Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BOULE, by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BOULE, by                    
First Line: Way back on de woods I know a man
Last Line: Gettin' de ole tam luck also.
Subject(s): Trapping & Trappers; Traps; Snares; Trappers


WAY back on de woods I know a man,
Was very good hunter too;
No bodder at all to understan'
De moose an' de cariboo.
An' wedder you're meetin' heem on de bush,
Or trampin' de hills aroun',
You always t'ink he was sayin', "Hush!"
For he never mak' de soun'.

De fox w'en he's seein' dat hunter's track
Jus' shiver hese'f an' go,
An' say, "De noise dat hunter mak'
Is de noise of de fallin' snow --
Don't geev me a chance, an' dat's de way
I pity de poor ole bear,
Never hear not'ing onmak' de soun'.

De fox w'en he's seein' dat hunter's track
Jus' shiver hese'f an' go,
An' say, "De noise dat hunter mak'
Is de noise of de fallin' snow --
Don't geev me a chance, an' dat's de way
I pity de poor ole bear,
Never hear not'ing on stormy day,
W'en danger is ev'ry w'ere."

Is dere an otter along de creek,
Or mink on de beeg savanne,
Don't jomp on de water purty quick
W'en he's hearin' dat hunter man?
Now! an' w'at's de reason he get so cute,
Till hees luck is de devil's own?
Wall! it's only becos' w'en he mak' de shoot,
He travel aroun' alone.

But ev'ry t'ing change, an' so I'm tole,
Affer a long, long tam,
De hunter man change, for he's comin' ole,
Dough he tell us he's jus' de sam';
An' bimeby w'en he's sittin' dere
Wan day on a tamarac log,
He say to hese'f, "I wonder w'ere
I can get me a leetle dog?

"Nice leetle dog wit' stan'up tail,
Follow me t'roo de wood,
Stick to me close along de trail,
An' me, I will treat heem good:
Train heem up right, an' dere won't be need
Havin' heem play de fool."
So he's buyin' a dog -- I dunno de breed --
An' de nex' t'ing he call heem "Boule."

So he train dat dog till he's nearly dead,
Or wishin' hese'f in jail --
W'en to lie down, never show hees head,
W'en he can wag hees tail;
Show heem de very bes' way to smell
On de bush, if he's passin' t'roo,
An' out on de lake he can do so well,
He never upset canoe.

Wonderful dog! an' now an' den,
Affer he finish up,
He's takin' heem off to show hees frien'
How he was train de pup.
"Come along, Boule, kip close to me,
Steady, an' watch de groun',
Wait till I tell you go an' see
If anyt'ing's lyin' aroun'."

An' to see heem walk, dat hunter man,
An' to hear heem talk also:
"Easy, ma frien', de bes' you can,
Easy, an nice an' slow.
Dis is de heart of de game countree,
Partridge on ev'ry log,
Tranquillement! for de leaf, sapree,
Was never so dry -- but w'ere's de dog?

"Boule! Boule! Boule! Boule!"
(Den he would raise de row!)
"Boule! Boule! you ole fool --
W'y do you leave me now?"

'Way on de right, w'ere de bush is t'ick,
Dere's a rush, an' we see a tail,
Long enough too to mak' us sick,
An' a cariboo go full sail,
Flyin' along wit' de pup behin',
Yellin' hees head off sure --
Maudit! if dat dog he was only mine,
I very soon work de cure!

Yass! if to-morrow will ketch nex' wick,
Or ma gran'moder ketch de moon,
He's gettin some chance if he travel quick
For ketchin' heem jus' as soon.
An' affer he's scarin' dat cariboo,
Back he was come encore,
Lookin' so proud of de job he do,
An' de hunter man start some more.

"Careful now -- don't mak' a noise,
Creep on your han' an' knee;
Some of you men are jus' lak boys
Comin' from school -- sapree.
Don't you see de dog? for he's gone again,
Off to I dunno w'ere" --
An' den lak a rushin' railway train
We're hearin' a beeg moose dere.

Tearin' along across de hill,
Up w'ere de pine tree grow,
Poor leetle Boule a' follerin' still,
An' hollerin' as he go!
Mebbe de hunter's not gettin' mad
W'en he commence to say,
"Sorry I be, but dere's somet'ing bad
Wrong wit' de dog to-day.

"Boule! Boule! Boule! Boule!"
(Oh, how he raise de row!)
"Boule! Boule! you ole fool --
W'y do you leave me now?"

"Very fine way to hunt de wood!"
Dat's w'at we tell heem den;
"Nice leetle dog" -- it's all no good,
An' he say: "I dunno, ma frien',
Mebbe you're right -- w'en a man he's ole,
Can't learn heem a trick is new,
An' jus' as soon as de dog is sole,
I'll hunt as I used to do."

So he's sellin' hees dog on Joe Laflamme,
Kip de toll on de bridge below,
Never have dog he lak de sam',
Dat's w'at he's sayin', Joe.

Now he's beginning for feelin' well,
Now he can sleep on de chair all day,
For Boule's commencin' to mak' a yell
W'en customer's less dan a mile away.

Dat's all right -- an' de hunter man
Travel agen as he used to do,
All alone, an' I understan'
Gettin' de ole tam luck also.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net