STUBBS THE BADGER 203 
far afield for water. Sometimes a shower fell, but 
never enough to fill the springs. At such times the 
badgers resorted to a hollow in a path, along which 
horses had passed in winter when the mud was 
deep. Now, after a shower, each hoof-mark was a 
clay goblet of water, and the badgers' thirsty red 
tongues used to lick out the contents gratefully. 
One close night in May, Stubbs went down to 
the Great White House, where the men live. The 
Great White House stands on a little oasis of open 
grass, but the woods come up close round, and the 
rabbits trespass under the very windows. In the field 
round, the men have planted roots which are new 
to badger palates, and some of them are very good. 
Stubbs sampled them all. Some were narcissus 
and hyacinth, evil-tasting and slimy, and he threw 
them aside. Others, the crocus and tulip, were 
better ; but best of all were the snowdrops, which 
were sweet and nutty, and of these Stubbs ate all 
he could find. At last he ventured quite close to the 
walls of the house. Faint notes of music beat from 
one of the windows, and these made Stubbs raise 
his head suspiciously. All at once it seemed that 
eyes were watching him from the shadow to his 
leeward side mysterious eyes, eager yet timid. He 
grunted, and dug up another bulb, but the sensation 
of being watched grew stronger. Instinctively 
