Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume IX. Tragedy: Humor. 1904. | | | | Poems of Tragedy: XIV. Canada | | At the Cedars | | Duncan Campbell Scott (1862–1947) |
| | | YOU had two girls—Baptiste— | |
| One is Virginie— | |
| Hold hard—Baptiste! | |
| Listen to me. | |
| |
| The whole drive was jammed, | 5 |
| 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. | 10 |
| |
| 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, | 15 |
| 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, | 20 |
| When she gave a big shove | |
| From above. | |
| |
| The gang yelled, and tore | |
| For the shore; | |
| The logs gave a grind, | 25 |
| 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, | 30 |
| 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; | 35 |
| 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, | 40 |
| 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, | 45 |
| In the air, | |
| Kissed his hand | |
| To the land. | |
| When he dropped | |
| My heart stopped, | 50 |
| 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, | 55 |
| 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 | 60 |
| Fall back. | |
| |
| She did not scream, Baptiste, | |
| She launched her canoe; | |
| It did seem, Baptiste, | |
| That she wanted to die too, | 65 |
| For before you could think | |
| The birch cracked like a shell | |
| In the rush of hell, | |
| And I saw them both sink— | |
| |
| Baptiste! | 70 |
| He had two girls, | |
| One is Virginie; | |
| What God calls the other | |
| Is not known to me. | | | | |
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