THE BADGER 



his hind, but all are armed with long, sharp 

 claws, and it is prodigious what he can effect 

 with them. There is no mistaking his tracks 

 — no animal's footprint is in the least like his. 

 His heel is large and wide ; this, and his four 

 round, plump toes, leave an impression in 

 sand, mud, or snow that cannot be con- 

 founded with any other. If the mud is deep, 

 or there is snow on the ground, he also 

 leaves the mark of his claws, but as a rule 

 these are not observable, as he puts his 

 weight on the sole of his foot — his tracks are 

 usually almost in a line. The badger is cut 

 out for a miner. His wedge-shaped head is 

 capable of forcing a passage through sand 

 and soft strata, whilst his armour-tipped 

 diggers are worked by machinery that rivals 

 in power the steam navvy ; and whilst his 

 fore-feet are going like an engine, throwing 

 stones, bits of rock, sand, clay, and all that 

 he comes in contact with between his fore- 

 legs (which are set wide apart, leaving plenty 

 of room under the chest), his powerful hams 

 are working his hind-legs and feet like little 



demons, throwing back all that the fore-feet 



26 



