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I. NATIONALTHE IDYL OF BATTLE HOLLOW(WAR OF THE REBELLION, 1884)
No, I won`t,--thar, now, so! And it ain`t nothin`,--no!
And thar`s nary to tell that you folks yer don`t know;
And it`s "Belle, tell us, do!" and it`s "Belle, is it true?"
And "Wot`s this yer yarn of the Major and you?"
Till I`m sick of it all,--so I am, but I s`pose
Thet is nothin` to you. . . . Well, then, listen! yer goes! It was after the fight, and around us all night
Thar was poppin` and shootin` a powerful sight;
And the niggers had fled, and Aunt Chlo was abed,
And Pinky and Milly were hid in the shed:
And I ran out at daybreak, and nothin` was nigh
But the growlin` of cannon low down in the sky. And I saw not a thing, as I ran to the spring,
But a splintered fence rail and a broken-down swing,
And a bird said "Kerchee!" as it sat on a tree,
As if it was lonesome, and glad to see me;
And I filled up my pail and was risin` to go,
When up comes the Major a-canterin` slow. When he saw me he drew in his reins, and then threw
On the gate-post his bridle, and--what does he do
But come down where I sat; and he lifted his hat,
And he says--well, thar ain`t any need to tell THAT;
`Twas some foolishness, sure, but it `mounted to this,
Thet he asked for a drink, and he wanted--a kiss. Then I said (I was mad), "For the water, my lad,
You`re too big and must stoop; for a kiss, it`s as bad,--
You ain`t near big enough." And I turned in a huff,
When that Major he laid his white hand on my cuff,
And he says, "You`re a trump! Take my pistol, don`t fear!
But shoot the next man that insults you, my dear." Then he stooped to the pool, very quiet and cool,
Leavin` me with that pistol stuck there like a fool,
When thar flashed on my sight a quick glimmer of light
From the top of the little stone fence on the right,
And I knew `twas a rifle, and back of it all
Rose the face of that bushwhacker, Cherokee Hall! Then I felt in my dread that the moment the head
Of the Major was lifted, the Major was dead;
And I stood still and white, but Lord! gals, in spite
Of my care, that derned pistol went off in my fright!
Went off--true as gospil!--and, strangest of all,
It actooally injured that Cherokee Hall! Thet`s all--now, go `long! Yes, some folks thinks it`s wrong,
And thar`s some wants to know to what side I belong;
But I says, "Served him right!" and I go, all my might,
In love or in war, for a fair stand-up fight;
And as for the Major--sho! gals, don`t you know
Thet--Lord! thar`s his step in the garden below.
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