n'. `Yust feel here where I's gun' to take de
first bite,' ses he, an' he digs young Leelikie in de ribs wid his right
han'.

"But yust about dat time he cahnt pull dat hand away to dig young
Leelikie somewhere else. `You make los' my hand,' ses he, mighty
snappy; `make it los', or I'll biff de pips off you,' ses he, an' he
smacks his toder hand agen Leelikie's ribses to give him a stand to get
de oder away. An' right dere dat's fast too.

"Ou' Jackalse's years begin to stick up. `Allah Crachty!' ses he, `if
you don't make los' my fisties I'll yust knock seven kinds o' chicken
feed out o' you. Make los', you skellum!'

"But young Leelikie on'y wished he could make los', or do anytin' else
but yust sit an' say nawtin', an' wish his daddy was comin'. Den Ou'
Jackalse's eyes begin to stick out wid 'fraid o' dis baviyaankie dat
holds him an' ses nawtin'. He tinks if he don't get his hands loose
sometin's a-gun' to happen, `By de jimminy!' ses he, grindin' his teef,
`if you don't lemme los' dis minute, I'll bite you' bally head off!'

"Wid dat he makes a reg'lar dive, teef first, to scoff young Leelikie's
head off, but he's in such a sweat he grabs de chunk o' gum in de hand
instead, an dere he is, bofe hands fast an' his head fast, an' here's
Ou' Baviyaan and Leelikie's broder yust a flyin' dis way now dey's got
Ou' Jackalse fast.

"Ou' Jackalse sees 'em comin' an' he hears 'em car-rackin' an'
bar-rackin', an' he yust puts every hair o' him into one mighty ole
wrench or else he's done for. Sometin' had to come--sometin' did--de
seat o' young Leelikie's hide. For Ou' Jackalse gi'en such a terr'ble
ole yank, an' de stone set back wid such a terr'ble ole stick fast, dat
young Leelikie flew one way wid Ou' Jackalse, an' de seat of his hide
stayed de oder way wid de gum on de stone; tore off wid a rip like a
yard o' calico.

"De stone yust sot tight an' shined like he's smilin', but Ou' Jackalse
he whirraloo round dere like a fireworks. An' about dat time Ou'
Baviyaan an' de oder young baviyaankie made deir dive for him.

"Well, you never did see no sich a mix up. For Ou' Jackalse he see dat
dive yust in time, an' he yanks tings round so dey dives not into him
but into young Leelikie, an' dere dey is, yust as fast as he is, an' all
pullin' de roots out to get loose agen in different d'rections.

"But it he'p Ou' Jackalse all de same. Two o' dem pullin' dat way an'
him pullin' dis, de two o' dem was boun' to