———or—~<‘; RCtC~*” 
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by Sir Thomas Cockaine. 123 
A good Huntsman at the Bucke must ride fast, to see what his hounds doo 
hunt, he must not hallowe but when the Bucke he hunteth either is in the 
heard, or that some other Buckes of the same yeare be with him. If your 
hounds chance to stop or be at default, and then any huntsman hap to meete 
their hunted Déere single, let him blow a short call that his fellowes next to 
the hounds may draw them towards him on the seate. So that by the hallowe 
the Huntsmen may knowe their wearie Déere is in the heard, and by blowing 
the prime call that he is gone single away. If you hunt a Buck in any Parke, 
and he fortune to leape the pale, then must the Huntsman next to the hounds 
blow three shorts and a rechate uppon it: so by that meanes all the companie 
may knowe that their hunted Déere is gone out of the Parke. 
A good Huntsman must likewise at the first casting off his hounds, take a 
speciall marke of the Bucke he hunteth by his head: for diuers Buckes haue 
sundrie slots in their palmes : some haue slots on both sides: other some are 
plaine palmed without any aduauncers with long spillers out behinde: the 
most Buckes haue some hens pecke mark to knowe them by upon their heads. 
If you hunt a Buck wearie in the beginning of Grasse-time, and your hounds 
chaunce to checke and loose him, it is then somewhat hard for a young Hunts- 
man to knowe him by his head, before it be full Soomned. Yet note this for 
your better experience, when your wearie Déere hath rested and laine awhile, 
if you then fortune to finde him againe, he will keep close up his mouth, as 
though he had not béen imbosted or hunted that day, making a bragge and 
setting up his single ; yet this secret knowledge you must haue to knowe him 
by, he will swell under the throate bigger than an egge, when he closeth his 
mouth : his coate also will stare and frise so uppon him, as you may easely 
knowe him thereby. And if you force him a little with a horse or hound, hee 
will presently lay downe his single, whereby you may easely perceiue his 
weariness. Now, if it chaunce that your hounds doo breake, and one part 
hunt one companie of Déere, and the other part another companie, wherein 
your wearie Déere is, your Huntsman ought so soone as he espieth it to blow 
_ halfe a rechate, that the others may stay the hounds that hunt false, and bring 
them in againe to the wearie Déere, and then the Huntsmans part is to applie 
the hounds well untill they haue singled the wearie Déere againe ; which done, 
they may fauour their horses and let the hounds hunt, which will make a good 
crie till the death of that Bucke. You must be carefull to choose small Parks 
at the first entring of your hounds, and hunt therein morning and evening two 
Bucks a day : and by that time you haue kild halfe a skore Bucks in this order, 
you will find that some of your yong hounds understand a wearie Deere: so 
that then you may hunt in greater and larger Parkes: and towards the latter 
end of the yeare you may venter ouer Chases and Forrests. Keepe this packe 
of hounds, and the next yeare following they will prooue singularlie cunning. 
And if it fortune any of them to prooue euil either by crossing thwarting, or 
