Was the hand of God alone.

Then all at oncet we heerd a yell

An', down 'cross the willow bank,

A-layin' a course that was skeercely snug,

Came Jakey Dale with his whiskey jug,

As drunk as the mate of a log-raft tug,

An' a-swearin' somethin' rank.

"You rust-chawed fragments o' junk," sez he,

"Now what do you think you've found?

A-standin' 'round on this old bilge tank