THE LOST COLONEL.

“‘ Tis a woeful yarn,” said the sailor man bold

Who had sailed the northern-lakes —

“No woefuler one has ever been told

Exceptin’ them called‘ fakes.’”

“Go on, thou son of the wind and fog,

For I burn to know the worst!”

But his silent lip in a glass of grog

Was dreamily immersed.

Then he wiped it on his sleeve and said:

“It's never like that I drinks

But what of the gallant gent that's dead

I truly mournful thinks.

“He was a soldier chap — leastways

As‘ Colonel’ he was knew;

An’ he hailed from some'rs where they raise

A grass that's heavenly blue.

“He sailed as a passenger aboard

The schooner‘ Henery Jo.’

O wild the waves and galeses roared,

Like taggers in a show!

“But he sat at table that calm an’ mild

As if he never had let

His sperit know that the waves was wild

An’ everlastin’ wet!—

“Jest set with a bottle afore his nose,

As was labeled‘ Total Eclipse’

( The bottle was ) an’ he frequent rose

A glass o’ the same to his lips.

“An’ he says to me ( for the steward slick

Of the‘ Henery Jo’ was I ):

‘ This sailor life's the very old Nick —

On the lakes it's powerful dry!’

“I says:‘ Aye, aye, sir, it beats the Dutch.

I hopes you'll outlast the trip.’

But if I'd been him — an’ I said as much —

I'd‘ a’ took a faster ship.

“His laughture, loud an’ long an’ free,

Rang out o'er the tempest's roar.

‘ You're an elegant reasoner,’ says he,

‘ But it's powerful dry ashore!’”

“O mariner man, why pause and don

A look of so deep concern?

Have another glass — go on, go on,

For to know the worst I burn.”

“One day he was leanin’ over the rail,

When his footing some way slipped,

An’ ( this is the woefulest part o’ my tale ),

He was accidental unshipped!

“The empty boats was overboard hove,

As he swum in the‘ Henery's wake’;

But‘ fore we had‘ bouted ship he had drove

From sight on the ragin’ lake!”

“And so the poor gentleman was drowned —

And now I'm apprised of the worst.”

“What! him?‘ Twas an hour afore he was found —

In the yawl — stone dead o’ thirst!”