for lost, sure enough.

But Mr. 'Possum is smart in some ways, and he knows how to play "dead"
better than any other animal there is. He knew that Mr. Dog would want
to show him to Mr. Man, and that he was too heavy for Mr. Dog to carry.
He had thought about all that, and decided what to do just in that
little second between the limb and the ground, for Mr. 'Possum can think
quick enough when anything like that happens.

So when he struck the ground he just gave one little kick with his hind
foot and a kind of a sigh, as if he was drawing his last breath, and
laid there: and even when Mr. Dog grabbed him and shook him he never let
on, but acted almost deader than if he had been really dead and no
mistake.

Then Mr. Dog stood with his paws out and his nose down close, listening,
and barking once in a while, and thinking maybe he would come to pretty
soon, but Mr. 'Possum still never let on, or breathed the least little
bit, and directly Mr. Dog started to drag him toward Mr. Man's house.

That was a hard job, and every little way Mr. Dog would stop and shake
Mr. 'Possum and bark and listen to see if he was really dead, and after
a while he decided that he was, and started to get Mr. Man to come and
fetch Mr. 'Possum home. But he only went a few steps, the first time,
and just as Mr. 'Possum was about to jump up and run he came hurrying
back, and stood over him and barked and barked as loud as ever he could
for Mr. Man to come and see what he had for him. But Mr. Man was too far
away, and even if he heard Mr. Dog he didn't think it worth while to
come.

[Illustration: SO THEN MR. DOG TRIED TO GET MR. 'POSSUM ON HIS SHOULDER]

So then Mr. Dog tried to get Mr. 'Possum on his shoulder, to carry him
that way; but Mr. 'Possum made himself so limp and loose and heavy that
every time Mr. Dog would get him nearly up he would slide off again and
fall all in a heap on the leaves; and Mr. Dog couldn't help believing
that he was dead, to see him lying there all doubled up, just as he
happened to drop.

So, then, by-and-by Mr. Dog really did start for Mr. Man's, and Mr.
'Possum lay still, and just opened one eye the least bit to see how
far Mr. Dog had gone, and when he had gone far enough Mr. 'Possum jumped
up quick as a wink and scampered up a tree, and ran out on a limb and
swung with his head down, and called out:

"Don't go away, Mr. Dog! We've had such a nice visit together! Don't go
off mad, Mr. Dog! Come back and stay