Tot was delighted, and walked very carefully with the plate until she joined the little group waiting under the window, when she called out, joyfully,

“Hyear ’tis, Diddie! ’tis des de bes’es kine er dinner!”

And now the trouble was how to get it up to Diddie.

“I tell yer,” said Chris; “me ’n Dilsey’ll fotch de step-ladder wat Uncle Douglas washes de winders wid.”

No sooner said than done, and in a few moments the step-ladder was placed against the house, and Dilsey prepared to mount it with the plate in her hand.

But just at this juncture Diddie decided that she would make good her escape, and, to the great delight of the children, she climbed out of the window, and descended the ladder, and soon stood safe among them on the ground.

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.  “Yer’ll all be havin’ de croup nex’.  Git out, I tell yer!  Efn yer don’t, I gwine straight an’ tell yer pa.

It needed no second bidding, and the little girls scrambled up the bank, and drying their feet as best they could upon their skirts, they put on their shoes and stockings.

“What are you doin’, Uncle Bob?” called Diddie.

“I’m jes er cuttin’ me er few willers fur ter make baskit-handles outn.”

“Can’t we come an’ look at yer?” asked Diddie.

“Yes, honey, efn yer wants ter,” replied Uncle Bob, mightily pleased.  “You’re all pow’ful fon’ er dis ole nigger; you’re allers wantin’ ter be roun’ him.”

“It’s ‘cause you always tell us tales, an’ don’t quar’l with us,” replied Diddie, as the children drew near the old man, and watched him cut the long willow branches.