THE BADGER 



or move they will shamble back to the earth 

 and watch you for ten minutes. It is then a 

 trial for your nerves. If you move you have 

 seen the last of them for the night, but if you 

 succeed in being perfectly still they will recover 

 sufficient confidence to sally forth again, but 

 will take off quickly in different directions for 

 their night's ramble. Then at last we may 

 raise our stiff limbs and turn our steps 

 through the dark woods, leaving the fox and 

 badger to their devices, and once more 

 frightening the rabbits which flash past us 

 as we wade homewards through the grass 

 heavy and wet with dew. We have made 

 no startling discovery on this our first night 

 together by the badger "set," but probably 

 we have made a better acquaintance with 

 badgers in this hour than we could have 

 gained in any museum of natural history, 

 with the assistance of the most erudite Fellow 

 of the Zoological Society. 



To understand and appreciate all sides of 

 the badger's character you must see him in 

 war as well as at peace ; and such knowledge 

 has to be purchased by great labour and 



