An’ gittin’ all kinds o’ big pay,
An’ ’en strikin’ fer more—Whoa thar! Quit yer bitin’!”—
He was combin’ an breshin’ ol’ Gray—
“When the boys ‘over thar’ give up all thet they hed
Ter fite fer thirty bones per”—
An’ I couldn’t ezzac’ly tell what ’e nex’ said,
Fer ’is comb hed ketched in a burr.
XXV
“Killed in Action: Corporal Alonzo—”
The day ’fore thet thar awful telegram
From Washin’ton fer Bill was brung t’ the house