A Selection of Original Songs, Scraps, Etc., by Ned Farmer (3rd ed.)/The Alarm
The Alarm.
Starting from troubled sleep in wild affright,
What piercing screams disturb the peaceful night?
List! 'tis a smother'd cry salutes mine ear,
And now a stifled groan begets new fear:
I hear strange voices, and the hurrying tread
Of many people: hark! they say "He's dead!"
The gleam of crackling fire, with glare around,
Adds to the horror of each dreadful sound.
They call for water!—I can bear no more;
Cold perspiration starts from every pore!
With frenzied haste the window up I threw;
A half-scorched body met my sickening view,
The truth revealing, quick I turned away—
Our neighbour Perkins killed his pig that day!