Page:The moods of Ginger Mick.djvu/55

Rh "Then Sari Bair, O Sari Bair, 'twus you wot seen it done, The day the transports rode yer bay beneath a smilin' sun. We boasted much, an' toasted much; but where yer tide line creeps, 'Twus you, me dainty Sari Bair, that seen us play fer keeps.

"We wus full uv savage skitin' while they kep' us on the shelf— (Now I tell yeh, square an' 'onest, I wus doubtin' us meself); But we proved it, good an' plenty, that our lads can do an' dare. On the day we walloped Abdul o'er the sands o' Sari Bair.

"Luck wus out wiv Green uv Sydney, where 'e stood at my right 'and, Fer they plunked 'im on the transport 'fore 'e got a chance to land. Then I saw 'em kill a feller wot I knoo in Camberwell, Somethin' sort o' went inside me—an' the rest wus bloody 'ell.

"Thro' the smoke I seen 'im strivin', Craig uv Queensland, tall an' strong. Like an 'arvester at 'ay-time singin', swingin' to the song. An' little Smith uv Collin'wood, 'e 'owled a fightin' tune. On the day we chased Mahomet over Sari's sandy dune.

"An' Sari Bair, O Sari Bair, you seen 'ow it wus done. The transports dancin' in yer bay beneath the bonzer sun;