ON THE 'POSSUM'S TRAIL 93 



coon in such a country as Lupton's Pond will never 

 go straight home, nor take a beaten path. Out on 

 the boundaries of his range he trots along with- 

 out minding how he steps. The dogs may have 

 fun with his trail there. He intends only that 

 they shall not follow him clear home, that they 

 shall not find his home-tree, nor even the vicinity 

 of it. 



So, as he enters his own home swamp his move- 

 ments change. The dogs may be hard after him 

 or not. If not close behind, he knows by long ex- 

 perience that they may be expected soon, and 

 never so far forgets his precious skin as to leave 

 a clue pointing directly toward home. 



Instead lie trots along some boundary fence, or 

 right up the middle of a swamp stream, leaping 

 over all the crossing logs, and coming out, likely, 

 on the bank, which is on the side of the stream 

 away from the nest-tree. Farther down he jumps 

 back over the stream, runs hard toward a big gum 

 tree, and from a dozen feet away takes a flying 

 leap, catching the trunk up just out of reach of the 

 keen-nosed dogs. On up he goes a little and leaps 

 again, touching the ground ten feet out, thus leav- 

 ing a gap, a blank, of twenty or more feet in his 

 trail. 



