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1 Dere 'a s
beeg jam up de reever, w'ere rapide is runnin' fas',
2 An' de log we cut las' winter is takin' it all de
room;
3 So boss of de gang is swearin', for not'ing at all can
pass
4 An' float away down de current till somebody break de
boom.
5 'Here 's for de man will tak' de job, holiday for a
week
6 Extra monee w'en pay day come, an' ten dollar suit of
clothes.
7 'T is n't so hard work run de log, if only you do it
quick--
8 W'ere 's de man of de gang den is ready to say, ` Here
goes?''
9 Dere was de job for a feller, handy an' young an'
smart,
10 Willin' to tak' hees chances, willin' to risk hees
life.
11 'Cos many a t'ing is safer, dan tryin' de boom to
start,
12 For if de log wance ketch you, dey 're cuttin' you
lak a knife.
13 Aleck Lachance he lissen, an' answer heem right away
14 'Marie Louise dat 's leevin' off on de shore close by
15 She 's sayin' de word was mak' me mos' happies' man
to-day
16 An' if you ax de reason I 'm ready to go, dat 's w'y.'
17 Pierre Delorme he 's spikin' den, an' O! but he 's
lookin' glad.
18 'Dis morning de sam' girl tole me, she mus' say to
me, ` Good-bye Pierre.'
19 So no wan can stop me goin', for I feel I was comin'
mad
20 An' wedder I see to-morrow, dat 's not'ing, for I
don't care.'
21 Aleck Lachance was steady, he 's bully boy all aroun',
22 Alway sendin' de monee to hees moder away below,
23 Now an' den savin' a leetle for buyin' de house an'
groun',
24 An' never done t'inkin', t'inkin' of Marie Louise
Lebeau.
25 Pierre was a half-breed feller, we call heem de grand
Nor' Wes'--
26 Dat is de place he 's leevin' w'en he work for de
Compagnie,
27 Dey say he 's marry de squaw dere, never min' about
all de res'--
28 An' affer he get hees monee, he 's de boy for de
jamboree!
29 Ev'ry wan start off cheerin' w'en dey pass on de log
out dere
30 Jompin' about lak monkey, Aleck an' Pierre Delorme.
31 Workin' de sam' as twenty, an' runnin' off ev'ryw'ere,
32 An' busy on all de places, lak beaver before de
storm.
33 Den we hear some wan shoutin', an' dere was dat crazy
girl,
34 Marie Louise, on de hillside, cryin' an' raisin' row.
35 Could n't do not'ing worser! mos' foolish t'ing on de
worl'
36 For Pierre Delorme an' Aleck was n't workin' upon de
scow.
37 Bote of dem turn aroun' dere w'en girl is commencin'
cry,
38 Lak woman I wance remember, got los' on de bush t'ree
day,
39 'Look how de log is movin'! I 'm seein' it wit' ma
eye,
40 Come back out of all dem danger!' an' den she was
faint away.
41 Ten year I been reever driver, an' mebbe know
somet'ing too,
42 An' dere was n't a man don't watch for de minute dem
log she go;
43 But never a word from de boos dere, stannin' wit' all
hees crew,
44 So how she can see dem movin' don't ax me, for I
dunno.
45 Hitch dem all up togeder, t'ousan' horse crazy mad--
46 Only a couple of feller for han'le dem ev'ry wan,
47 Scare dem wit' t'onder an' lightning, an' den 't is
n't half so bad
48 As log runnin' down de rapide, affer de boom she 's
gone.
49 See dem nex' day on de basin, you t'ink dey was t'roo
de fight
50 Cut wit' de sword an' bullet, lyin' along de shore
51 You 'd pity de log, I 'm sure, an' say 't was
terrible sight
52 But man goin' t'roo de sam' t'ing, you 'd pity dat
man some more.
53 An' Pierre w'en he see dem goin' an' log jompin' up
an' down
54 De sign of de cross he 's makin' an' dive on de water
dere,
55 He know it 's all up hees chances, an' he rader be
goin' drown
56 Dan ketch by de rollin' timber, an' dat 's how he go,
poor Pierre.
57 Aleck's red shirt is blazin' off w'ere we hear de log
58 Crackin' away an' bangin', sam' as a honder gun,
59 Lak' sun on de morning tryin' to peep t'roo de reever
fog--
60 But Aleck's red shirt is redder dan ever I see de
sun.
61 An' w'en dey 're tryin' wake her: Marie Louise Lebeau,
62 On her neck dey fin' a locket, she 's kipin' so nice
an' warm,
63 An' dey 're tolin' de funny story, de funnies' I
dunno--
64 For de face, Baptême! dey see dere, was de half-breed
Pierre Delorme!
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