THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS 125 



fresh tracks quite unexpectedly. He assured 

 me that tracks were plentiful, and that the place 

 was a sure find. I started up a stream, the 

 Noungmo Choung, flowing into the Chindwin 

 two miles above Tamanthi, and hunted for ten 

 days over every yard of country I had been 

 directed to. I then struck into independent 

 territory, but was obliged to return after a few 

 days, as my Burmans refused to accompany me 

 farther. The country was inhabited by wild 

 Chins, who used occasionally to come down and 

 raid the villages in the Chindwin. Not a sign 

 of a rhino did I see on that trip, not even an old 

 track. 



My next attempt was made from Mingin — 

 also a post on the Chindwin, but considerably 

 farther south. On this occasion also, before 

 starting, I received special information as to 

 where to go, and was positively assured by my 

 trackers that we would find rhino. It was in 

 the hot weather, and I set out full of hope. 

 But I returned a sadder and a wiser man, having 

 seen never a rhino nor the signs of one. I did, 

 however, shoot a bison and a bear. 



My third and last trip after rhino was made 

 from Tammu, on the Manipur border. Here it 

 was not a case of one or two beasts having been 

 located a year or so previously; but I was 

 making for regular rhino country in independent 

 territory. I had excellent trackers with me 



