THE BADGER 



brutes as a rule to do with ; they get so 

 excited that they do not care what they go 

 at, it may be the dogs or yourself, or I have 

 seen them set to worry a big stone. They 

 often go to ground well, but have several 

 faults. They will tackle the badger, get 

 punished severely, and create all sorts of 

 difficulties, and are generally nearly mute 

 except when fighting. 



I had a rare life of it on one expedition 

 with a little bull-terrier called Nip that I 

 bought from a Cornishman, after a long dig 

 in which Nip had distinguished himself. He 

 was a dirty white, ugly, undershot, crop-eared 

 little brute, with a tail like a shaving-brush. 

 Shy and nervous, he had a fiendish amount 

 of pugnacity and pluck. When not other- 

 wise employed, he wore his teeth to the gums 

 in vain endeavours to get into the interior of 

 large stones. In a railway-carriage, so de- 

 lighted was he at all times to get to ground, 

 that he would get under the seat, and refuse 

 to be removed if he had not on a collar and 

 chain, except with the badger-tongs. He had 

 to be muzzled and chained when with other 



