An’ noisy ez a swarm o’ bees;

The cistern water got so brown an’ warm

Ter drink it meant ter drink diseese;

An’ all our corn—wal, git it straight—the corn

Was like ol’ Zekel’s dream long sence,

A valley full o’ rattlin’ skelertons

Thet made ye skeered ter cross the fence!

“D’yew know what them thar sperrits sez?” ast Bill

One moonlight night ez we was lookin’

At thet poor “fired” crop o’ ghosts without