112 FOXES AT HOME. 



crown ; the divil a go she'll go as long as I've 

 hould of her." And it was not until he got his 

 other hand in and his knees against the earth, 

 which I had opened a little farther to give him 

 more room, that he at last succeeded in draw- 

 ing a fine sow badger, which had him fast by 

 the right hand, and we had some diflficulty in 

 forcing her jaws apart to get it free. The 

 badger was placed in a sack, and wiping his 

 bleeding hand on the " reverse of his corduroys " 

 he once more thrust it into the hole, '' For another 

 half-crown, your honour," he said, with a smile. 

 In this way we bagged five fine young badgers, 

 and the man got his fortune, with a little in 

 addition for the sake of his wounded hand, which 

 did not seem to trouble him in the least, and he 

 hoped "my honour" would soon come again, 

 "long life to me!" 



I put these badgers down in the wood, and, 

 though they shifted to another earth, they 

 eventually cleaned out every one, and the foxes 

 returned and bred in them as before. So it was 

 money well spent. 



Foxes and dogs have a marvellous in- 

 stinct by which they can return to their 

 native place, though taken away to immense 



