uddenly appeared, and as
suddenly vanished. Another half-hour went by, and yet another, but no
further sign was given. My companion, unused to such a long vigil,
shifted uneasily, and protested that he was tingling with cramp and
longing for sleep; presently, unable to endure his discomfort, he arose,
and stretched his limbs before settling down again amid the briars.

Our patience was in vain. Once more the badger came in sight, but my
companion did not see what I myself had noticed, for sleep had sealed
his tired eyes, and when I nudged him he awoke with such a start that
the badger instantly withdrew into the burrow.

By the glow-worm's lamp, I found from my watch that midnight had long
passed; and so, since the hour was towards dawn and the moon was not
favourable for close observation of the "earth-pigs," even if they
crossed the open glade, I whispered to my friend that the proceedings,
in which his interest had manifestly waned, were over for the night. His
disappointment was keen, and though to me the night seemed warm, he,
accustomed to a tropical climate, chattered with the cold. He had not
even noticed the first appearance of the "earth-pig," and henceforth
night watching held no charm for him.

My own disappointment, if only for my friend's sake, was also keen; but,
on the evening following those hours of fruitless watching, I discovered
the vixen's lair in the furze-brake, and learned why she resorted
thither with her cubs, before the badger family had awakened from their
day-dreams, or the pale glow-worm's rays had lit up the dew-besprinkled
spider-webs.

Knowing that badgers are, as the country folk say, _pwdu_ (pouty)
creatures, likely to sulk at home for several nights if they consider
it unsafe to roam abroad, I carefully examined the mound of earth and
the beech-trunk near the "set," that I might learn whether the animals
had been out of doors since my previous visit. On the soil, fresh
footprints could be seen, their outlines clearly lit and deeply shadowed
as the sun sank in the west, and, in some of the scratches on the beech,
the pith had barely changed its colour from creamy white to the faintest
tinge of brown. I concluded, therefore, that the badgers had been out,
as usual, some time before the dawn. My eyes, however, were not
sufficiently trained to detect any sure evidence of the recent movements
of the vixen and her cubs.

Walking along the tracks, I chanced to notice that the path by w