676 



THE NATURE BOOK 



bricks) flj'ing like leaves behind her. 

 Jemima must needs join in, but a heave 

 from Sall3''s shoulders catches her and 

 she flies headlong with the bricks, somer- 

 saults completely, and lands upon her 

 broad grey back. Jemima's weight is 



wards. You hear a snuffling, stifled 

 grunt — Jemima's protest. The lorry 

 lumbers past. Five minutes, and they 

 reappear. " Idiot ! " says Jemima, as 

 plain as Badger's grunt can speak. But 

 Sally's head is buried in the milk-bowl. 



BADGER. 



The stripiness of a Badger's coat is due to the fact that each of the long hairs is alternately banded from the root upwards, 



whitish, brown, black, brown, whitish again. 



five-and-twenty pounds. Sometimes her 

 help is welcomed, the bricks are scattered 

 by joint effort, the slabs are wrenched 

 asunder, and, snuffling with ecstasy, the 

 pair of them reach Mother Earth. To 

 vanish, then, is child's play, but, vanish 

 whither they may, their course is limited. 

 On all sides of them are ancient foundations 

 proof even against a Badger's strength. 

 At supper-time they reappear, dusty, 

 shame-faced, and ravenous. Sally comes 

 up first, pauses with fore feet tautened 

 on the brink, snuffs at the air and listens. 

 That sleep with Mother Earth has brought 

 back memories. Last niglit the lorry 

 might have clanked itself to pieces, l)ut 

 now the first faint creak of it (a furlong 

 down the road) means instant pressing 

 danger. She tumbles headlong back- 



Jemima joins her, and, with much fuss, 

 they drain it. Then to stretch their 

 limbs. Nothing like " follow-my-leader " 

 for this. It is Jemima's lead. She starts 

 at a " low trot," head bent to earth, 

 tail dropt, her fore feet criss-cross. These 

 strike the ground flat-soled, her hind 

 feet merely tiptoe ; so her back sways 

 and dances. Behind her trots her sister, 

 pace for pace. Jemima wheels sharp 

 right, instantly Sally follows. Jemima 

 stops short, Sally even shorter. Jemima 

 prances, Sally prances too. Jemima lifts 

 her head up, Sally does the same. Jemima 

 ducks her head and gallops to cover, 

 Sally gallops after her 



It was I who startled them — with a 

 careless swing of the lantern. There is 

 only cover for one, for I luwe alread_v 



