The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-02
A WILD FRESHMAN.
sY JAMES wHlTcoMB RILEY.

ICOMB RILEY.
 on the curb and straightening his tall, slender figure; T were jist thinking of yez and the ducks, and here ye come ouaclkin' into the prisence of r'yalty. wid yer canvas-back suit upon ye and the shwim-s skins bechuxt yer toes. How air yez, anyhow-and air we startin for the Kankakee by the mkt post ?''
 We're to start just as soon as we get tbe boys together" said the major, shak- ing hands. 'The crowds to be at An drews' by 4, and it's fully that now; so come on at once We'll go round by Munsons and have HI send hoy to look after your horse. Come and 1 want to introduce my friend here to you, an1 we'll all want to smoke and jabber q little in appropriate seclusion. Come on. And the impatient major had linked arms with his nesltating ally and myself. and was turning the corner of the street.
 It's an hours work I have yet wid the squawkers." mildly protested Tommy, still hanging back and stepping trifle high but as one Irishman would say til another, Ye're wrong, but I'm wtd vel f
 And three minutes later the three of us had joined very jolly party in a snug back room, with
 "The chamber walls depicted all around With portraitures of nuntsman, hawk,
 and hound.
 And the hurt deer;"
 and where, as we'll drifted over the olfac- tory intelligence a certain subtle. warm breathed aroma, that genially combatted the chill and darkness of the day without. and, resurrecting long dead christmases. brimmed the grateful memory with all comfortable cheer.
 A dozen hearty voices greeted the ap pearance of Tommy and the major, the latter adroitly pushing the jovial Irish- man to the front, with a mock-heroic introduction of which Tommy, with his hat tucked under the left elbow, stood lowing with a grace of pose and pres ence Loid Chesterfield might have ap- plauded.
 "Gintlemen." said Tommy, settling back upon his heels and admiringly con templating the group; Gentlemen, 1 con- gratu-late yez wid d pride that shoves the thumbs O me into the arrum-holes Of me weshkiti At the inshti- gation of the bowld O'Blowney-axin' the gintlemans pardon-I am here wid no silver tongue of illoquence to para lyze yez, but 1 am prisent, as has been ripresinted, to jine wid yez in stupen- deous waste of gun-powder and duck shot, and high-wines, and ham sand witches, upon the sllvonian banks of the ragin' Kankakee, where the 'di-dipper tips ye goodbye wid his tail, and the wild loon skootsi like slxy-rocket for his exiled home in the alien dunes of the Elegantly describes the blashted birrud,- Away to the dizhmal shwamp he
 shpeeds-
 His path os rugged and sore, Through tangled juniper beds of reeds, And many a fen where the serpent feeds
 And birrud niver flew before
 And niver will fly any more
 zation again--and I've been in the pouI- try business long enough to know the private opinion and personal integrity of livery fowl that flies the air or roosts on poles. But, changin' the subject of my few small remarks here and thank ing yez wid an overflowin' heart but a dhry tongue, I have the honor to pro- pose, gintemen. long life and health to livery monthrs son O yez and success to the Duck-hunters of Kankakee.'
 "The duck-hunters of the Kankakee" chorussed the elated party in such musi- cal uproar that for full minute the voice of the enthusiastic Major-who was try ing to say something-could not be heard. I move we have a song now from Tommy on the Duck-hunters of the Kankakee' D
 "Hurral Hurrai A song from Tom my" cried the crowd. Make us up a song, and put us all into iti song from Tommyl A songl A songn"
 There was a queer light in the eye of the Irishman. I observed him narrowly expectantly. Often I had read of this phenomenal art of improvised ballad singing, but had always remained a little skeptical in regard to the possibility of such a feat. Even in the notable in- stances of this gift as displayed by the very clever Theodore Hook, I had always half suspected some prior preparation some adroit forecasting of the sequence that seemed the instant inspiration of his witty verse. Here was evidently to be a test example, and I was all alert to mark it's minutest detail.
 The clamor had subsided and Tom my had drawn a chair near to and direct ly fronting the majors. His right hand was extended, closely grapsfng the right hand of his friend which he scarce per ceptibly, though measuredly, lifted and let fall throughout the length of all the curious performance. The voice was nos unmusical, nor was the quaint old bal lad-air adopted lay the singer unlovely in the least; simply monotony was evil dent that accorded with the Ievity and chance-finish of the improvisation-and that the song was improvised on the in stant am certain-though in no wise re- marlkabe, for other reasons, in rythmic worth or finish. And while his smiling au- dtors all drew nearer. and leant, with parted lips to catch every syllable. the words of the strange melody trailed un- f1esitatingly into the lines literally as here subjoined:
 "One gloomy day in the airly Fall Whln the sunshine had no chance at all- No chancee at all for to gleam and shine And tighten up this heart of mine: '"Twas in South Bond that famous town, Whilst were a-strolln' round and round I met some friends and they says to me Its a hunt we'll take on the Kan
 kakeer"
 "Hurra for the Kankakeel Give 1t tc us, Tommyl' cried an enthused voice be- tween verses. Now give 1t to the majorr' And the song went on
 '"rhere's Major Blowney leads the van As crack a shot as an Irishman,-
 For its the duck is a tin decoy
 That his ovid shotgun can't destroy!
 And half dozen jubilant palms patteo the majors shoulders, and his ruddy good face beamed with delight Now give it to the rest of 'em, Tommy"' chuclxled the major. And the song con tinued:
 And along wid Hank is Mick Maharr, And Barney Pince at The Shamrock bar There's Barney Pinch, wid his heart SC
 true;
 And the Andrews Brothers they'll go
 too"
 Hold on, Tommyv' clipped in one of the Andrews; you must give the An drews Brothers a better advertisement than that Turn us on a full verse. cant you?'
 Make em pay for it if you do,' said