The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-10-02
A PLAYFUL BADGER.
HE WAS FULL OF LIFE, But REFUSED
TO BE TRAINED.


II have often wondered" said man
who is fond of animals, "why people
don't give more attention to the badger.
He has lots of character.
"Once when l was younger l was a
bookkeeper for a few months at a grad
Ing camp a few miles south of Pueblo,
Colo. One day the contractor appeared
IN camp, bringing badger which he had
caught on his farm.
"'You boys can put in your time train
ing him. said he.
1--WE were pleased enough, but the bad
ger gave us to understand from the first
that he wanted none of us, emphasizing
his decision by a snap at Gleason's hand.
We managed to get collar and chain
attached to him, and tumbled him into
a big box.
"There he was on his guard every
moment and ready to charge any one or
anything that crowded him in the least.
He snarled and reared, and when he
tired of that he grunted like pig. He
was absolutely without fear of anything
that walked or crawled. He tackled an
immense st. Bernard owned by one of
our subcontractors. Poor Rex had never
seen badger before, and he was greatly
astonished. First he smelt Of the badg-
er's hind leg. Then he sat down and
gently waved one paw over the crea-
lures head This the badger took as
direct insult, and the next minute he was
hanging on to the dogs nose. When
freed, Rex was not seen for two days.
"Jim Gleason was the commissary
man. He had followed camp life for ~
years, and had developed into the worst
crank l ever ran up against. But for
some reason he was quite tickled over
the badger Maybe he recognized kin
dred spirit. He said:
"Ill have that badger tame in two
days. He's only scared a little; that's
ALL
HE told us of a coon he once caught
In Arizona and tanned so it followed him
about like dog. Just before | dropped
off to sleep the first night he informed me
In an offhand way that he'd teach the
badger to shake hands before 10 o'clock
the next day.
"But when morning came the badger
was missing The chain was in the box
all right, but the badger and the collar
were gone. Gleason felt bad.
cts a COMPOUNDED shame he said.
Il took a liking to that cuss, and was
Let's look for him. Maybe he is around
camp yet.
"He spent two or three hours hunting
for the badger, and when he finally gave
It up he said mournfully, It's shame;
the poor little thing may starve.
"When he turned in that night, he left
A piece of fresh beef outside the commits
sary door in hopes he said, that the
hungry little beast may find It, The next
morning l was awakened by Gleason's
voice raised in loud and picturesque cuss
words. He was an artist at the business
when he set out to do good job.
"'Look at that he said, and pointed
At q hole in the ground just outside the
lent Then he dragged me into the tent,
and showed me another hole just under
his desk.
"'The nerve of him. roared Jim, after
l put meat out for him and done every
thing for him | could! He's in that hole,
and there's a five pound piece Of bacon
In there with him. / come in just in
time, and seen him get away with it
"The cold ingratitude of the badger
seemed to strike Gleason to the heart,
and turn all his kindness to gall. | asked
him when he was going to give the bad
ger his first lesson in shaking hands, but
he didn't seem to see the point. He
hunted up two pals and spent most of
the forenoon Juggling water from the
ditch and pouring it into the holes. Every
time he emptied a pail he picked up a
club and watched the hole, ready for the
badger when he dashed out. But the
badger didn't dash, and finally Gleason
| threw the pals at the holes In disgust
and passed it up as bad job.
after dinner l started across the COM
missary tent to the sleeping tent and my
foot went through up to my knee. Glea-
son started toward me, and he went
through too. Then we noticed little
round holes in different parts of the dirt
floor. The badger was at work under
mining us.
"Next morning big piece of beef had
disappeared. We gravely asked Gleason
to please put out a good lunch for the
poor little beast that night. Jim said
nothing all day. He appeared to be
thinking. When night came, he opened
his mouth long enough to tell me that
he'd show me the badgers skin when
turned out next morning.
"Some time in the middle of the night
I was awakened by an unearthly racket
My first thought was that the men were
hanging the COOK, proceeding lrequeHt'
ly threatened. / leaped out to save the
cook, but instead of hanging bee
found Jim and the badger enjoying q
tete tete in the commissary tent. The
badger was in his hole, all except his
head. Jim was on his knees, and be
tween the two was a full side of salt
pork which must have weighed &c
pounds. Both Jim and the badger had
hrm hold at opposite corners. They were
putting forth their full strength and talk
Ing to each other. Their remarks were
10 loud that the whole camp was reused
How long the show would have contin
he'd 1 can't say If Jim hadn't forgotten
that he was barefoot and aimed a tire
mendous kick straight at the badgers
dat head. He remembered just too late
and tried to kick both ways at the sans
time. The badger snapped at that bare
foot. Jim yelled and jerked. The porl
came easy, and Jim turned a new kline
Of somersault.
eve were holding ourselves in all kinds
Of positions, too weak to say singl,
word. Jim saw us for the first time, bu
he said nothing; Just hi1ed back to bed