ld a ghost be doing in a cistern?

Tom Alexander, he laughs and he says:

"What in blazes you want to jump in there fur, Hank?"

"You dern ijut!" says Hank, "you quit mocking me and get a ladder, and
when I get out'n here I'll learn you to ast what did I want to jump in
here fur!"

"You never seen the day you could do it," says Tom Alexander, meaning
the day he could lick him. "And if you feel that way about it you can
stay there fur all of me. I guess a little water won't hurt you none."
And he left the house.

"Elmira," sings out Hank, mad and bossy, "you go get me a ladder!"

But Elmira, her temper riz up too, all of a sudden.

"Don't you dare order me around like I was the dirt under your feet,
Hennerey Walters," she says.

At that Hank fairly roared, he was so mad. He says:

"Elmira, when I get out'n here I'll give you what you won't fergit in a
hurry. I hearn you a-forgiving me and a-weeping over me, and I won't be
forgive nor weeped over by no one! You go and get that ladder."

But Elmira only answers:

"You wasn't sober when you fell into there, Hennerey Walters. And now
you can jest stay in there till you get a better temper on you!" And all
the women says: "That's right, Elmira; spunk up to him!"

They was considerable splashing around in the water fur a couple of
minutes. And then, all of a sudden, a live fish come a-whirling out
of that hole, which he had ketched it with his hands. It was a big
bullhead, and its whiskers around its mouth was stiffened into spikes,
and it lands kerplump into Mis' Rogers's lap, a-wiggling, and it kind
o' horns her on the hands, and she is that surprised she faints. Mis'
Primrose, she gets up and pushes that fish back into the cistern with
her foot from the floor where it had fell, and she says right decided:

"Elmira Walters, that was Elmira Appleton, if you let Hank out'n that
cistern before he has signed the pledge and promised to jine the church
you're a bigger fool 'n I take you to be. A woman has got to make a
stand!" With that she marches out'n our house.

Then all the women sings out:

"Send fur Brother Cartwright! Send fur Brother Cartwright!"

And they sent me scooting acrost town to get him quick. Which he was the
preacher of the Baptist church and lived next to it. And I hadn't got no
lamming yet!

CHAPTER II

I never stopped to tell but two, three folks on the way to Brother
Cartwright's, but they must of spread it quick. 'Cause when