ON HELL-FER-SARTAIN CREEK


Thar was a dancin'-party Christmas
night on ``Hell fer Sartain.'' Jes tu'n
up the fust crick beyond the bend thar,
an' climb onto a stump, an' holler about
ONCE, an' you'll see how the name come.
Stranger, hit's HELL fer sartain! Well,
Rich Harp was thar from the head-
waters, an' Harve Hall toted Nance
Osborn clean across the Cumberlan'.
Fust one ud swing Nance, an' then
t'other. Then they'd take a pull out'n
the same bottle o' moonshine, an'--fust
one an' then t'other--they'd swing her
agin. An' Abe Shivers a-settin' thar
by the fire a-bitin' his thumbs!

Well, things was sorter whoopin',
when somebody ups an' tells Harve
that Rich had said somep'n' agin
Nance an' him, an' somebody ups an'
tells Rich that Harve had said somep'n'
agin Nance an' HIM. In a minute, stranger,
hit was like two wild-cats in thar.
Folks got 'em parted, though, but thar