THE BANTING 101 



faster, and so cover more ground in the same 

 space of time. Warm droppings are by no 

 means always an indication that the animal is 

 close. He may be two miles ahead of you still. 

 Droppings retain their heat for a considerable 

 time — half an hour or longer. If they are very 

 warm, then it is certain that the animal is close 

 at hand. On the other hand, the droppings may 

 be stone cold, and going on a couple of hundred 

 yards you may run straight into your beast. 

 He has either been lying down or has come 

 back on his trail. This has happened to the 

 writer time after time, both when following 

 tsaing and bison. Flies buzzing about the 

 tracks or fresh urine are a pretty certain indica- 

 tion that he is not far off ; but often you find 

 neither ; nor is the friendly root with juice still 

 oozing from the trampled pith always en Evidence. 

 In short, after finding certain indications that the 

 beast has passed not long before, you may still 

 walk for two or three miles without any sort of 

 sign, until suddenly the unexpected happens, 

 and either your trackers catch sight of him or, 

 what is more likely, there is a crash in the 

 jungle ahead of you, and away goes your tsaing. 

 When you do get indications that you are close 

 to him, then, if he is not lying up, and the approach 

 is made with the utmost care, the chances of 

 bagging him are in your favour. 



When tracking a herd of either bison or 



