--- a/meliae/_loader.pyx	2011-07-08 08:48:08.000000000 -0400
+++ b/meliae/_loader.pyx	2011-10-20 14:28:33.000000000 -0400
@@ -491,14 +491,13 @@
         off = offset
         if off >= self._obj.child_list.size:
             raise IndexError('%s has only %d (not %d) references'
-                             % (self, self._obj.child_list.size, offset))
+                             % (self, self._obj.child_list.size, offset+1))
+        if off < 0:
+            off = self._obj.child_list.size + off
+        if off < 0:
+            raise IndexError('ref index out of range')
         address = <object>self._obj.child_list.refs[off]
         try:
             return self.collection[address]
         except KeyError:
             # TODO: What to do if the object isn't present? I think returning a
             #       'no-such-object' proxy would be nicer than returning nothing
             raise
 
     property c:
         """The list of children objects as objects (not references)."""