i 
by Sir Thomas Cockaine. 121 
the water, at which time you are to bate your sixe couple of fresh hounds to 
the wearie, that haue him in the water to breake the bay. The nature of the 
Stagge is to flee up the winde, or side winde, and therfore the hottest and 
most pleasant chase to hunt that is. When you haue killed the Stagge with 
your hounds, the best man in the companie must come in and take the assay, 
which he must begin at the brisket, and drawe his knife straight up betwixt 
the two foreshoulders : then must the Foster or Kéeper of the Wood come in, 
and take out the paunch and bloud, and reward the hounds, striking off the 
Stagges head and giuing it to the Huntsman, which he ought to carrie home 
and relieue his hounds with bread upon it a weeke after. 
I had almost forgotten, that euery Huntsman which hath a horne ought to 
blowe his rechate when he heareth the hounds ; for it is so hot a chase, that 
there is no stops made in his hunting, unlesse he chance to get water farre 
before the hounds, & be gone out againe by some drie colyway: then he per- 
chance may be trailed coldly before he be put from his laire againe. The 
Huntsman must remember to blowe at the death of euery Stagge sixe long 
motes that all those which be cast behind may come in. And after the last 
- mote blowne, then all which haue hornes must blowe altogether their double 
rechates. And so betwixt Whitsontide and Midsomer, which amongst wood- 
men is called fence time, once a weeke you may occupie your hounds in this 
sort, if you can finde game. 
How to order your hounds before you hunt the Bucke. 
Ou must take up at Midsomer ten or eleuen couple of such Hounds as 
you entend to hunt the Bucke withall, and let so many of them bee led 
in lines as you haue Huntsmen to leade them, some one day, some another. 
