ODDS AND ENDS. HI 



honour' the finest badgers in Ireland," for each 

 of which he was promised half-a-crown, which 

 seemed to him a chance of making a fortune, 

 we proceeded up the mountain side, and had 

 not gone far when we came to a well-worked 

 badger's earth, and the man started digging, 

 every now and again putting his arm into the 

 hole to see if he was getting near the end ! 

 On being asked if he was not afraid of being 

 bitten when he got within reach of the occu- 

 pants, he replied, " Is it bitten, your honour, why 

 would I?" I certainly thought he showed a 

 certain lack of intelligence by this remark, but 

 perhaps he knew badgers better than I did, and 

 if he was satisfied to risk his hand within a few 

 inches of their mouths I didn't mind ! At last, 

 after some considerable digging, on stretching 

 his arm to its full length, he gave a shout of joy 

 (not unmingled with pain it seemed to meh, 

 " Begor, I've got her at last, your honour ! " and 

 then began the tug of war. Anyone who has 

 ever tried to draw a badger from its earth knows 

 what a tough job it is, but nothing would induce 

 the man to let it go until we came to closer 

 quarters. " Is it to let her go you want me," 

 he said indignantly, "and maybe lose my half, 



