228 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



make a cast with the pack. " And if the hunters 

 hear that the hounds run well and put it forth lustily, 

 they should rout and jopey to them lustily and often 

 and recheat also." 



After all the relays are laid on and the hart has 

 been chased and rechased through all his " ruses," 

 he comes to water, and after beating the water in 

 vain he stands to bay. '' And then as far as it may 

 be heard every man draweth thither, and the knowing 

 therof is which hunter cometh first, and which 

 hunter after the other, they halloa all together and 

 blow a note and recheat all at once." This is the 

 only occasion when they are to blow all together. 

 It would be too much to expect a man with a horn 

 and able to blow it not to do so when the stag is at 

 bay and as to halloaing they seem to have been as 

 fond of doing so then as now. " I know also that it 

 is impossible for those who see a course to avoid 

 holloaing without advice being given for it, since it 

 would almost make a dumb person speak, as is related 

 of the son of Croesus." There is, however, comfort 

 in the thought that one cannot do much harm by 

 halloaing when the stag is at bay, though it is far 

 otherwise earlier in the run. Truly the troubles of a 

 huntsman were much the same then as now, and the 

 Master of Game recommends that if, when hounds 

 are at a check, anyone is heard halloaing at a 

 distance someone should be sent to see what it is 

 he is halloaing. No doubt it has frequently happened 

 then as now that an excited man knew really nothing 



