The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-11
BALLAD OF ERASMUS MUTE.
fAinslee's Magazine.)

(Ainslee's Magazine.)
There was once a Quaker, erasmus Mute,
With a physog as stiff as a cowhide boot,
And he skippered a ship from George
In the way back days of the pirates
reign.
And the story I tell it has to do
With erasmus Mute and a black flag
The tale of the upright course he went,
In the face of certain Dredlcament.
And he faithfully followed the Quaker
OF love for all and a peaceful life
And horror of warfare and bloody strife.
While above the honorS of seas and fleets
He priced his place on the facing seats"
All, erasmus Mute,
erasmus Mute,
He never disgraced his plain drab suit
Now often he sailed for spice and teas
Way off some place through the Bar
barry seas;
And once for a venture his good ship bore
Some unhung grindstones, a score or
Now, never in all of his trips till then
Had he spoken those goddess pirate men.
But it CHANGED one day near a foreign
shore
The saii of a strange craft toward him
bore,
And as soon as the rig was clearly seen
The mate allowed twas black lateen-
Now black lateen. as all men knew,
Was the badge of a bold, bad pirate crew.
So the mate he crammed to its rusty neck
A grim Long Tom on the quarter deck.
Then leaned on its muzZle d bit TO pray
And waited to hear what the skipper
would say.
erasmus Mute,
Had stepped below for to change his suit
He asked as he came on deck again,
Does thee really think those are pirate
''Yea, verify" answered the Quaker mate,
And they come at most unseemly gait"
erasmus Mute looked over the rail
AT the bullying sweep of the huge black
Said he, We are keeping our own
straight path,
Yet, brother. perchance we are justified
In letting Thomas rebrke their pride,
Wen simply give EN- a dash of fright
So be sure, my, friend. thee have aimed
He squinted his eye along the rust.
Now shoot" said he, IF thee thinks
HEIRLOOM! the old Long Thomas roared,
And the big lateen Topped overheard,
And erasmus Mute.
Erasmus Mute,
Seemed puzzled to find that he could
shoot.
Now what are those sinful men about?"
He asked. as he heard a hoarse, long
shout
And the Quaker mate he answered, Lot
They've out with their oars and here
they row.
Now. what in the name of William
Cried erasmus Mute. @'can all those men?
Perchance they are after cur load of
win thee roll them up here, Brother
Jones?
Wen save them all of the work we can
As a Quaker should for his fellow man -
! So as soon as the fierce black pirate drew
| Up 'Iongside, that Quaker crew
| Rolled those grindstones down pell-mell,
And every stone smashed through the
shell
OF the pirate zebec. and down it went,
| And all of the rascalS to doom were sent.
While erasmus Mute leaned over the side,
mo thanks, thee 'rt welcome, my
friends" he cried.
1t CHANGED one wretch from the sunken
Made clutch at rope that was trailing
And up he was swarming with frantic
| hope,
When erasmus cried, Does thee want
| that roDe2'
So he cut it away with one swift hack.
| With a smile for the pirate as he dropped
back.
And the Quaker skipper surveyed the
God ioveth the generous man." quoth he
Then erasmus Mute,
| erasmus Mute,
Went down and resumed his Quaker suit
! HOLMAN F. DAY.