The Voyageur and Other Poems Part 6

"An' so you may t'ank de w'isky, 'cos w'ere 'll he be to-day If he never is drinkin' not'ing? Many a mile away Off on de great beeg city, makin' de money quick, W'ere ev'ry wan want de doctor w'enever he 's leetle sick.

"Remember de way to get heem is tell heem it's bad, bad case, Or Doctor Hilaire you 'll never see heem upon dis place!

Tell heem dere 's two life waitin', an' sure to be comin' die Unless he is hurry quicker dan ever de bird can fly.

"T'orty mile crick is runnin' over de road, I 'm sure, But if you can fin' de crossin' you 'll ketch heem at Beausejour.

Sober or drunk, no matter, bring heem along you mus', For Doctor Hilaire 's de only man of de lot for us."

Out wit' de quickes' horse den, Ste. Genevieve has got, An' if ever you show your paces, now is de tam to trot-- Johnnie Dufresne is drivin', w'at! never hear tell of heem, Off on de Yankee circus, an' han'le a ten-horse team?

Dat was de lonesome journey over de mountain high, Down w'ere de w'ite fog risin' show w'ere de swamp is lie, An' drive as he can de faster, an' furder away he get, Johnnie can hear dat woman closer an' closer yet.

Offen he tell about it, not'ing he never do Geev' heem de funny feelin' Johnnie is goin' t'roo, But he is sure of wan t'ing, if Belzemire 's comin' die, Poor woman, she 'd never foller affer heem wit' her cry.

Dat is de t'ing is cheer heem, knowin' she is n't gone, So he answer de voice a-callin', tellin' her to hol' on, Till he bring her de help she 's needin' if only she wait a w'ile Dat is de way he 's doin' all of dem t'orty mile--

Lucky he was to-night, too, for place on de crick he got, Search on de light of day-tam, he could n't fin' better spot, But jus' as it happen', mebbe acre or two below, Is place w'ere de ole mail-driver 's drownin' a year ago.

W'ere is de road? he got it, an' very soon Beausejour Off on de hillside lyin', dere she is, small an' poor, Lookin' so lak starvation might a' been t'roo de war, An' dere, on de bar-room sleepin', de man he is lookin' for.

Drunk? he is worse dan ever--poor leetle man! too bad!

Lissen to not'ing neider, but Johnnie is feel so glad Ketchin' heem dere so easy, 'fore he can answer, "No"-- He 's tyin' heem on de buggy, an' off on de road he go--

Half o' de journey 's over, half o' de night is pa.s.s, W'en Doctor Hilaire stop swearin', an' start to get quiet at las'-- Don't do any good ax Johnnie lettin' heem loose again, For if any man tak' de chances, would n't be Johnnie Dufresne.

Hooraw for de black horse trotter! hooraw for de feller drive!

An' wan leetle cheer for Belzemire dat 's kipin' herse'f alive Till Johnnie is bring de doctor, an' carry heem on de door An' loosen heem out as sober as never he was before.

Quiet inside de house now, quiet de outside too, Look at each oder smokin', dat 's about all we do; An' jus' as we feel, ba tonder! no use, we mus' talk or die, Dere on de house we 're hearin' poor leetle baby's cry.

Dat 's all, but enough for makin' tear comin' down de face, An' Pierre, if you only see heem jumpin' aroun' de place You 'd t'ink of a colt in spring-tam--den off on de barn we go W'ere somebody got de bottle for drinkin' de healt', you know.

Takin' it too moche w'isky, is purty hard job to cure, But only for poor ole w'isky, village of Beausejour Can never have such a doctor, an' dat 's w'y it aint no tam Talk very moche agin it, but fill her up jus' de sam'.

An' drink to de baby's moder, here 's to de baby too, An' Doctor Hilaire, anoder, beeger dan all, for you.

For sober or drunk, no matter, so long as he understan'

It's very bad case is waitin', Doctor Hilaire 's de man.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Border]

Barbotte (Bull-pout)

Dere 's some lak dory, an' some lak ba.s.s, An' plaintee dey mus' have trout-- An' w'ite feesh too, dere 's quite a few Not satisfy do widout-- Very fon' of sucker some folk is, too, But for me, you can go an' cut De w'ole of dem t'roo w'at you call menu, So long as I get barbotte-- Ho! Ho! for me it 's de nice barbotte.

No fuss to ketch heem--no row at all, De sam' as you have wit' ba.s.s-- Never can tell if you hook heem well, An' mebbe he 's gone at las'!

An' trout, wall! any wan 's ketchin' trout Dey got to be purty smart-- But leetle bull-pout, don't have to look out, For dem feller got no heart-- Good t'ing, dey ain't got no heart

Dat 's wan of de reason I lak heem too-- For all you have got to do Is takin' your pole on de fees.h.i.+n' hole An' anchor de ole canoe-- Den spit on de worm for luck, an' pa.s.s De leetle hook up de gut, An' drop it down slow, jus' a minute or so, An' pull up de nice barbotte, Ha! Ha! de fine leetle fat barbotte.

Pleasan' to lissen upon de spring De leetle bird sing hees song, Wile you watch de line an' look out for sign Of mooshrat swimmin' along; Den tak' it easy an' smoke de pipe, An' w'ere is de man has got More fun dan you on de ole canoe W'en dey 're bitin', de nice barbotte-- De nice leetle fat barbotte.

No runnin' aroun' on de crick for heem, No jompin' upon de air, Makin' you sweat till your s.h.i.+rt is wet An' sorry you 're comin' dere-- Foolin' away wit' de rod an' line Mebbe de affernoon-- For sure as he bite he 's dere all right, An' you 're ketchin' heem very soon-- Ya.s.s sir! you 're gettin' heem purty soon.

Den tak' heem off home wit' a dozen more An' skin heem so quick you can, Fry heem wit' lard, an' you 'll fin' it hard To say if dere 's on de pan Such feesh as dat on de worl' before Since Adam, you know, is shut Out of de gate w'en he 's comin' home late, As de nice leetle fat barbotte-- Dat 's true, de nice leetle sweet barbotte.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Lyrics and melody of "The Rossignol"]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Lyrics and melody of "The Rossignol"--Concluded]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Border]

THE ROSSIGNOL

Air--"Sur la Montagne"

Jus' as de sun is tryin'

Climb on de summer sky Two leetle bird come flyin'

Over de mountain high-- Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear dem call, Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol!

Out of de nes' togeder, Broder an' sister too, Out on de summer wedder W'en de w'ole worl' is new-- Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear dem call, Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol!

No leetle heart was lighter, No leetle bird so gay, Never de sun look brighter Dan he is look to-day-- Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear dem call, Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol!

W'y are dey leave de nes' dere W'ere dey was still belong?

Better to stay an' res' dere Until de wing is strong.

Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear dem call, Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol!

W'at is dat watchin' dere now Up on de maple tall, Better look out, tak' care now, Poor leetle rossignol, Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear dem call, Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol!

Here dey are comin' near heem Singin' deir way along-- How can dey know to fear heem Poor leetle bird so young-- Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear dem call, Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol!

Moder won't hear you cryin', W'at is de use to call, W'en he is comin' flyin'

Quick as de star is fall?

Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear dem call, Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol?

Up w'ere de nes' is lyin', High on de cedar bough, W'ere de young hawk was cryin'

Soon will be quiet now.

Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear heem call, Hear heem call--poor leetle rossignol!