The Downing legends : Stories in Rhyme The witch of Shiloh, the last of the Wampanoags, the gentle earl, the enchanted voyage |
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 | The Downing legends : Stories in Rhyme |  |
V
“Then Downing” (here we quote his book)
“Sot down an' made a hearty dinner;
For Esther was a faithful cook,
An' had her mother's cunning in her.
Besides, I allays find that I
Can fight my best on stacks of rations;
An' that's the strategy whereby
The British lick their neighbor nations.
Besides, I crammed my havresack
With pork an' beans an' codfish salted,
In order that I mightn't lack
A Yankee supper when I halted.
“Sot down an' made a hearty dinner;
For Esther was a faithful cook,
An' had her mother's cunning in her.
Besides, I allays find that I
Can fight my best on stacks of rations;
An' that's the strategy whereby
The British lick their neighbor nations.
Besides, I crammed my havresack
With pork an' beans an' codfish salted,
In order that I mightn't lack
A Yankee supper when I halted.
“Of course I wore my uniform,
With eppylets an' hat an' feather,
Because the cloth is extry warm
An' proof agin the wettest weather.
My trooper pistils, one inch bore,
Hefty enough to knock down cattle,
An' sabre, three foot long or more,
Made out my armyment for battle.
So fixed, upon my mare I got,
An' flung a good-bye kiss to Esther;
She prayed a leetle on the spot,
An' I, though not religious, blest her.
With eppylets an' hat an' feather,
Because the cloth is extry warm
An' proof agin the wettest weather.
My trooper pistils, one inch bore,
Hefty enough to knock down cattle,
An' sabre, three foot long or more,
60
So fixed, upon my mare I got,
An' flung a good-bye kiss to Esther;
She prayed a leetle on the spot,
An' I, though not religious, blest her.
| The Downing legends : Stories in Rhyme | |