272 THE HUNTING GEOUNDS 



trail ; hunger, fatigue, and weariness were all for- 

 gotten in the excitement attendant on the pursuit, 

 for from the freshness of the spoor, and other un- 

 mistakable signs, we knew the herd could not be 

 far distant. 



The utmost care was now necessary in following 

 up the trail, as the slightest noise might have given 

 the alarm : indeed, I felt apprehensive lest the ele- 

 phants should get wind of us, as their senses are 

 more acute in the early part of the morning than at 

 any other time. 



We had crossed a broad belt of open teak-forest, 

 and were once more in dense bamboo-jungle, when 

 suddenly I saw Googooloo, who was half a dozen 

 paces ahead, make a stand and turn his head as if 

 to catch a sound ; a low grunt (a sign of satisfac- 

 tion) was followed by an expressive hiss, (his ordi- 

 nary mode of attracting attention,) and then I felt 

 as sure that game was afoot as any English sports- 

 man could be on seeing his favourite dog point. I 

 laid my ear to the ground but heard nothing, and 

 the jungle was too thick to allow me to see any 

 distance round ; I therefore carefully followed up 

 the spoor, creeping along as cautiously as possible, 

 when again one of Googooloo's peculiar sounds 

 attracted my notice, and after listening attentively 

 a few moments, I heard a distant, low, rumbling 

 noise, which I immediately recognised as being that 

 made by eleohants from the water rattling in their 

 stomach. 



