhood, as there were 

 numerous tracks all over the place. The solitary bull had, as 

 is usually the case, been wandering about on the outskirts of 

 this herd for some days. We were now moving down a gentle 

 incline towards a stream, whose rushing waters could now be 

 heard roaring in the distance. Never dreaming for one 

 moment that we should come upon the gaur in such open 

 bamboo forest devoid of all cover, we were walking along 

 rather carelessly, talking in an undertone to one another, 

 when suddenly we were startled by hearing two or three low, 

 sharp, short " moos," accompanied by a suppressed snort, 

 which we at once knew came from the animal we were 

 following. Fortunately there were several bamboo clumps 

 intervening, which partially hid us from view. My men 

 immediately threw themselves on the ground while I peered 

 anxiously round a clump to catch a sight of the gaur. There 

 he stood ; a magnificent specimen, a model of strength ! It 

 was a grand sight and one not easily forgotten, as he stood 

 gazing at us with heaving flanks and dilated nostrils, through 

 which at times he snorted defiance, challenging us, as it were, 

 to approach nearer. His whole attitude, although fierce and 

 defiant, bore at the same time a curious mixture of fear, 

 uncertainty, and suspicion. 



