548 Modern Dogs. 



some badgers in their wild state. I started for 

 Gloucestershire with two couples of dachshunds, 

 each about three years old and well used to going 

 to ground. The first time we went out was on 

 the Wednesday before the Good Friday. It was 

 full moon, and the night was very bright and still. 

 In addition to the four dachshunds my friends 

 ran four terriers. The earthstopper had gone on 

 before and stopped all the main earths, and re- 

 mained by them until we came. We did not net 

 any of the places, our object being to run a badger 

 to ground in a small earth and dig him out. 



" From 2 a.m. to 5 p.m. the little pack hunted 

 well, and were very merry sometimes ; but it was the 

 thickest underwood I was ever in. When you left a 

 ride you were lost amid the tangle of brambles. 

 A badger was viewed once, and had a sharp tussle 

 with one of the terriers. The dachshunds kept well 

 together, and on one occasion hunted out in the 

 open for a long way, but I think they were then on 

 the line of a fox. However, at about 5 a.m. it 

 was found that one of the main earths had been 

 unstopped, and two of the terriers could be heard 

 hard at it in different places. Being well supplied 

 with digging appliances we commenced operations, 

 and about 10 a.m. had dug to one of the terriers, 

 which we found terribly torn and bitten. After 



