I said I'd tell you, you skellum?'
"`Did you, billy-o!' ses Leelikie, bitin' some more gum. `You said
you'd tell me how to get me all de gum an' my broder all de shambokkins.
But my broder ain't no fool, Ou' Wolf: dere ain't no time when he ain't
a-lookin', so dere ain't no changin' calabashes wid him. He's yust as
smart as rock aloes, an' he'd about knock all de hair off me de first
time I tried it. So here eats de gum I's got an' chance it fo more.'
"`Didn' you say you could knock de pips off him any day?' shouts Ou'
Jackalse.
"`Yes; but didn' you notice dat he wahnt anywhere in hearin' when I said
it?' ses Leelikie.
"`Well, I's got you, anyway,' ses Ou' Jackalse. `You'll ha' to come
down out o' dat tree sometime, an' here I'll be ready.'
"`Dat's yust all right,' ses Leelikie. `My daddy an' de rest o' de
baviyaans is comin' dis way in a bit. Den p'r'aps you'll stop some more
dan you want to.'
"Ou' Jackalse skip roun' to look, an' dere he ketch a glimp' o' de ruffy
ole, snappy ole scout dat leads de baviyaans when dey's feedin. An'
didn' Ou' Jackalse get out o' dat, dat's all.
"Well, he slink off over de rise an' sit him down to tink how he's
a-gun' to get even wid young Leelikie. But young Leelikie he yust
swings down out o' de mispyl tree an' slants off to de rest o' de
baviyaans, an' 'gins to turn over de stones fo' scorpions an' tarantulas
an' all de rest o' de tit-bits de baviyaans likes.
"By'n'by dey comes to a place where dere's some big ole Doorn trees,
fair sticky wid de gum runnin' out o' 'em. Young Leelikie he looks up
at de gum an' he looks at his daddy, an' he tinks here's yust a good ole
chance fo' gum if he can work it. Den he tink an' he study an' he
won'er, till at last he smack hisse'f in de ribses--he's got it.
"`Daddy,' ses he to Ou' Baviyaan, `you'd like to get a chance at darie
Ou' Jackalse, wouldn' you?'
"`Wouldn' I yust,' ses his daddy, his eyes fair shinin' red.
"`Well, daddy,' ses young Leelikie, an' he look as slim as nex' week,
`here's you' chance. You sees all dis gum; now if you gets it all an'
smears it all over me, yards t'ick, an' den gi'es me a big ole lump of
it in my hand an' sets me on a stone in de sun, while all de rest o' you
feed away till you gets over de rise; well, I'll soon get Ou' Jackalse
for you.'
"`How'll you do dat?' ax de ole daddy, sort o' tryin' to guess where de
young fella's tryin' to sell him.
"`You'll see a' right enough, i
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