Hedgehogs. 83 



said already, the water-shrews are perhaps the shyest 

 and most easily frightened of all our small fauna, and 

 they have the greatest dislike to any unusual sound, and 

 are a long time before they recover from any fright. 



And if you will only muster up courage and come 

 back here at the twilight hour, you will see life indeed, 

 and know that nature pauses not, but has her constant 

 relays of workers, and that her machinery neither rests 

 nor rusts, nor knows any Sabbath day. The hedge- 

 hogs are numberless, notwithstanding the war waged 

 against them the wary, silent, secretive ways of the 

 creature, as well as its natural armour, protecting it 

 from many of its enemies. Oft have I, when walking 

 here or near by, with the proprietor or gamekeeper in 

 the evening, seen them ruthlessly slaughtered, when 

 scented by the dogs and surprised, as they ventured 

 out on their evening quest along hedgerow, or down 

 their walks in the wood. Having coiled themselves 

 up, poor things, the dogs were generally at a dis- 

 advantage, and would bark and whine in a way that 

 told only too well what excited them ; and it was a 

 point with my friend to proceed to the place, and 

 despatch the creatures by forcibly treading on them 

 with his heavy foot, producing in me, I confess, a 

 squeamishness I could hardly venture to acknowledge ; 

 as, by doing so, I would probably have risked losing 

 any little character for manliness and sportsmanlike 

 instinct that I had, for the poor hedgehogs are credited 

 with no end of sins and crimes whether with truth or 

 not, 1 cannot say amongst others, with destroying 

 eggs of pheasants and partridges, which is, of course, 

 an unpardonable offence, and also with stealing into 

 hen coops and eating chickens, and sometimes even 

 biting and injuring hens. 



