ushes and drive
the 'possum in, but you won't care. You'll be glad you stayed when you
get a nice fat 'possum for your breakfast."

"I'll catch him if he comes this way," replied the fat boy.

"You bet you'll catch it," chuckled Dippy.

"How long do I stay here?"

"Till you git a 'possum," answered Polly. "Mebby that'll be in two
minutes and mebby not in two hours, but you've got to stand very still.
If you move you'll scare the whole pack of them back into their holes."

Stacy squared himself, holding the opening of the bag close up to the
burning candle.

"That's right. A little more to the left with the opening," directed
Cad, who had constituted himself the master of the hunt. "Now hold
it. You other two lads work around the outside. One of you go to the
north, the other to the south about a quarter of a mile, then work
gradually in, beating the bushes, slamming these clubs against every
tree you come to big enough to hold a 'possum. In that way you'll
drive them in."

"Yes, sir," answered Tad and Ned very solemnly.

"And go slow. Just take a step at a time, or some of the birds may get
by you."

"A 'possum isn't a bird," corrected Stacy.

"You'll think it is after you've hunted one for an hour or two. Now git
going, you beaters. Imagine you're beating the bush for lions. That
will keep you from going to sleep on the job."

Chunky's eyes grew large.

"See here, you don't want to stand up straight," rebuked Morgan. "You
must lean over just like this," bending himself almost double with his
nose close to the ground.

For a half hour Stacy Brown maintained his position. By this time his
back was aching, perspiration was running down his face and neck in
rivulets. Insects of many shapes and forms, attracted by the light,
were hopping about, some getting into the fat boy's eyes, nose and
ears, others getting under his clothing. But still he held the bag
open. No 'possums came his way. Some few thousands of insects did.
A large part of these hopped into the bag. Others crawled in.

In the meantime Tad, his face wearing a grin, had walked away, but
instead of beating the bush for 'possum, he headed straight for the
camp. He heard the Rangers off to the left, as he emerged from the
bush. The men were laughing and talking. Butler reached the camp
ahead of them. When they came in they were amazed to see him
stretched out comfortably in front of the campfire, taking his ease.

"I thoug