LV THE FAR WEST. 379 



began to get digestible, the pot-watcher commenced tasting it 

 and drinking the soup, and so interested was he in his work 

 that he forgot all about the sleeper, and devoured every 

 bit of the animal. When that was done, the fear of the 

 consequences caused him a great deal of tribulation, as he did 

 not know how to escape from his difficulty. Finally a bright 

 idea struck him, and he carried it into effect at once. He rubbed 

 Sam's lips with some fat, placed all the bones and the pot in 

 front of him, taking care that a bone was also put into his 

 hand, and then retired to rest, conscious of the efficacy of his 

 stratagem. When Sam woke up he was amazed at the con- 

 dition of affairs, and his huge eye-balls rolled in astonishment 

 as he gazed first at the bones and then at his sleeping com- 

 panion. He, at length, became both bewildered and angry, 

 and laying his hand heavily on the shoulder of the sleeper, 

 yelled out, " Come, Jem, none ob you foolin' wid dis chile ; 

 what's you done wid de coon ? " 



Jem stared at him with a look of blank surprise, and said, 

 " Why Sam, is you crazy ? Dat coon ! why you eat it all up 

 in you sleep, and you wouldn't gi me a moufi'ull when I axed 

 it, cause you said you was asleep." " Go way now, Jem, none 

 ob you foolin' wid me; I want my shae ob dat coon." 

 ""Why," said the other, " dere's all de bones and de pot bel'o 

 you, and dere's you mouf all smead wid de fat, and now you 

 say how I eat it." Sam felt his mouth, and finding that it 

 was besmeared, he became calm, and begged pardon for his 

 suspicions; but, placing his hand on his very empty stomach, 

 he said, "I say, Jem, 1 spose 1 did eat dat coon; but it was 

 the smallest and worsest one I eber seed, for 1 don't feel him 

 here a bit." Jem was so delighted with his stratagem, that he 

 told it to his friends, and the result was that he and Sam soon 

 dissolved partnership in coon-stews. 



The opossum, which is the only member of the marsupials 

 indigenous to North America, is found all over the South and 

 South-western States, and extends into Southern California 

 and Arizona. It has a total length of about three feet, and of 

 this the tail takes up fifteen or sixteen inches. Its hair being 

 white, with brownish tips, gives it a pale grayish colour. It 



