284 The Hunting Grounds 



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 unmistake- 

 able 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 

 elephants 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 satisfaction) 

 was followed by an expressive hiss (his ordinary mode 

 of attracting attention), and then I felt as sure that 

 game was afoot as any English sportsman 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 elephants from the 

 water rattling in their stomach. 



