A Dream :: :: University of Virginia Library

When de beagle hounds is bawlin'
An' de ole man gits his gun,
Den yo' all git ready chillun,
'Kase dar's gwin toe be some fun,
Fo' ole Efram knows de possum,
He is onter all his ways,
He can tell jist how he's runin'
By de way de lead dog bays.

Day can talk ob white folks music
An' long trainin' ob a ban',
But a pack ob hounds a bawlin'
Am de fines' in de lan'.
Was dar eber any music
Sweeter dan de bass and lead
An de baritone and tenor
Ob de ole time beagle breed?

Oh, de yelpin' and de bellows!
Day is full an quarter notes,
As day come like rollin' thunder

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When de soun' rolls from dar froats.
Ober glen an' up de holler
Does he lead houn' lead um on,
Den de dogs git silent chillun
An' we tinks day has done gone.

Purty quick we hear de beller.
How it makes dis ole heart bounce,
How it makes me jump an' holler,
An' right after dem ah flounce.
Louder, louder, gits de barkin',
An' de hotter is de track,
An' ah tinks about de possum,
An' ma mouf begins toe smack.

Up an' down and up de balley
Does day bark an' chase de game,
Till ah feels a tired honeys;
But ah gits dar jist de same.
Soon de ole lead houn' is barking;
Day is got 'im treed at las',
An' day'll hole 'im till ah gits dar,
'Kaze right den ah's runnin' fas'.

197

Den we takes de lantun, chillum,
An' day hol's it o'er ma head,
Den ah sights dat good ole musket,
An' ah shoots de possum dead.
Yes, yo' knows the rest ma chillun,
When de possum's nice and brown;
Like de goodest kine o' eatin'
Does we chaw dat possum down.