Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/273

 1830-40.] JAMES W. WARD. 257 What a roaring, what a surging, Swam Mik-nok, the snapping-turtle, What a mighty rush of waters, Swam behind him with the baggage, What an army of destruction, Mik-nok, prince of snapping-turtles. Coming down in wrath and fury, Thus he came, was thus attended, Coming down the handsome river, He, the ruthless Higher-water, Coming down with Higher-water, Sweeping down the handsome river. Filled with raging, mad with fury, Fled the minks, and fled the musk-rats, Rushing down to light the big rats, Fled the craw-fish in their terror. To o'erwhelm the skulking Wharf-rats Fltd the otters, fled the beavers. In an all-destroying deluge. Fled the snakes, and fled the field-mice, On the mid-most, top-most billow, All was flight, and haste, and panic. On the wave that sui-ged the highest, As the gathering force swept onward ; On 0-wah-te-paw, the white wave, Not a creature stayed or lingered. Seated on a bridled cat-fish. Not a stump could keep its footing, On Soc-dol-o-ger, the cat-fish. Not a plank of any platform Rode with bearing magisterial, Could maintain its loose position ; Fearful, unrelenting brigand, Every thing was put in motion, Rode the lofty Higher-water ; As the flood poiuxd down the valley. Just behind him, with the baggage. To combat did Higher-water challenge vScag-rag, who hastened away to a sacred place in the empire of Bam-ba-Ioo-za, and summoned a trio — Three pre-eminently holy. Power resistless and unyielding, Who, for service long and faithful. Gift supreme, supreme endowment Had received the gift of power : Of the ancient Bam-ba-loo-za, Power of action and of suffering, To the wisest and the truest, Power of duty and of triumph. To the purest of his children. The trio answered the King's pathetic a ppeal for " help in time of need," and — See, upon the waters swimming, Swimming boldly on the water, Cracked the bottom with their strong heads. Straight as goes a line of railroad, With their strong heads, with their stout heads Tow'rd the middle of the river. Knocked a piece out, knocked a hole in, Go the holy three together ; And went through without a scratch, Sir, Side by side together swimming, To the kingdom of the good rats, Firm in faith and strong in courage, To the laud of their hereafter. Never wavering, never doubting, Never questioning or pausing, Like the water through a tunnel, To the middle of the river Like the water from a bottle. Onward move these three together. Like the water down a tin spout. There they took a moment's breathing, Whirling in a mighty whirlpool, Paused a moment, then proceeded ; Through the opening swiftly sinking, Went the waters of the river. To the bottom of the river, Of the swelling O-pe-he-le. Plunged incontinently head first ; Scag-rag was therefore conqueror; B igher-water no longer invaded his domin- ions, and there was great rejoicing among his grateful subjects. In 1859, Mr. Ward went from Cincinnati to New York city, where he devotes himself to musical and metrical composition, and to vai'ious duties connected with the business of extensive pubhshing houses. 17