170 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



decide you to follow a trail or to leave it alone. 

 First, the date. Until the sportsman has gained 

 sufficient experience to judge accurately the 

 age of the tracks, he will have to rely entirely 

 on his trackers. While, as I have said, an 

 absolutely fresh track can rarely be mistaken, 

 it is easy enough to mistake a comparatively 

 old one for a new. So much depends on the 

 soil on which it is found, and whether there 

 has been rain or not. To attempt to describe 

 a fresh track under the varying conditions of 

 soil, rain and sun would be to attempt the 

 impossible. If any doubt exists, a comparison 

 of the track with the impression of the heel 

 of the sportsman's boot will often decide the 

 question. But the tracker, if he is any good at 

 all, will be able to give a very fair guess as to 

 when the animal has passed. 



If tracks are found of a good beast, and are 

 decided to be those of the day before, take them 

 on without hesitation, if there is time to do so. 

 Your trackers will probably jib, but pay no 

 attention to them. Of course, if fresher tracks 

 are likely to be met with — well and good ; but 

 fresh tracks of a big beast, especially if solitary, 

 are not found every day, and after going several 

 hours without finding any fresh ones, you will 

 probably regret not having followed those first 

 met with. On the other hand, if you have 

 followed these, _and theyjare notjmore than 



