138 THE MASTER OF GAME 



form of the foot. And when the hart steppeth 

 upon the grass and ye cannot see the stepping with 

 your eyes, then ye shall put your hand in the 

 form of the foot that hunters call the trace, and 

 if ye see that the form of the foot be of four 

 fingers of breadth, ye may judge that it is a great 

 hart by the trace. And if the sole of the foot be 

 of three fingers' breadth ye may judge him a hart 

 of ten, and if ye see that he hath well broken 

 the earth and trodden well the grass, it is a token 

 that it is a great hart and a heavy deer. And if 

 ye cannot well see it for the hardness of the 

 earth, or for the dust, then ye must stoop down 

 for to take away the dust and blow it away from 

 the form of the foot until the time that ye may 

 clearly see the form that is called the trace. And 

 if ye cannot see it in one place, ye should follow 

 the trace until the time that ye can well see it at 

 your ease. And if ye can see none in any place, 

 ye should put your hand in the form of the foot, 

 for then ye shall find how the earth is broke with 

 the cleeves of the foot on either side, and then ye 

 can judge it for a great hart or a hart chaceable, 

 as I have said before by the treading of the grass ; 

 and if leaves or other things be within the form 

 that ye may not see at your ease, ye should take 

 away the leaves all softly or the other things with 

 your hands, so that ye undo not the form of the 

 foot and blow within and do the other things as I 



