THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



One of the leading characteristics of a yonng sportsman is 

 the pursuit of all animals which come under the denomina- 

 tion of vermin ; and, indeed, for the preservation of game, 

 poultry, and many other things, the destruction of them, as of 

 many of the feathered race, is necessary. There is, however, 

 one animal included in this list, which, as far as the evils of 

 his ways are taken into account, is entitled to an exemption, 

 for they are few, if any. This animal is the badger, neither a 

 depredator nor a thief ; but subsisting chiefly on pig nuts, 

 beech mast, and roots ; in fact, on anything that pigs eat in 

 the woods; and, moreover, of service to the sportsman, by 

 drawing earths for foxes, although he sometimes, by making 

 them too strong, increases the expense of stopping. The 

 badger, however, possesses two very extraordinary properties 

 — the prodigious strength of his nose in burrowing, and the 

 ferocity with which he defends himself when attacked by dogs. 

 Drawing badgers from their burrows is one test of courage, or 

 pluck, in terriers, and dogs of that description, for which pur- 

 pose many are kept, to the discredit of those who keep them. 



' What have you been doing to-day, Francis ? ' inquired 

 Mr. Egerton, on the morrow after the hare-hunt. ' I saw 

 you coming to the house with Jem Perren, who was carrying 

 something in a bag.' ' We had been drawing a badger, sir, 

 in the big wood, and you would have been pleased to 

 see how well Pickle and Vixen behaved.' ' Indeed,' replied 

 Mr. Egerton, ' I should not. It would have afforded me no 

 pleasure to have seen animals tormenting each other for 

 your pleasure, and merely that you might get possession of a 

 worthless, though harmless creature.' ' Not worthless, sir,' 

 resumed Frank ; ' we mean to have a burrow made for him 

 to enter the young terriers at him, for Jem Perren thinks 

 those out of Trinket are not thorough-bred by the father's 

 side.' ' Indeed, Francis,' exclaimed the tutor, ' you shall do no 

 such thing ; at least with my knowledge. You have signalised 

 yourself, in your own estimation, by having drawn a wild 

 badger from his burrow, which, no doubt, you think much of ; 

 but let once doing so suflice. I shall walk with you to-morrow 

 to the big wood, and see you replace the pooi- animal in his 

 burrow.' 



In the hilarity of youthful spirits, this interference iiad no 

 further effect on our young sportsman than to damp his ardour, 



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