48 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



was far above the horizon he was rudely night he resumed his quest, and at last 



aroused by a pack of fox-hounds who met with a sow of his own age. But 



would have worried him to death had his troubles were not yet at an end, for 



it not been that the narrow approach scarcely had he exchanged licks with 



to his refuge made it impossible for her before another boar came up on her 



more than one hound to reach him at line and rushed at him like a thing in- 



a time. So he was able to keep them furiated. The fight that ensued lasted 



at bay and even to inflict more harm till the sun rose, when his rival was glad 



than he received. But the rock could to drag himself away from the scene 



not save him from the pandemonium of conflict in order to escape further 



which assailed his sensitive ears ; and punishment. The badger was more 



this he had to endure until his mad- blown than hurt and, as soon as he 



dened assailants were whipped off by recovered his wind, was all for return- 



the huntsman. Despite this experi- ing to the sett under the Cairn, but the 



ence the badger kept to the sett, sow would have him come to her own 



though afterwards, on finding the holes country, and in the end he yielded and 



stopped, he shunned the brake and followed whither she led. 



sought the old harbourage in the recess And what a wild country it seemed, 



of the Cairn. Thus he escaped further even in his eyes, with its tangled valleys, 



persecution from the hounds and would its rugged slopes and never a patch of 



have been as happy as the winter nights cultivated ground. Wonder changed to 



were long, but for the farm labourers amazement when he came on the waste- 



and dogs who ravaged that part of heap of an abandoned mine, a heap to 



the countryside until they had killed which his excavations were as worm- 



every badger except himself. casts. He was even more struck by the 



All October through, the badger, vastness of the sett that was to be the 



dreading to be taken by these mid- home of himself and his mate. It 



night marauders, never once ventured to covered over an acre of ground and 



roam beyond the edge of the downs, was so riddled with holes that the 



but in November a longing for the com- earth-stopper had long given up trying 



panionship of his kind possessed him so to stop it. So the badgers never saw 



strongly that he swept aside his fears and the light of his lantern, nor indeed any 



went boldly forth in search of a mate, light but that of the moon and stars 



Day after day he slept out, night after until summer brought glow-worms to 



