70 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



" ' Oh, Lord ! Oh, murder ! Let go, you devil I 

 Oh, dear ! Oh ! ' shrieks the rash victim of his own 

 folly, and, pulling out his bleeding hand from the hole, 

 he proceeds to dance about like one possessed. 



" He had come on the wrong animal, and instead 

 of the dog, which was lying further back, had grabbed 

 the lord of the castle himself, and the latter had re- 

 sented his interference with his usual energy. 



" Now the forester himself lies down by the hole, 

 tongs in hand. For some time the badger resists, by 

 furious biting, all attempts at capture. 



" ' Now I've got him. One of you get the pickaxe, 

 and when I pull him out let him have a good one on 

 his neck.' 



" The man is pulling with all strength, but the 

 badger is struggling for liberty and life, and only loses 

 ground inch by inch. At last the striped head comes 

 in view, and one vigorous blow puts an end to all his 

 troubles. 



" When he is fairly out, Peter comes in sight, 

 holding a firm grip of the badger's hind-quarters. 

 The badger is a very fine one, and being weighed 

 afterwards turned the scale at twenty-nine pounds. 



" Now the earth is carefully shovelled in again, 

 for badgers are often got out of the same hole year 

 after year, and we start for home. The wounded 

 woodman has to stand a lot of k;d jokes upon his 

 keenness. 



"Who would not love the little crooked-legged allies 

 who show such courage and devotion ? Nor are they 

 alone useful for this purpose, for there is hardly any- 



