The Voyageur and Other Poems | Page 2

blood in my vein?I 'm a son of de Nort' Win' wance again--?So we 'll fill her up till de bottle 's drain?An' drink to de Voyageur.
[1] New Year's day.
[2] Indian boot.
[3] Dog-sleigh.
[4] Canadian sash.
[Illustration: Flower]
[Illustration: Moose]
BRUNO THE HUNTER
You never hear tell, Marie, ma femme,?Of Bruno de hunter man,?Wit' hees wild dogs chasin' de moose an' deer,?Every day on de long, long year,?Off on de hillside far an' near,?An' down on de beeg savane?
Not'ing can leev' on de woods, Marie,?W'en Bruno is on de track,?An' young caribou, an' leetle red doe?Wit' baby to come on de spring, dey know?De pity dey get w'en hees bugle blow?An' de black dogs answer back.
No bird on de branch can finish hees song,?De squirrel no longer play--?De leaf on de maple don't need to wait?Till fros' of October is at de gate?'Fore de blood drops come: an' de fox sleeps late?W'en Bruno is pass dat way.
So de devil ketch heem of course at las'?Dat 's w'at de ole folk say,?An' spik to heem, "Bruno, w'at for you kill?De moose an' caribou of de hill?An' fill de woods wit' deir blood until?You could run a mill night an' day?"
[Illustration: "So de devil ketch heem of course at las'."]
"Mebbe you lak to be moose youse'f,?An' see how de hunter go,?So I 'll change your dogs into loup garou,[1]?An' wance on de year dey 'll be chasin' you--?An' res' of de tam w'en de sport is troo,?You 'll pass wit' me down below."
An' dis is de night of de year, Marie,?Bruno de hunter wake:?Soon as de great beeg tonder cloud?Up on de mountain 's roarin' loud--?He 'll come from hees grave w'ere de pine tree crowd?De shore of de leetle lake.
You see de lightning zig, zig, Marie,?Spittin' lak' loup cervier,[2]?Ketch on de trap? Oh! it won't be long?Till mebbe you lissen anoder song,?For de sky is dark an' de win' is strong,?An' de chase is n't far away.
W'y shiver so moche, Marie, ma femme,?For de log is burnin' bright??Ah! dere she's goin', "Hulloo! Hulloo!"?An' oh! how de tonder is roarin' too!?But it can't drown de cry of de loup garou?On Bruno de hunter's night.
Over de mountain an' t'roo de swamp,?Don't matter how far or near,?Every place hees moccasin know?Bruno de hunter he 's got to go?'Fore de grave on de leetle lake below?Close up for anoder year.
But dey say de ole feller watch all night,?So you need n't be scare, Marie,?For he 'll never stir from de rocky cave?W'ere door only open beneat' de wave,?Till Bruno come back to hees lonely grave--?An' de devil he turn de key.
Dat 's way for punish de hunter man?W'en murder is on hees min'--?So he better stop w'ile de work is new,?Or mebbe de devil will ketch heem too,?An' chase heem aroun' wit' de loup garou?Gallopin' close behin'.
[1] Were wolf.
[2] Lynx.
[Illustration: Border]
PRIDE
Ma fader he spik to me long ago,?"Alphonse, it is better go leetle slow,?Don't put on de style if you can't afford,?But satisfy be wit' your bed an' board.?De bear wit' hees head too high alway,?Know not'ing at all till de trap go smash.?An' mooshrat dat 's swimmin' so proud to-day?Very often to-morrow is on de hash." [1]
Edouard de Seven of Angleterre,?An' few oder place beside,?He 's got de horse an' de carriage dere?W'enever he want to ride.?Wit' sojer in front to clear de way,?Sojer behin' all dress so gay,?Ev'rywan makin' de grand salaam,?An' plaintee o' ban' playin' all de tam
Edouard de Seven of Angleterre,?All he has got to do,?W'en he 's crossin' de sea, don't matter w'ere,?Is call for de ship an' crew.?Den hois' de anchor from down below,?Vive le Roi! an' away she go,?An' flag overhead, w'en dey see dat sight?W'ere is de nation don't be polite?
An' dere 's de boss of United State,?An' w'at dey call Philippine--?De Yankee t'ink he was somet'ing great,?An' beeg as de king or queen--?So dey geev' heem a house near touch de sky,?An' paint it so w'ite it was blin' de eye?An' long as he 's dere beginnin' to en',?Don't cos' heem not'ing for treat hees frien'.
So dere 's two feller, Edouard de King?An' Teddy Roos-vel' also,?No wonder dey 're proud, for dey got few t'ing?Was helpin' dem mak' de show--?But oh! ma Gosh! w'en you talk of pride?An' w'at dey call style, an' puttin' on side,?W'ere is de man can go before?De pig-sticker champion of Ste. Flore?
Use to be nice man too, dey say,?Jeremie Bonami,?Talk wit' hees frien' in a frien'ly way?Sam' as you'se'f an' me--?Of course it 's purty beeg job he got,?An' no wan expec' heem talk a lot,?But still would n't hurt very moche, I 'm sure,?If wance in a w'ile he 'd say, "Bonjour."
Yi! Yi! to see heem come down de hill?Some mornin' upon de fall,?W'en de pig is fat an' ready to kill,?He don't know hees