How to find a Hart lost the night before.

A Huntsman may fail of killing a Hart divers ways; sometimes by reason of great heat, or overtaken with the night, and the like. If any such thing should happen, then thus you must do. First, they which follow the Hounds, must mark the place where they left the Chase, and at break of day bring your Blood-hound to it with your Kennel after him. If any hound vents, whom he knows to be no Lier or Babler, he shall put his Hound to it, whooping twice, or blow∣ing two Notes with his Horn, to call all his fellows Page  74 about him: and if he find where the Hart is gone in∣to some likely Govert or Grove, then must he draw his Hounds about it, and beat cross through it. And if there he renews his Slot or View, let him first consider whether it be the right or not: if it be the right, let him blow his Horn. Now if he find five or six Layrs, let it not seem strange; for Harts hunted and spent, do frequently make many Layrs together, because they cannot stand, but lie and feed.

Harts which are hunted, most commonly run up the Wind, and straight forwards as far as they are able, and finding any Water or Soil, do stay a long time therein; by which means their Joynts are so benummed and stiffned, that coming out they cannot go far, nor stand up long; and therefore are compelled to take any Har∣bour they can finde, which may be a present Covert to them.