The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1857-11-16
dyes" SEES all of 'em.

Bill marched into the middle Of the grave
yard, sngin "Shiny Night" as loud as he
could, but monstrous out Of tune, land tuck
seat on one Of the grave stones.
The grave yard in Pineville stands on
the side of a hill bout quarter Of mile
from town. The fence is a monstrous high
post and rail fence, and the lot is tolera-
BILE Dig one, extendin good ways down
in the boiler on tother side, whar Their is a
pine thicket of bout acre whar Their amt
no graves.
The night was pretty dark, and Bill
thought it was very cold, so he KEEP takin
drinks evry now and then to keep himself
warm, and singin all the songs and sam
tunes he know'd to keep awake. Some
times he thought he heard something,
and then his hair would sort o crawl up,
and he would grab hold of his pistol,
what he held cooked in his lap, but it was
so dark he couldn't see nothing ten steps
off. Two or three times he felt like back
in out, but he knowd that wouldn't new
er do; so he'd take another drink and
strike up another tune. Bimeby he got
SO sleepy that he couldn't tell whether he
was singing "Lucy Neal" or "'The Prom
Used Land" and bimeby he only sung
word here and thar, thout bein very per-
ticker what song it belonged to.
He was so bominable sleepy and corn
ed together, that he couldn't keep awake,
and the spite of his fears he began to nod
little.
Just then something sneezed
"UghW ses Bill; "what's that p
But he soon cum to the conclusion that
he must been sneezing in his sleep, and
after seem that his pistol was safe and ia
kin another drink, he was soon in the land
of Nod agin.
Bout this time old Mr.. Jenkins gang
of gotes cum out of the thicket, whar
they had cum thro the gap in the fence,
and with old white Bellshazer in the lead
cum smellin bout whar Bill was watching
for the ghost.
Old Bellshazer is one of the oudacious-
est old rascals to butin all Georgy, and
seem Bill setin thar all alone by himself,
he goes up and smells at him. Bill nod
ded to him in his Sleep Old Bellshazer
stepped back little ways, and Bill nod
ded again. The old Teller tuck it for ban
ter shore enuff, and back he went few
steps, and raisin up on his hind legs a lit
tie he tuck deliberate aim, and spang he
tuck Bill right between the eyes, nocked
him and his pistol both off at the same
time
Bang goes the pistol, roarin out on the
still night air like young fve-pounder,
so everybody heard it, and the next mint
you might have hearn Bill boiler murder!
-murder!-Lord preserve me! for more'n
mile.
The whole town was out of bed in a
minnit, and everybody that could go was
out to the grave yard as quick as they
could git thar
Thar was Bill Wilson, layin sprawled
out on the ground, with his nose knocked
as flat as pancake, and both his eyes
bunged up so he couldn't tell daylight
from dark.
The gotes was scared as bad as be was
at the pistol, and was gone fore he fairly
touched the ground; and Bob Moreland
and Tom Stallins, what had gone out thar
to scarce Bill and had seen his encounter
with old Bellshazer, was standin by him
raped up in their white sheets, laughin
like they would bust their sides.
Bill swore that he was wide awake,
and that when the ghost cum up to him,
he tuck fair crack at it, when all at
once he was struck with clap of thunder
and lightnin.
Bob Moreland tried to explain it to him.
But it was all no use. He swore the
ghost was six foot high, and that he seed
the lightnin jest as plain as he ever seed
lightnin in his life.
Bill claimed the stakes and everybody
ses he ought to have the money. But
you may depend he wouldn't have SIGH
another ghost fight for all the money
in Georgy. The fence was mended whar
it was broke in the thicket, and ther was
never any more ghosts seed in the grave