Page:A Selection of Original Songs, Scraps, Etc., by Ned Farmer (3rd ed.).djvu/131

 

And double him up, and another ghost make him;
So he walked rather slow;
Mind you, fair heel and toe,
And quite ready, if called on, to "right about" go.

Thus with care he approaches the Grange, when he hears,
Or fancies he does (for 'tis strange how men's fears
Lend an echo to nothing), a strange sort of noise,
Which rather made Anthony open his eyes;
And distinct on his ear
Sounds of footsteps draw near,
And bold Anthony listens, and trembles with fear.

The object approaches, whatever it be;
Crump shivers and shakes, and goes weak in the knee;
The dread sounds get plainer, the footsteps come on;
Crump's bolted—the Hero of Nettleford's gone!
We've heard about ghosts, and we've read about others,
From "Hamlet's papa," to the "Corsican Brothers;"
But among all the party, I firmly suspect,
Not one e'er produced such a startling effect.

Poor Anthony runs till he's clean out of breath;
'Tis useless disguising, he's frighten'd to death!
And the villagers all, in a body, turn out,
Having heard in the distance Crump's maniac shout.
Crump was speechless with fear,
As his neighbours drew near;
Which beholding, they fled, leaving Crump in the rear.