Part 23 (1/2)
It had not the shape of any anis and tails, and ears and eyes, and heads--heads, indeed!--there see out of every part of its body, for we counted half a score of the It moved very slowly, and when nearly opposite to us it stopped, so that we had a good view of it All at once the nu little bodies of the just like a squad of white rats! The large body to which they had all been attachedwas an old female opossum, and evidently the mother of the whole troop She was about the size of a cat, and covered oolly hair of a light grey colour She had a snout soh much sharper at the point, and hiskers like a cat Her ears were short and standing-- her mouth very wide, and, as we could see, full of sharp teeth The legs were short and stout, and the feet with their keen claws seeround more like hands than feet The tail was very peculiar; it was nearly as long as the body, tapering like that of a rat, and quite naked But the greatest curiosity in the structure of this creature was a pouch like opening which appeared under her belly, and which showed that she belonged to the family of the _marsupialia_, or pouched animals This, of course, we had known before The little ''possu the sa naked tails We counted no less than thirteen of the the leaves
”As soon as the old one had shaken the backwards and forwards, and looking up into one of the pas that grew above the spot where she had halted In this tree the orioles were now fluttering about, chirruping wildly, and at intervals s almost swept the nose of the opossum The latter, however, appeared to take all this very coolly; and evidently did not care for the ihten her off, but continued her survey without paying any attention to theirupward, we discovered the object of her search--the nest of the orioles--which was hanging like a large purse, or rather like a distended stocking, fros of the tree
”After a few moments the old 'possu the spot where the young ones were scraht them all around her
Several of them ran into the pouch which she had caused to open for them Two of them took a turn of their little tails around the root of hers, and cli wool; while two or three others fastened theular sight to see the little creatures holding on with 'tails, teeth, and toe-nails,' while soreat breast-pocket
”We thought she was going to o; but, to our astonish it
When she had reached the lowerrew nearly horizontal--she halted; then, taking the young ones, one by one, in her mouth, she caused each of them tohead doards Five or six of the 'kittens' were still upon the ground For these she returned, and taking theain climbed the tree She disposed of the second load, precisely as she had done the others--until the thirteen little 'possu of candles!
”It was such a coling by their tails, that azed upon it We took care, however, not to laugh aloud--as ere anxious to observe the further movements of the old 'possum, and we knew that if she should hear us it would spoil the sport at once
”As soon as she saw the young ones all fairly suspended, she left theher up the tree We noticed that she caught the branches in her claws, exactly as a hu herself froth she reached that branch upon which hung the nest, far out at its top For a moment she stopped and surveyed it She was evidently in doubt whether it would carry her weight without breaking, and so e Should it break, she would have a shest, for a pae had ever seen; and there were no other branches belohich she could clutch in case of falling
”The nest, however, full of eggs no doubt, te the branch When about half-way up it--holding on both with tail and feet--the slender sapling began to creak and bend, and show sy of the birds--that now flapped against her very nose--see backwards along the li the fork, she paused, and looked about with an air that showed she was both vexed and puzzled All at once her eyes rested upon the branch of an oak-tree, that stretched out over the pa, and directly above the orioles' nest She looked at this for a ht fro to round that intervened, and up the trunk of the oak We lost sight of her for an instant a out upon the branch that overhung the pa
”When she had reached a point directly above the nest, she flung herself fearlessly froth--suspended by the tail In this position she oscillated back and forward, with gapingto seize hold of the nest; but, with all her efforts, and no doubt to her greatfor several , now at the nest, now at the leaves of the pa, and evidently tantalised by the thought of the delicious eggs so near her very nose We could see that she had lowered herself to the last link of her tail--until only a single turn of it sustained her upon the liround Her stretching was all to no purpose, however; and at length, uttering a bitter snarl, she swung herself back to the li down froiven up her purpose in a sort of angry despair; for cli froround In a short while she had gathered them all upon her back and into her pouch; and coed their terrified screa into chirrups of victory
”Frank and I now deemed it proper to interfere, and cut off the retreat of the 'old 'possu from our perch, we soon overtook and captured the whole fa us approach, rolled herself into a round clus could be seen--and in this attitude feigned to be quite dead Several of the youngsters, ere _outside_, immediately detached themselves, and imitated the example of their mother--so that the fae ball of whitish wool, with several s, however, that ere not to be cheated, and being pricked gently with the point of an arrow, the old one unwound herself; and, opening her long jaws, snapped and bit on every side of her, uttering all the while a sharp noise, like the snarling of a poodle
”Her snarling did not avail her, for in a few minutes we had s--intending to take the whole family with us e returned to the house”
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
THE MOCCASON SNAKE AND THE ORIOLES
”We now cli down our aily about the curious scene we had just witnessed Frank was re the nest of the orioles--as he wanted young birds of that species, and he could return for them whenever they were hatched All of a sudden, these birds--that since the defeat of the 'possu and chattering as before
”'Another 'possu to look after his family'
”We both stopped, and looked down We soon discovered as causing this new co as it went, was a long e serpent--a snake of the most venoest of its species; and its great flat head, protruding sockets, and sparkling eyes, added to the hideousness of its appearance Every now and then, as it advanced, it threw out its forked tongue, which, moist with poisonous saliva, flashed under the sunbea directly for the tree on which hung the nest Frank and I stood still where ere--determined to watch itsthe root of the pa, it stopped for ato climb up to the nest?' inquired my companion
”'No,' I replied, 'the moccason is not a tree-climber If it were, the poor birds as well as the squirrels would have little chance; but it cannot clihten the orioles still more, if possible'
”As I said this, the snake had drawn its body closer to the tree, and raised its flat head up against the trunk, throwing out its tongue as if it was licking the bark
”The orioles, evidently believing that it was about to cli fro all the while either with rage, or terror, or both co theathered himself into a coil, and prepared to strike His eyes scintillated like sparks of fire, and see, they each round, then flapping back to the branches, and anon darting to the ground again--as though they were under some spell from those fiery eyes, and were unable to take theetic--their chirping becas seemed hardly to expand as they flew, or rather fluttered, around the head of the serpent One of theround--within reach of the snake--and stood with open bill, as if exhausted, and unable toto see the snake suddenly launch forth upon his feathered victim; when, all at once, his coils flew out, his body was thrown at full length, and he co from the tree! The birds, apparently released froher branches, and ceased their screa!
”For a while,at this unexpected termination of the scene
”'What can have driven hi to me with a look of inquiry