Chronicle Lays

Levin Daily Chronicle, 8 February 1917, Page 3

Chronicle Lays

Is'o. 2.—THE SEA-COURSE STEEPLECHASE. 1. > The jeekoy who rode old Commotion, And landed home ill's t, on the rails, Wish joy on his chiv' drew his fees and his div.; Then handed out whiskies and ales. iio bought li'.m a bright fancy weskit; He took his best girl to the play. Jj'at worn out by wasting—and also from tasting— He leally felt fair from O.K. 2. So a trip to the seaside he ventured, And there nought but ozone drank he j He swam and he paddled till trouble . skedaddled, And daily he chortled with glee. O'er sand-wastes and marshes he tramped it; He slept When he chose, did McNish; With nose to the tide and his mouth open wide His snoring affrighted the fish. 3. One day, with his vest well extended By lemonade, bread and iroast pork, He lay in the sun, wlieire he snored like Bill Munn And dreamt the was back '\ricling work." But his track was the sea; and the trainer Was tailed from his waist to good-bye j" On dolphins he rode, and his whip was a goad Of sawfish, and yellow his eye. 4. Mac sprinted four furlongs—through water— On a dolpliin brought fresh from a "fairm" Far under the sea, where the mermen roved free And touts never caused an alarm. "Now stretch out a mile on this fish here,"_ He heard his new trainer say pat; "Go easy, Old Limb, till he strikes his true swim, ''But crowd him home fast from Rock Flat.". 5. Mac rode (or he swam) on two dozen : Some trudgeoned, some side-swam, some jibbed; An odd one showed weairy; some "work mates" looked beery; There were "good" fish, iand fishes that equibbed. Mac sorted out one steady goer (A" dolphin with four feet of back) And made an agreement to win or wear cerement) Next day—in the Oceanside Hack. 6. The Oceanside Hack Race (a "steeple") Was close on fouir miles through the iblue; The "hen-coop" was shelly; first fenco 'a whale's belly; Then a dash through a sea-stream or two. They took the word ,go from a dullard. A lobster was olerk of the course; They'd boiled liim, to make him truecolored. And mounted him on a (sea) horse. : ~ ! ■ " 7 . They raced through a ichthyosaurus That died before sport was begun; His ribs were so wide that the dolphins inside . Were swimming abreast ev'ry one. Tlie cat-fish jock nearest hini chatted; "I'll save you a couple of 'squid'?" MaNish replied "Go and get ratted!" , "The winner is under my lid." &. " Three dolphins turned tail at the next "fenoe"— A bank of mud-oysters piled high— And a jiblbing young fish half-unseated McNish By flicking a tail in his eye; • But never despairing nor swerving, 'He raced his mount on for the stake; The pace grew a cracker, each piscator backer Wag gaping for joy in his wake. 9. The finish he rode was tremendous: His fish sprang the "hencoop" so free That the trumpet-fish band played "The Best in the Land," And the mullet threw sand in their glee. The 'Prince of the Narwhal? acclaimed him; The shoal hailed him "Bonzerine Bloke"— But a stone in his rib took the wind from his jib. And with pains in his side he awoke. —BELSH'AZZAR BINKS. Levin, • January Oth, 1917.