IN THE AMERICAN DESERT 121 



saw an extraordinary bundle of heads and legs and tails 

 coming slowly along towards the grove of pawpaws. 

 What in the world could it be ? Suddenly the great body 

 seemed to divide up into a host of little ones, and behold 



WATCHING THE COMBAT 



there was an old grey, woolly opossum, the size of a 

 big cat, and her thirteen little white rats of babies ! 

 Opossums are ugly creatures, and this one was no better 

 than the rest. Her nose was long and sharp, her legs 



