Then, taking the dinner with them, they ran as fast as they could to
the grove, where they came to a halt on the ditch bank, and Diddie
seated herself on a root of a tree to eat her dinner, while Dumps and
Tot watched the little negroes wade up and down the ditch. The water
was very clear, and not quite knee-deep, and the temptation was too
great to withstand; so the little girls took off their shoes and
stockings, and were soon wading too.
When Diddie had finished her dinner, she joined them; and such a merry
time as they had, burying their little naked feet in the sand, and
splashing the water against each other!
"I tell yer, Diddie," said Dumps, "I don't b'lieve nuthin' 'bout bad
little girls gittin' hurt, an' not havin' no fun when they runs away,
an' don't min' nobody. I b'lieve Mammy jes makes that up ter skyeer
us."
"I don't know," replied Diddie; "you 'member the time' bout Ole
Billy?"
"Oh, I ain't er countin' him," said Dumps; "I ain't er countin' no
sheeps; I'm jes er talkin' 'bout ditches an' things."
And just then the little girls heard some one singing,
"De jay bird died wid de hookin'-coff,
Oh, ladies, ain't yer sorry?"
and Uncle Snake-bit Bob came up the ditch bank with an armful of
white-oak splits.
"Yer'd better git outn dat water," he called, as soon as he saw the
children.
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