they were little. Perhaps she had trained them quite as much as their
mother and father. And they seemed to love Mammy June accordingly.

That the old woman loved little folks and knew how to make friends with
them was soon apparent. She had Mun Bun and Margy both together in her
ample lap while Laddie and Vi leaned against her and listened to the
tale she was telling the little folks.

Phillis and Alice meanwhile showed Rose the interior of the cabin and
all its comforts and wonders. Meanwhile Frane, Junior, took Russ down to
the stream with some of the colored children to show him some of the big
fish he had threatened Laddie with. Here it was that Russ Bunker engaged
in his first adventure at the Meiggs Plantation.




CHAPTER XIII

THE CATFISH


"If Sneezer was here," said Frane, Junior, "he'd show you more fish than
I can. Sneezer used to just smell 'em out. But come on. I know where
some of the big ones stay."

"I don't want to dive in after them," declared Russ Bunker, laughing.
"The way you promised Laddie. And I haven't any hook and line at all."

"We won't go fishing. Not really. Mostly the darkies fish. We don't