HART-HUNTING BY STRENGTH 149 



accord with the forester of the bailie in which they 

 seek him where they should meet in the grey dawn- 

 ing. Nevertheless it were good readiness to look if 

 they might see any deer at its meating (feeding) the 

 "previous evening to know the more readily where to 

 seek and harbour him on the morrow. And on the 

 morrow when they meet the forester that well ought 

 to know of his great deer'' s haunts^ he shall lead the 

 hunter and the ly merer thither^ where he best hopes 

 to see him or find of him without noise. And if they 

 can see him and they be in the wind they ought to 

 withdrazu from hi??i i^i the softest manner they can, 

 for dread of frightening him out of his haunt, and 

 then go privily till they be under the wind. And as 

 he stereth (stalks) and paceth forth feeding, they are 

 to draw nigh him as readily and warily as they can 

 so that the deer find them not. And when he has 

 entered his covert, and to his Ugging, they ought to 

 tarry till they know that he be entered two skilful 

 bowshots from thence. And then ought the lymerer 

 by bidding of the hunter to cast round with his 

 lymer the quarter that the deer is in, if it be in a 

 huge covert, and if it be in a little covert that the 

 deer is in, set ^ all the covert to know whether he is 

 gone away or abides there still. And if he abides, 



^ To set the covert was for the huntsman or limerer with his 

 hound on a leash to go round the covert that he had seen the 

 deer enter, and to look carefully whether he could find any 

 signs of the stag having left the place. This in more modern 

 parlance is called making his ring walks. 



