22 WOODLAND CREATURES 



it the short gasping grunt of an old badger, so 

 that I feel convinced the mother allows her cubs 

 to follow her on her rambles. Moreover, I have 

 often found big and little tracks mingled on the 

 pathways and where the badgers are in the habit 

 of crossing a small stream. One can picture 

 the family party setting forth through the dim 

 mysterious woods, the sow jogging steadily on, 

 while the lively youngsters race and romp, stop- 

 ping now and again to nose among the moss and 

 ferns, then finding themselves left behind, and 

 thereupon raising that outcry which I have heard 

 echoing through the trees on a summer night. 

 Diana most certainly never took any chances; 

 if she lost sight of me for but a moment her 

 squalls rent the air, when I had generally to go 

 back to her and make her come along. If tired, 

 she would stand up on her hind-legs and paw at 

 my skirt, until I picked her up and carried her. 

 This was all right while she was fairly light, but 

 she grew so fast and developed so amazingly, 

 that I soon found her far too heavy to carry. 

 It is no joke to nurse a three-parts grown badger, 

 of that I can assure my readers ! The cub had 

 one very annoying trick, of which I was never 

 able to break her. If I stopped to talk to any- 

 one, and she could not get my attention, if pawing 

 and scratching would not make me pick her up, 

 she would delicately pinch me in the calf of the 

 leg ! She never really hurt, it was the gentlest 

 of nips, but it was very startling; in fact, she 

 never failed to make me jump. I always thought 



