Page:Rudyard Kipling's verse - Inclusive Edition 1885-1918.djvu/529

 INCLUSIVE EDITION, 1885-1918 511

THE JACKET

(Royal Horse Artillery}

^HROUGH the Plagues of Egyp' we was chasin' Arabi,

Gettin' down an' shovin' in the sun; An' you might 'ave called us dirty, an' you might ha' called us

, dr y An' you might 'ave 'card us talkin' at the gun.

But the Captain 'ad 'is jacket, an' the jacket it was new

('Orse Gunners, listen to my song!) An' the wettin' of the jacket is the proper thing to do,

Nor we didn't keep 'im waiting very long.

One day they gave us orders for to shell a sand redoubt,

Loadin' down the axle-arms with case; But the Captain knew 'is dooty, an' he took the crackers out

An' he put some proper liquor in its place. An' the Captain saw the shrapnel, which is six-an'-thirty clear.

('Orse Gunners, listen to my song!)

"Will you draw the weight," sez 'e, "or will you draw the beer?"

An* we didn't keep 'im waiting very long.

For the Captain, etc.

Then we trotted gentle, not to break the bloomin' glass,

Though the Arabites 'ad all their ranges marked; But we durs n't 'ardly gallop, for the most was bottled Bass,

An' we'd dreamed of it since we was disembarked: So we fired economic with the shells we 'ad in 'and,

('Orse Gunners, listen to my song!) But the beggars under cover 'ad the impidence to stand,

An' we couldn't keep 'em waitin' very long.

And the Captain, etc.