The Holly chieftain., 1897-04-16
r.E eow-eo~.


And rs many boys have done:
While In my teens, drifted west,
To mud where wealth was wot.
I wns anchored soon where men were tough,
As tuugh as earth can boast; -
Where each It seemed had volunteered,
TO serve In Satan's host.
Among the crowd was one
They called the DEVILS Ace"
Afellow with a "sorrsl top"
A yellow, freckled face.
Whose wrath was like the Arey floods.
That sweep the rol,ing plains,
Whose fury no mortal tongue can tell.
Nor mortal arm restrain.
Another one WAS "Saintly Saia.'
A coy but gamey bird,
Who rarely .steameAi above his Raguc,'s
And rarer cllssed a word.
Yet wlioxe heart was like the Wild,
Where the spear of cactus grow.
And he who dares to trasspass there
Receives stinging blow.
There was Buck and Booze and BLOOD,
Who had no thought Of lame,
And In the way Of wickedness
Deserved an honorcd nnIle
Then there was an0fherronc,
A brawuy. Duriy bloat;
Who would meanly thunsp the ''tander- -fost, }"
Then DER his anguish gloat.
And there was another one,
l only knew as Ben.
Who stood notch above the resA,
OF all those rowdy men.
A brawny, burly chap,
The master soul OF sin;-
And whehthe others called halt.
Hen would Just about begin.
IN every spree he'd be one
To down the most Of "budge,"
And as to who had won at cards,
Ne would always he the Judge.
In short he was Hercules,
Sort Of pngAn boss:
Who made the other heathens bow,
And worship him as Joss.
For such q "harum scarum" lot,
Of course my gait was slow,
And thought the track they took,
Was pointed straight below.
Besides I'D vowed when but kid.
And pledged my mother too,
To never, never taste the truck
She said the demons brew.
Hut 1t chance the day landed there,
That some ono .'sct them up ~
When I with fear and yet with thanks
Declined the pronered cup.
Then ! thought my time had come,
For all the others said,
Ill didn't 'hoist her in,"
They'd nll my hulk with lead,
At this hig Ben, God save his soul.
Stretched forth his arm of law;
And told each guzzler In the gang
To cease to wing his jaw.
Then he turned to me
And ina way that sounded queer.
Asked the WHY 1t wns
Irefused a drop Of cheer.
Although quaking in my boots,
! yet had nerve enough;
To tell them how Ivowed the vow
To never touch the stniT,
And how till then I'd kept,
Myword mid jeer and scoff;
Therefore hoped they'd condescsnd
To kindly let meoff.
Then Ben said In lower tones,
A neither once he hnd.
"""H'" Hitu hcr neSt, nut diedtoO soon.
To ,aise a d-cent lad.
Then the othars called the turn,
And saidthey wept for jay,
To And lad who hadn't wings,
Andyet was mothers Loy.'
And odd to say they formed ring.
With '.navy".in each hand,
And said the one who fllled me IN,
Would hunt the hotter land.
And odder too, they
Raised their hands md swore,
That II dared to break my pledge,
They sure would hunt my gore,
and now as cOniure back the scene.
And live again the day;
That Ben stood there and cussed and cusSed.
And kept the mob at bay.
I'll declare he seemed Moses sent,
To sternly plead my cause
And show to all those wretcl,ed men
The might Of Holy Laws.
Now what the Lord should do with Ben.
Of course there Is doubt;
stlh think the Righteous ono,
shsuld hardly bar him out.
At least when have reached the gate.
Whore ~. Peter hoids the key.
You bet Your life I'll plead for Ben
As Ben once plead f,,r nc. -fY. n