THE BADGER 



his hind, but all are armed with long, sharp 

 claws, and it is prodigious what he can effect 

 with them. There is no mistaking his tracks 

 no animal's footprint is in the least like his. 

 His heel is large and wide ; this, and his four 

 round, plump toes, leave an impression in 

 sand, mud, or snow that cannot be con- 

 founded with any other. If the mud is deep, 

 or there is snow on the ground, he also 

 leaves the mark of his claws, but as a rule 

 these are not observable, as he puts his 

 weight on the sole of his foot his tracks are 

 usually almost in a line. The badger is cut 

 out for a miner. His wedge-shaped head is 

 capable of forcing a passage through sand 

 and soft strata, whilst his armour-tipped 

 diggers are worked by machinery that rivals 

 in power the steam navvy ; and whilst his 

 fore-feet are going like an engine, throwing 

 stones, bits of rock, sand, clay, and all that 

 he comes in contact with between his fore- 

 legs (which are set wide apart, leaving plenty 

 of room under the chest), his powerful hams 

 are working his hind-legs and feet like little 



demons, throwing back all that the fore-feet 

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