"Wat you doin', you nigger you?" demanded Riar, angrily, as she wiped
the blood from her face. "I dar' yer ter come down out'n dat tree, an'
I'll beat de life out'n yer; I'll larn yer who ter be shakin' chunks
on."

"In vain did Dilsey apologize, and say she thought it was a "'possum;"
Riar would listen to no excuse; and as soon as Dilsey reached the ground
they had a rough-and-tumble fight, in which both parties got
considerably worsted in the way of losing valuable hair, and of having
their eyes filled with dirt and their clean dresses all muddied; but Tot
was so much afraid Riar, her little nurse and maid, would get hurt that
she screamed and cried, and refused to be comforted until the combatants
suspended active hostilities, though they kept up quarrelling for some
time, even after they had recommenced their search for 'possums.

"Dilsey don't know how to tree no 'possums," said Riar, contemptuously,
after they had walked for some time, and anxiously looked up into every
tree they passed.

"Yes I kin," retorted Dilsey; "I kin tree 'em jes ez same ez er dog,
ef'n dar's any 'possums fur ter tree; but I can't _make_ 'possums, do;
an' ef dey ain't no 'possums, den I can't tree 'em, dat's all."

"Maybe they don't come out on the Fourf uv July," said Dumps. "Maybe
'possums keeps it same as peoples."

"Now, maybe dey duz," said Dilsey, who was glad to have some excuse for
her profitless 'possum-hunting; and the children, being fairly tired
out, started back to the creek bank, when they came upon Uncle Snake-bit
Bob, wandering through the woods, and looking intently on the ground.