“Ain’t we havin’ fun?” said Dumps, who, regardless of her nice clothes, was down on her knees in the ditch, with her sleeves rolled up, and her fat little arms muddy to the elbows; “an’ ain’t you glad we slipped off, Diddie?  I tol’ yer there wan’t nothin’ goin’ to hurt us.”

“And ain’t you glad we let Billy come?” said Diddie; “we wouldn’t er had nobody to be Lord Burgoyne.”

“Yes,” replied Dumps; “an’ he ain’t behaved bad at all; he ain’t butted nobody, an’ he ain’t runned after nobody to-day.”

“’Ook at de take,” interrupted Tot, holding up a mudball that she had moulded with her own little hands, and which she regarded with great pride,

And now, the plank being as full as it would hold, they all returned to the hotel to arrange the table.  But after the table was set the excitement was all over, for there was nobody to be the guest.

“Ef Ole Billy wan’t so mean,” said Chris, “we could fotch ’im hyear in de omnibus.  I wush we’d a let Chubbum an’ Suppum come; dey’d been Lord Bugon.”

“I b’lieve Billy would let us haul ’im,” said Diddie, who was always ready to take up for her pet; “he’s rael gentle now, an’ he’s quit buttin’; the only thing is, he’s so big we couldn’t get ’im in the wheelbarrer.”

“Me ’n Chris kin put ‘im in,” said Dilsey.  “We kin lif’ ’im, ef dat’s all;” and accordingly the omnibus was dispatched for Lord Burgoyne, who was quietly nibbling grass on the ditch bank at some little distance from the hotel.

He raised his head as the children approached, and regarded them attentively.  “Billy!  Billy! po’ Ole Billy!” soothingly murmured Diddie, who had accompanied Dilsey and Chris with the omnibus, as she had more influence over Old Billy than anybody else.  He came now at once to her side, and rubbed his head gently against her; and while she caressed him, Dilsey on one side and Chris on the other lifted him up to put him on the wheelbarrow.

And now the scene changed.  Lord Burgoyne, all unmindful of love or gratitude, and with an eye single to avenging this insult to his dignity, struggled from the arms of his captors, and, planting his head full in Diddie’s chest, turned her a somersault in the mud.  Then, lowering his head and rushing at Chris, he butted her with such force that over she went headforemost into the ditch! and now, spying Dilsey, who was running with all her might to gain the lumber-pile, he took after her, and catching up with her just as she reached the gin-house, placed his head in the middle of her back, and sent her sprawling on her face.  Diddie and Chris had by this time regained their feet, both of them very muddy, and Chris with her face all scratched from the roots and briers in the ditch.  Seeing Old Billy occupied with Dilsey, they started in a run for the lumber; but the wily old sheep was on the look-out, and, taking after them full tilt, he soon landed them flat on the ground.  And now Dilsey had scrambled up, and was wiping the dirt from her eyes, preparatory to making a fresh start.  Billy, however, seemed to have made up his mind that nobody had a right to stand up except himself, and, before the poor little darky could get out of his way, once more he had butted her down.