World's Best Poetry, Volume 9: Tragedy and Humor (Part 1) — At the Cedars by Duncan Campbell Scott

AT THE CEDARS.

You had two girls--Baptiste-- One is Virginie-- Hold hard--Baptiste!

Listen to me.

The whole drive was jammed, In that bend at the Cedars;

The rapids were dammed With the logs tight rammed And crammed; you might know The devil had clinched them below.

We worked three days--not a budge!

"She's as tight as a wedge On the ledge," Says our foreman: "Mon Dieu!

boys, look here, We must get this thing clear."

He cursed at the men, And we went for it then;

With our cant-dogs arow, We just gave he-yo-ho, When she gave a big shove From above.

The gang yelled, and tore For the shore;

The logs gave a grind, Like a wolf's jaws behind, And as quick as a flash, With a shove and a crash, They were down in a mash.

But I and ten more, All but Isaàc Dufour, Were ashore.

He leaped on a log in the front of the rush, And shot out from the bind While the jam roared behind;

As he floated along He balanced his pole And tossed us a song.

But, just as we cheered, Up darted a log from the bottom, Leaped thirty feet fair and square, And came down on his own.

He went up like a block With the shock;

And when he was there, In the air, Kissed his hand To the land.

When he dropped My heart stopped, For the first log had caught him And crushed him;

When he rose in his place There was blood on his face.

There were some girls, Baptiste, Picking berries on the hillside, Where the river curls, Baptiste, You know,--on the still side.

One was down by the water, She saw Isaàc Fall back.

She did not scream, Baptiste, She launched her canoe;

It did seem, Baptiste, That she wanted to die too, For before you could think The birch cracked like a shell In the rush of hell, And I saw them both sink-- Baptiste!

He had two girls, One is Virginie;

What God calls the other Is not known to me.

DUNCAN CAMPBELL SCOTT.