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But one night I think that Mother 'Possum must 

 have gone farther than ever before ; or perhaps 

 she was late in starting out. In any case, it was 

 broad daylight when she reached the shipyard and 

 hastened along among the timbers, still quite a 

 distance from the barrel. 



Patrick, one of the laborers, was driving a mule 

 across the yard. The mule was walking along, 

 half asleep, his head low, his ears wagging. After 

 him, on the narrow track, rumbled a truck filled 

 with iron castings. Suddenly the mule started 

 and stopped, his ears pricking up. Directly in 

 front of him, crossing the very track, was the 

 strangest looking creature he had ever seen. It 

 was as large as a cat, but it wasn't a cat. Its tail 

 was like a rat's, but it wasn't a rat. It was alto- 

 gether strange and unexpected. 



In a moment Jim, the quietest of mules, had 

 whirled round in the harness and was madly trying 

 to climb on the truck and out of danger. At least 

 that was what Patrick said. 



By the time he had Jim quieted down and in 

 place again, the opossum had disappeared. 



" I'll find her, though, if she's anywhere about 

 the place," said Patrick. And so he did, that very 



