The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-05-15
FALLEN BY THE WAY.
BY GEORGE R. SINS, AUTHOR OF 'osr1En JOE. |"

A II music too; I'm done this time. for dollar-I can hardly get my breath: There's something as tells me. somehow. Bill Joy. you be took for death" It's vessel gone bust and big 'un: can hardly speak for blood: It's the last days tramp as as done 1.-the hills and the miles O mud. There sint not the sign of light, Jim. in this Godforsaken spot Hunt for some warter, partner for my lips is buTnin' hot. How much ha' we took to-day, Jim? Why not single brown. And our show was one O the best once, and we rode from town to town; Now it's dirty and old and battered, and the pup pets is wuS for wear, And their arms and their legs is shaky and their backs is reg lar bare. 1 ain't done my share 0' the work. mate, since went that queer in the chest, But done whatI could. old fellow, anG you know as did my best; And now-well, I'm done, l reckon. it's life as Is flowing fast Stick to me, Jim-dou't leave me; it's the end as is come at last. There's Toby waggin' his tail there; poor chap, how he miss me Jim Whoever you takes for mate, mind, they ain't to be ard on i'm: For ad him six weeks puppy, and | taught him to box with Punch What was that sound in the distance l fancied l heard a scrunch. Nothin'-ah; we'll. no matter! thought twas Il
  4 traveller us might ha helped us. ar one q them farmer chaps A doctor might stop the bleedin'; but there's never chance o one. I'll be cold and dead in the mornin'-ycr poor old partners done feel just as if was chokn' and I'm. oh, so faint and low: Prop me agen the boxes so can see the show - The dear old show and the puppets, Judy and Punch and all: I'd like just to see em again. Im-so prop me aore fall. Oh, the miles that we've been together. and the puppets and you. And Toby. our faitful Toby-uh, when the show new, Do ye think of the time, old fellow when first we took the road. And she was with us God bless her, and never grief We knowed' It may be as God'll let her look down from the sky tonight. From out o' the stars up wonder where she sits ill the Halls o Light Look down on the poor old snowman and see as his time is nigh, And he's cOmin to join his darlln' where there $ never more Goodbye Oh, Jim. how well remember the night my sweetheart died. When she lay by the wee dead baby only nine months bride. Twas the fnll from the stills did it. and the wild rough life we led; Dye mind what she whispered dyin'-the beau tiful words she said?
 
 her wan white cheek And the sweet sad smile that lit il when she tried hard to speak; When she took our hands and joined 'em, and bade us, through bad and good, Be pals and stick tight to each other and both on Us said we would. l knew as you loved her fust, Jim, and had loved
 her all along, And see how you i'd yer feelin's when you see you'd counted wrong; But you stuck like Il pal to the show, Jim, and you worked and whstled away. And she never guessed your secret or she wouldu |
 ha' been gay fancy the dear old days Jim, when she was alive, The feasts that we had by the hedges, and the chats in the long green grass, And the cosy nights ut the taVernS, when the
 coin came rolling in; How we laughed when she pufTcd our baccy, and
 pretended to drink our ginl Then Toby, gay young fellow, would lie by the
 fire and doze While the missis worked at the puppets and al.
 tered and turned their clos: And Judy and Punch and Joey were never so
 smart before And the Ghost had nice white gown on, us a
 clergyman might ha' wore. She went in the cruel Winter. when the bread vas hard to get. When We tramped and slept in the cOwShed, hun
 gry and cold and wet. How far am from her grave. Jim" An, a hundred
 miles maybe To lie by the side ones darlin' ain't meant for the likes O me The parish Il bury me here. Jim-here where I
 chance to die Come to the grave and see me and bid me a last goodbye You can bring the show and the puppets, and Toby, and beat the drum; Who knows but that may hear it in the wonder ful Kingdom Come? I'm gon'. old pal-don't biubber and look with
 that skeered white face; Stand by me here to the last lad; it's horrible stoop, for Tlf have to whisper-oh, my eyes grow
 strange and dim, And feel like poor old Punch feels when the
 hangman comes to him. warnt much use as pardner, and l ain't not
 been for year, This bustin' Q vessels and corGn has made me
 that awful queer. I'd like to ha' got to willage or Ina crawled as
 fur as shed Jim, if I lose my senses, stay till yer know I'm
 dead Oh, it's hard to die in the olen-here on a coun-
 try road: That's matter of scntymunt, ain't il! well senty-
 munt jes be blowed! For where can cove die better than under star
 lit sky. With his pardner's arms about him and tear in his pardner's eye2 Now want yer to do me favor-it's the last as There's mist comin' over my eyebals, and my
 senses seems 10 swim; Set up the show in the road there-there where
 the moonlight be- Let down the baize and work il, now, while I've
 strength to see, Give me the drum minit-I can hardly raise the
 stick: Now, are ye ready, pardner?up with the cur
 tain, quick, The blood comes faster and fasterthat's il. Ah.
 Punch. old boy And Judy and there's the Baby and Toby. the
 children's joy. Poor Toby. be knows there's trouble: for see how
 he hangs his tail: Bark at the Bobby, Toby, he's a-takin' old Punch
 10 jail. Where have you gone to. pardner? Where have
 you put the show see but the big, black shadows that darker and
 darker grow. know what it is-the signal. Put down the pipes
 and drum, I'm otf to the distant country-the touch on the
 shoulders come. Shall take any message for you, Jim shall see
 her up there, maybe And I Il tell her how hard you worked pal. and
 the pal you'v been to linn whom I,I l..aL iI,