THE BANTING 91 



it never rains but it pours was here exemplified. 

 We had evidently struck, or were making for, 

 a favourite bit of ground. The tracks we had 

 just found were huge if made by a tsaing, and 

 one of the trackers persisted that they were 

 those of a bison. After examining them closely, 

 I came to the conclusion that they were tsaing 

 tracks, and in this opinion the other tracker 

 concurred. So, not without some qualms, I 

 decided to relinquish the trail we had been 

 following, and to take on the other. If, after 

 all, the beast turned out to be a bison it would 

 certainly be a young bull. I may here remark 

 for the benefit of those of my readers who have, 

 perhaps, had little experience of tracking, that 

 the tracks of a young bull bison and those of an 

 old bull tsaing are so alike as to be practically 

 indistinguishable. A big bull bison, however, 

 makes a track which cannot be confounded with 

 that of any tsaing. 



The trail now entered thick bamboo jungle, 

 and stuck to it so persistently that it was evident 

 the animal had made his head quarters in it. 

 We had followed the tracks for a couple of 

 hours, and so far had not even come on those 

 of the previous night. My intention was to 

 follow till we came on his fresh tracks, and then 

 to sit down and wait till the evening, as in this 

 stuff he might be lying up anywhere. Presently 

 the leading tracker stopped, and we heard the 



H? 



