38 AN ESCAPE. 



sank below the surface of the earth. It was fed by 

 placing large quantities of earth-worms or grubs in 

 the cask ; and the number of worms that this single 

 mole devoured was quite surprising. 



As far as regards actual inspection, this arrange- 

 ment was useless ; for the mole never would show 

 itself, and when it was wanted for observation, it 

 had to be dug up. But many opportunities for 

 investigating its manners were afforded by taking it 

 from its tub, and letting it run on a hard surface, 

 such as a gravel-walk. 



There it used to run with some speed, continually 

 grubbing with its long and powerful snout, trying to 

 discover a spot sufficiently soft for a tunnel. More 

 than once it did succeed in partially burying itself, 

 and had to be dragged out again, at the risk of 

 personal damage. At last it contrived to slip over 

 the side of the gravel-walk, and, finding a patch of 

 soft mould, sank with a rapidity that seemed the 

 effect of magic. Spades were put in requisition ; 

 but a mole is more than a match for a spade, and 

 the pet mole was never seen more. 



I was by no means pleased at the escape of my 

 prisoner ; but there was one person more displeased 

 than myself — namely, the gardener : for he, seeing 

 in the far perspective of the future a mole running 

 wild in the garden, disfiguring his lawn and destroy- 

 ing his seed-beds, was extremely exasperated, and 

 could by no blandishments be pacified. 



