158 
WILD AMERICANS 
groes would say. She was snarling, ready to fight for 
her babies, although she also appeared to be very 
much afraid. 
“Let's not bother her too much," suggested Uncle 
Ely. “The babies need her." 
“Sho' do," one Negro agreed. “We let her go 'bout 
her business." 
As they watched, the mother began to edge away, 
carrying her family of young on her back. As she 
stretched up to climb a tree, Buck quickly pointed. 
“Look! Look!" he exclaimed. “On the front of her 
body. Two more babies are peeping out of a front 
pouch, with just their heads showing!" 
It was true. Everyone saw it. The babies in the 
soft hairy pouch appeared much smaller than the 
ones on top of the mother. 
“Sho', she do dat," the oldest colored man ex¬ 
plained. “She carry two sets of chillun at once. De 
bigges' ones, dey rides up in de observation car on 
top. De littles' ones, dey rides down in de Pullman 
berths, whar dey can sleep all dey pleases." 
“That's right," said Uncle Ely. “Opossums raise 
a great many babies. The mother may be carrying 
two families at the same time. See how she climbs 
with them? There she goes, out of sight among the 
