“BILL BOGGITS ”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1292, 3 September 1914, Page 4

“BILL BOGGITS ”

A Belgian lancer named Bogaerts is becoming famous. He gallops out alone, lance in rest, and actually kills or wounds oue Uhlan, whereupon the rest surrender. Bogaerts has already secured fourteen prisoners. He has killed three Uhlans, and wounded several without having himself received the slightest injury.—Combine cable in the Daily Telegraph. (The Herald didn’t say, “Whereupon the rest surrender.” The Telegraph had that privately from Bogaerts.) The Germans they were crowdin’ on our centre and our flanks, Their cavalry was spreadin’ consternation in our ranks ; The hairyplanes were droppin’ bombs an’ harrows frum the air, And things was pretty umpteedoo, but Boggits ’e was there. Says Boggits, “’Elp me on me ’orse an’ pull the girth-ropes tight; I’m goin’ to eat twelve Prooshians up before I sleep to-night; I’d sooner scoff a Hewlan than a plate of egg an’ ham — I’ll show these blankyblank dragoons the sort of bloke I am.”

The rest of us was lay in’ low, an’ duckin’ to the shells, But Boggits ’e rode forth alone towards the mouth of ’ell ; A ’undred Prooshian cavalry was racin’ down a slope — “ ’Ands up, you cows,” says Boggits, “for you ’aven’t got no ’ope.” The Kaiser an’ ’is shiny staff upon a ’ill-top stood : The staff keeps tellin’ Willie things is goiu’ pretty good. But someone with a telescope sings out acrost the fun, “So ’elp me bob, there’s Boggits !” Says the Kaiser, “Then we’re done !” Five Thousand Prooshian Hewlans they come plungin’ through the grass: “ ’Old 'ard, ’old ’ard,” says Boggits, “cause you ain't allowed to pass!” ’E’s skewerin’ them Hewlans while they ’owls au’ runs an’ d rops, An’ there’s forty Prooshian kidneys on 'is ’ nee before 'e stops. A telegram to Kitchener goes flyin’ oversea, “With you an’ France an’ Boggits we can keep our country free” ; An’ Kitch wires back, “Give Boggits beer,, an’ laurels for ’is brow, Bill Boggits an’ Bill Adams ranks as equal ’eroes now.”