nights, in all probability. And here the shock 

 stood within a quarter of a mile of the house, and 

 directly along our beaten path to the woods. 

 Fifty times, at least, the dog had passed this 

 shock, had run round it, had sniffed at it, doubt- 

 less, and gone on, while the possum slept peace- 

 fully inside. 



How? 



Who knows the hows of possum ways! All 

 that Uncle Jethro himself is sure of with re- 

 gard to possum is that by Thanksgiving-time 

 there is nothing in the market to approach it 

 for a roast. You can trust Uncle Jethro's ob- 

 servations on this point. 



But how did the possum succeed in establishing 

 himself along the path and so near the house, 

 where, except for this accident to his shock, 

 which the longest-headed possum could not have 

 foreseen, he might have lived indefinitely? 

 How? In this way, partly : This corn-shock that 

 he had chosen was peculiar. Unlike any other 

 in the field, it stood close along an old worm- 

 fence and in such a position that one of the long 

 cross-stakes used for a post slanted out over its 

 top. 



[204] 



