122 IN THE AMERICAN DESERT 



short and fat, and her tail, which was nearly the length 

 of her whole body, was quite naked. Underneath, she 

 had a pouch like a kangaroo. 



When she had got rid of her thirteen children, the old 

 opossum stood still and stared straight up into a tall 

 pawpaw, where the birds were fluttering and screaming 

 more wildly than ever ; every now and then making a 

 dive down to the opossum, who took no notice of their 

 proceedings. The two men followed her eyes, and saw 

 an oriole's nest, hanging like a pocket from the top twigs 

 of the tree. 



The old opossum saw it too, and uttered a sharp cry 

 which brought all the little ones running helter-skelter 

 from their game in the dead leaves. Some tucked them- 

 selves safely into their mother's pouch, two used her 

 tail as a rope, and lay comfortably down in her hair, 

 while others held on by her neck. When seven or 

 eight had gone to their places, the whole mass began 

 to climb the pawpaw. At the first branch the heavily 

 laden animal stopped, and then, holding the kittens one 

 by one in her mouth, she passed their tails twice round 

 the branch, and there they hung heads downwards, looking 

 very funny indeed. When she had disposed of those she 

 had with her, she went back to the ground for the rest, 

 till the whole thirteen were suspended from the branch ! 



This business done she could now go up the tree with 

 an easy mind, and very cautiously she made her way 

 towards the nest, the birds growing more and more 

 excited the higher she climbed, till their wings almost 

 touched her nose. When she reached the branch on 

 which the nest hung, she stopped doubtfully. It was 

 very thin, and creaked beneath her weight as she moved 

 along it. Clearly it was too dangerous, so she backed 

 carefully till she was safe on the trunk, where she paused 

 to consider what she could do next. All at once the 

 branch of an oak, that stretched exactly out over the nest, 

 caught her eye, and turning, she ran swiftly down the 



