IX 

 THE LIFE-STORY OF A BADGER 



" To some old loamy barrow, in bramble bank, 

 Of broc or fox." 



CHARLES M. DOUGHTY. 



T T E was born near the foot of a proached, the cubs shook off their drow- 



precipitous headland which a siness and awaited her summons to go 



wall shut off from the neighbouring out to play. At the call they followed, 



farm. The isolation of the sett had frisking at her heels as she led to the 



induced his mother to litter there, and one bit of level sward where they 



when after the birth of her two cubs could enjoy their gambols without fear 



day succeeded day without any intru- of falling over the cliff. The mother 



sion from an enemy, she all but shook joined in all their games and frequently 



off the misgivings that had at first left herself bare time to reach the for- 



constantly haunted her as to their aging ground and get the food she 



safety. So great indeed became her needed, before dawn stole over the 



confidence in the security of her sur- uplands and hurried her home. In 



roundings that she even ventured to her absence the cubs remained in the 



take the cubs outside the earth that " earth," contentedly enough at first, 



the sun might bathe them with its but with an ever-growing discontent 



rays. Whilst they slept she kept at being left behind. She turned a 



watch and ward over them. Occa- deaf ear to their plaints, however, until 



sionally, wearied by her roamings she thought the young creatures fit to 



through the dewy mowing-grass and accompany her. Then she took them, 



lulled by the cries of nesting wild- mad with delight, up the zigzag to the 



fowl, she would fall into a deep slum- summit of the headland, 



ber, awaking in a fright at the thought Full of wonderment at the strange 



that her cubs might have been stolen world to which they were being intro- 



from her side, but becoming composed duced, the cubs were slow to settle to 



when she saw them still on their their lessons, but when they did, they 



couches amongst the seapinks, where profited so quickly by their mother's 



they lay blinking at the sunset. instruction that in a few nights they 



In rainy or chilly weather she kept became adept in turning over the 



to the "earth" where, as night ap- stones and muzzling amongst the 



