THE LIFE-STORY OF A BADGER 45 



away and just as they were about to crags, warned them to seek immediate 

 turn homewards came on what they harbourage. To lie down in the stub- 

 had for over a week been seeking in ble they were crossing was out of the 

 vain a wasps' nest. It was very late, question, so they hurried over the brow 

 but the temptation to stay and dig it and, threading the loose rocks, took 

 out was too great to resist, and the old to the brake that mantled the slope 

 badger, conscious that much delay below. There they .'curled up under 

 meant lying out, made frantic efforts the densest of the furze and tried to 

 to secure the prize betimes, so that compose themselves to rest, 

 they might reach the " earth " before Despite the pain from the stings in 

 sunrise. But the ground proved hard her nose, the old badger soon fell asleep ; 

 and rocky ; and though to kill the wasps but the cub, though unstung, lay awake 

 that kept stinging her, she rolled but listening to the strange, disquieting 

 once, she was fully two hours in get- noises that from time to time rose 

 ting at the combs. The cakes, full of out of the valley. Now it was the rum- 

 grubs, were worth all the pain and trou- bling of a cart, now the cries of the 

 ble in the opinion of the cub, who, if miller's wife scaring the pigs from the 

 he had little part in the labour of exca- garden, and late in the forenoon, when 

 vation, came in for a big share of the he was about to doze, the braying of a 

 feast. He thought as he swallowed jackass on the lower edge of the brake, 

 the luscious morsels that he had never This was more than his nerves could 

 eaten anything so delicious, not except- stand, and in terror he nestled closer to 

 ing the ripe gooseberries in the farmer's his mother and wished himself back in 

 garden, the night his mother over- the sett. But the worst was over ; 

 turned the big hive. After gobbling in the hush that succeeded, nothing 

 up the last bit of comb, the slow-footed could be heard but the drowsy drone 

 creatures, without stopping to drink in of insects and the plashing of the water 

 the stream hard by, made for their from the t wheel, sounds that both 

 distant home as fast as their pads allayed his fears and served him for a 

 could carry them. But the race be- slumber-song. He was thinking of wasp- 

 tween them and the sun was hopeless, combs when sleep claimed him. The 

 Many hills stood in their course ; and sun had gone down before he arose 

 they had scarcely completed half the and followed his mother to the hill- 

 journey before the dawn, gilding the crest beyond the stream, whence rugged 



