264 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 
on that big limb to the right? It looks suspicious; we 
will speak to it.” 
The sharp report of the rifle followed, and the negro 
that accompanied us picked up a large piece of bark that 
fell rattling to the ground. The rifle was reloaded, and 
another suspicious-looking protuberance was fired at, and 
another knot was shattered. Again was the rifle reloaded, 
and the tree more carefully examined. Hardly had its 
shrill report awakened the echoes of the forest for the 
third time, before a grunt that would have done honor 
to a stuck pig was heard, and the solid fat body of the 
‘possum fell at our feet. The negro picked it up, relit 
his torch, and we proceeded homeward. 
When reseated by a comfortable fire, we were asked 
our opinion by our host of “a white man’s ’possum 
hunt; ” we expressed our unqualified approbation of the. 
whole affair, although we thought at first that any im- 
provement on the negro’s mode of doing the business 
would be “ painting the lily!” 
As an article of food the opossum is considered by 
many a very great luxury ; the flesh, it is said, tastes not 
unlike roast pig. We should have liked very much to 
have heard “ Elia’s” description of a dish of it; he 
found sentiment and poetry in a pig,—where would he 
have soared to over a dish of ’possum ? 
In cooking the “ varmint,” the Indians suspend it on 
a stick by its tail, and in this position they let it roast 
before the fire; this mode does not destroy a sort of 
