I myself led a column through an intricate part of the Matopo
Mountains in Rhodesia by night to attack the enemy's stronghold, which
I had reconnoitred the previous day. I found the way by feeling my own
tracks, sometimes with my hands and sometimes through the soles of my
shoes, which had worn very thin; and I never had any difficulty in
finding the line.
Tracking, or following up tracks, is called by different names in
different countries. Thus, in South Africa you would talk only of
"spooring," that is, following up the "spoor"; in India it would be
following the "pugs," or "pugging"; in America it is "trailing."
* * * * *
JACKAL CATCHING.
In India I have seen a certain tribe of gipsies who eat jackals. Now,
a jackal is one of the most suspicious animals that lives, and is very
difficult to catch in a trap, but these gipsies catch them by calling
them in this way: Several men with dogs hide themselves in the grass
and bushes round a small field. In the middle of this open place one
gipsy imitates the call of the jackals calling to each other; he gets
louder and louder till they seem to come together; then they begin to
growl and finally tackle each other with violent snapping, snarling,
and yelling, and at the same time he shakes a bundle of dried leaves,
which sounds like the animals dashing about among grass and reeds.
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