34
YE WEARIE WAYFARER.
Though short is the dying pheasant's pain,
Scant pity you well may spare,
And the partridge slain is a triumph vain,
And a risk that a child may dare;
You feel when you lower the smoking gun
Some ruth for you slaughtered hare,
And hit or miss, in your selfish fun
The widgeon has little share.
Scant pity you well may spare,
And the partridge slain is a triumph vain,
And a risk that a child may dare;
You feel when you lower the smoking gun
Some ruth for you slaughtered hare,
And hit or miss, in your selfish fun
The widgeon has little share.
But you've no remorseful qualms or pangs
When you kneel by the grizzly's lair,
On that conical bullet your sole chance hangs,
'Tis the weak one's advantage fair,
And the shaggy giant's terrific fangs
Are ready to crush and tear;-
Should you miss, one vision of home and friend,
Five words of unfinish'd prayer,
Three savage knife stabs, so your sport ends
In the worrying grapple that chokes and rends; -
Rare sport, at least, for the bear.
When you kneel by the grizzly's lair,
On that conical bullet your sole chance hangs,
'Tis the weak one's advantage fair,
And the shaggy giant's terrific fangs
Are ready to crush and tear;-
Should you miss, one vision of home and friend,
Five words of unfinish'd prayer,
Three savage knife stabs, so your sport ends
In the worrying grapple that chokes and rends; -
Rare sport, at least, for the bear.
Short shrift! sharp fate! dark doom to dree!
Hard struggle, tho' quickly ending!
At home or abroad, by land or sea,
In peace or war, sore trials must be,
And worse may happen to you or to me,
Hard struggle, tho' quickly ending!
At home or abroad, by land or sea,
In peace or war, sore trials must be,
And worse may happen to you or to me,
