were open just a
teeny, weeny bit, just enough for Unc' Billy to watch Farmer Brown's
boy. But to have looked at him you would have thought him as dead as the
deadest thing that ever was.

As he went about his work Farmer Brown's boy kept an eye on Unc' Billy
and chuckled. "You old fraud," said he. "You think you are fooling me,
but I know you. Possums don't die of nothing in hens' nests. You
certainly are a clever old rascal, and the best actor I've ever seen. I
wonder how long you will keep it up. I wish I had half as much
self-control."

When he had finished his work he picked Unc' Billy up by the tail once
more, opened the door, and started for the house with Unc' Billy
swinging from his hand and bumping against his legs. Still Unc' Billy
gave no sign of life. He wondered where he was being taken to. He was
terribly frightened. But he stuck to his old trick of playing dead which
had served him so well more than once before.

[Illustration]

XXIII

UNC' BILLY GIVES HIMSELF AWAY

Never had Unc' Billy Possum played that old trick of his better than he
was playing it now. Farmer Brown's boy knew that Unc' Billy was only
pretending to be dead, yet so well did Unc' Billy pretend that it was
hard work for Farmer Brown's boy to believe what he knew was the
truth--that Unc' Billy was very much alive and only waiting for a chance
to slip away.

They were half-way from the henyard to the house when Bowser the Hound
came to meet his master. "Now we shall see what we shall see," said
Farmer Brown's boy, as Bowser came trotting up. "If Unc' Billy can
stand this test, I'll take off my hat to him every time we meet
hereafter." He held Unc' Billy out to Bowser, and Bowser sniffed him all
over.

Just imagine that! Just think of being nosed and sniffed at by one of
whom you were terribly afraid and not so much as twitching an ear!
Farmer Brown's boy dropped Unc' Billy on the ground, and Bowser rolled
him over and sniffed at him and then looked up at his master, as much as
to say: "This fellow doesn't interest me. He's dead. He must be the
fellow I saw go under the henhouse last night. How did you kill him?"

Farmer Brown's boy laughed and picked Unc' Billy up by the tail again.
"He's fooled you all right, old fellow, and you don't know it," said he
to Bowser, as the latter pranced on ahead to the house. The mother of
Farmer Brown's boy was in the doorway, watching them approach.

"What have you got there?" she de