Ginger James.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 130, 27 December 1902, Page 22

Ginger James.

A spell I 'ad to wait Outside the barrick gate, For Ginger James was passin' out as 1 was passin' in: 'E was only a recruit, But I give 'im the salute, For I'll never git another chance of fnvin' it agin! 'Ed little brains, I'll swear, Beneath 'is ginger 'air, 'Is personal attractions well, they wasn't very large; 'E was fust in ev'ry mill, An' a foul-mouthed brute, but still We'll forgive 'im all 'is drawbacks— c as taken 'is discharge. 'E once got fourteen days For drunken, idle ways, 'An' the Colonel said the nasty things that colonels sometimes say : 'E called 'im to 'is face, The regiment's disgrace — But the Colonel took 'is 'at off when c passed 'im by to-day. For days 'c used to dwell Inside a guard-room cell, Where they put the darbies on 'im for a 'owling drunken brute , But as by the guard 'c went They gave 'im the present, The little bugler sounded off the "General Salute." The band turned out to play Poor Ginger James away: 'Is Captain an' 'is company came down to see 'im off; An/ thirteen file an' rank, With three rounds each of blank Am' 'c rode down on a carriage, like a bloomin' city toff' 'E don't want no pass, 'E's journeyin' nrsfc-elass: 'Is trav'lling rug's a Union Jack, which isn't bad at all; The tune the drummers play, It ain't so very gay. But a rather slow selection from a piece that's known ac "Saul."

—Edgar Wallace.