fair order,
though I can tell by the way my clothes hang on me that I've lost
several pounds since Mr. Man built that new wire-protected pen for his
chickens."

Mr. 'Coon said the news certainly was not very good, and that while his
condition was not so bad for such a hard season, he didn't propose to
let Mr. Aspetuck Savage use him in the place of pork, if he could help
it. Mr. Crow said he didn't feel so much afraid on his own account, as
Aspetuck would not be apt to have much taste for one of his family,
unless his appetite was extremely fierce, though, of course, it was
safer to take no chances. So then they all went down-stairs and put
still another prop against the door, and piled a number of things
behind it, too, to make it safe. Then they went up and Mr. Crow cooked
the nice steak and put some fried parsnips with it, and Mr. 'Possum said
if it wasn't for thinking of Aspetuck he could eat twice as much and get
his lost weight back; and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow told him he had better
keep right on thinking of Aspetuck, so there would be enough to go
around. By and by they all sat before the fire and smoked, and got
sleepy, and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum went up to their rooms to bed, but
Mr. Crow said he would nap in his chair, so that if Mr. Savage Bear
should arrive early he would be up to receive him.

"Tell him I'm very sick," said Mr. 'Coon, "and too run down and feeble
to get up to make him welcome."

"Tell him I'm dead," said Mr. 'Possum. "Say I died last week, and you're
only waiting for the ground to thaw to bury me. Tell Aspetuck I starved
to death."

[Illustration: DID NOT REALLY INTEND TO GO SOUND ASLEEP]

Mr. Crow said he would tell as many things as he could think of, and
then he sat down by the fire, and did not really intend to go sound
asleep, but he did, and the fire went down, and Mr. Crow got pretty
cold, though he didn't know it until all of a sudden, just about
sunrise, there was a big pounding knock at the down-stairs door, and a
big, deep voice called out:

"Hello! Hello! Wake up! Here's a visitor to the Hollow Tree!"

Then Mr. Crow jumped straight up, and almost cracked, his joints were
so stiff and cold, and Mr. 'Coon heard it, and jumped straight up, too,
in his bed; and Mr. 'Possum heard it, and jumped straight up in _his_
bed, and Mr. 'Coon said, "'Sh!" and Mr. 'Possum said, "'Sh!" and Mr.
Crow stumbled over to the window and opened it and looked out, and said:
"Who's there?" Th