46 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



liis back, and I slipped him into my pocket, quite 

 pleased at not liaving to go home empty-handed. 

 At any rate, thought I, here's a dish for dinner. 

 But Lord ! didn't he give me a grip in the hinder 

 part of my breeches. I pulled him out and gave 

 him a rap that would have felled an ox. 'Will that 

 settle you,' said I, ' you little brute ? ' And with 

 that, I threw him over my shoulder. But Lord ! the 

 confounded little brute was not satisfied yet, for he 

 nearly bit my ear off. This time I caught him by 

 the ribs, and I could hear them crack again. Then 

 taking him by his tail, I tried to carry him by that. 

 But Lord ! he curled himself round and bit my 

 fingers. Then I had had quite enough of him and 

 let him go ; and believe me or not as you like, I'd 

 rather be hung from the highest yard-arm in Bor- 

 deaux harbour, than pick up another opossum again." 

 I had heard a great deal about the opossum,* and 

 was rather curious about him. I had been told 

 that, when surprised by the trapper and he sees that 

 flight is impossible, he employs stratagem and will 



* This quadruped, which is peculiar to North America, belongs to 

 the family of the BidelpJikla. To look at it, you would think at first 

 that it is almost utterly devoid of instinct ; but you subsequently discover 

 that, on the contrary, it has all the tricks of the fox — and more — quite at 

 its command. The female opossum has a pouch, in which her young take 

 refuge in time of danger, and within which are the breasts that give 

 them food. Another peculiarity about the anatomical structure of this 

 animal is, that the first toe of each foot has no nail, and is separated 

 from the others like the thumb from the fingers in the human hand, 

 whilst all the others are furnished with long sharp nails. 



