TIOW THE OPOSSUM IS HUNTED. 71 



weeks, tluit the neighbouring woods were full of his 

 congeners. 



ki Frequently," he said, "my negroes will quit their 

 huts at full moon, armed with axes, and followed by a 

 hairless dog, which, spite of its ugliness, possesses an 

 unparalleled nose. He follows up the scent, and guides 

 the party to the foot of the tree where the animal has 

 sought a refuge. 



" A torcji of resin is immediately lighted, and the axe 

 vigorously plied at the roots of the sheltering tree, with- 

 out any regard for its strength or venerable age. You 

 should hear the songs and jests and guttural cries of my 

 negroes : no words can describe them adequately. In 

 due time the tree yields ; and this unusual movement, 

 incomprehensible to the opossum, instead of warning him 

 of the coming danger, induces him to hoist himself further 

 forward among the branches. Patatras ! the tree is on 

 the ground, and with it the opossum, who sometimes 

 drops right into the dog's jaws. If by any accident he 

 iinds means to escape, his safety is by no means certain. 

 In a couple of minutes the teeth of his enemy fasten on 

 his hind-legs ; and though he ' plays 'possum,' the negro 

 who plucks him from the mouth of his favourite dog 

 never forgets to convert the sham into a reality. 



" My negroes weary themselves more in a few hours 

 for the sake of pleasure than they will do in as many days 

 in working for my behoof. These ' unfortunate slaves,' 

 as the Abolitionists call them, generally kill three or four 

 opossums in one of their expeditions ; and if I should 

 happen to have attired them in a yellow waistcoat, a pair 

 of blue stockings, and red trousers, they never fail to 

 complete their elegant toilet with a cap made out of 



