130 The Hunting Grounds 



Without dismounting, I went, guided by a villager, 

 to the place where the tiger had been seen the even- 

 ing before, and there I found unmistakeable signs of 

 his presence, as the pugs were plainly visible. 



I sent my horse back to the village, and, accom- 

 panied by the gang, followed his track through a 

 narrow ravine densely wooded. 



Here the trail became exceedingly difficult to 

 follow, as the brute had evidently been walking 

 about backwards and forwards in the bed and along 

 the banks of a dry nullah, and we could not distin- 

 guish his last trail. 



I caused the band to separate, and for half an hour 

 or so we were wandering about as if in a maze, for 

 the cunning brute had been describing circles, and 

 often, by following the trail, we arrived at the place 

 we started from. 



Whilst we were all at a loss, suddenly I heard a 

 low " Coo " twice repeated, and I knew that Googoo- 

 loo, who was seldom at fault, was now on warm scent, 

 and from his call I was as certain that the game was 

 a-foot as any master of hounds would have been, 

 while breaking cover, to hear his favourite dog give 

 tongue. 



The gang closed up, and, guided by the sound, we 

 made our way through thick bush to where Googoo- 

 loo was standing by a pool of water in the bed of the 

 nullan. 



