ACKNOWLEDGE MENT A number o f these verses have appea red in the pages o f Pa nel: an d the Pa ll M a ll Ga ette n n e ea the z , a d o ch in S ecta tor the Westminster p , Ga ette the S /zere the Pa ll z , p , ' M a ll M a a ine Pea rson s g z , M aga zine an d the Now! M a a ine I am d e to g z . in ebt d the Proprietors an d E ditors fo r kindly giving me permis t h sion o reprint t e verses here. CONTENTS THE VAGABON D RONDEAU A DREAM SHIP THE RAILWAY STATION HARCHONS AN ISLAND GARDEN THE FIGURE HEAD ALLA E O E R B D F SEPT MBE . S OUTH SEAS ASHO RE THE BOBBERY PACK HOMEWARD BOUND ’ HUNTIN WEATHER TO A FO! CUB CANADIAN REMOUNTS CONTE NTS MALBROUC K w E T NOUS PICK ET THE FLYI NG MA N THE RN B CO ER OY . THE TROOPER I N VANCOUVER I N MO NTRE AL I N THE ROCK IE S IN THE SELK IRK S THE DREAMERS DEAD THE LUMBER J ACK S PECIAL OFFICER THE TRAPPE R THE SOCIAL VELD DAW N OUTS PAN I N E! ILE A MEMORY I N TIME OF D ROUGHT THE OLD MEN NOCTURNE THE V B D AGA ON . ’ I ve s een the wizard Northern lights , w f l With s ords and spears and flags un ur ed , Streaming across the polar nights , o f Ghost a rm ies a shadow world . ’ I ve slept beneath the Southern Cross S - o n G K heep shearing the reat arroo , ’ I ve seen the flung Sierras toss Like a white wave against the blue . With gauc hos in the Ar gentine All on c hos p , spurs and greasy curls ’ I e v ridden, diced, and rolled in wine, An ls d fought them for their powdered gir . ’ I ve seen the painted rice - junks flock i n L ke gulls before the south monsoo , ’ ’ I ve warped free o f a Frisco dock An d - m —ia un wind ja med round the Horn J e . 2 VAGABOND VERSE S ’ I ve seen the sunrise strike upon Th e nitrate clippers , and the dawn Tinting their canvas till they shone k l o n w Li e li ies an emerald la n . ’ I ve traded guns for ivory, ’ I ve - fo r traded square face gin pelts, ’ I ve had a posse after me - With forty fives loose in their belts . ’ I ve ll pu ed an idol from its perch , An d picked the rubies from its eyes , ’ I ve left fogged cruisers in the lurch , An d clubbed the Behring rookeries . ’ — - I ve been a king a flo wer crowned chief An d held a brown queen in my arms , r o n Heard the su f booming the reef, Th l e warm Trade rattling in the pa ms . ’ I ve found the bones o f miners pinned In l - o f se f hewn graves by rocks gold, ’ I ve l kicked their skul s because they grinned, An d felt my o wn sweat dropping cold . ’ I ve run mad through a screaming hail Of — bullets stabbed my bayonet red, An d heard o ur sunset bugles wail f Victory to the fields o dead . THE VAGABOND ’ I ve picked Life to the empty shell ’ I ve wrought and fought with fist and gun , Wo n — to fortunes gambled them Hell, ’ I ve drunk my whack and had my fun . Now and again I wander home ’ I like to see the distant Weald s Blue back above the orchard ’ s foam Of blossom and the cowslip fields th l l Where e s eek ca tt e browse, and where h e l w a o f la s T s ow stream inds, a thre d g s — Cool under willows it was there T I la d s l . hat , a , first ki sed a ass An d there beside tha t moonlit stream I to and the keep ers came grips, An d there I used to mope and drea m Of coral isles a n d clipper ships . ’ My brother keeps my father s farm Near by the bell -chimed country town Sa is id he, Old son, your place warm , ! C l w . ome, stop with us and sett e do n ’ ’ to ee Twas good s my father s house, ’ Its e stone face set gainst t ars and time, It s - fo r window eyes with eaves brows , Its roof gone grey with lichen rime . 4 VAGABOND VERSES ’ ’ Twas good 0 wintry nights to lie In o la my warm bed, c me home at st , An d n hear the wind go moa ing by, The rain whipped shivering o n the bla st To sit at dusk in some brown inn i Where bumpk n politicians vied, An d t fill their pew ers up, and spin - Them yarns till they gaped, goggle eyed ; To see the bron ze cock- pheasants hide Deep in the Coppery bracken fronds Of coverts , and the mallards ride Blue -necked o n jade - green lily ponds ; To see the tum bling pigeons wheel A bout their cots , to hear the caw Of rOOk s s to black in the elm , feel S ’ pring budding through the winter s thaw. ’ ’ Twas good to see the crocuses Pale - fla m es candle lit in the woods, An d the star -white anemones Like shy nuns peeping through their hoods . Ma y hedges frothin g into flower The scent o f ploughed fields aft er rain E l E ur 1 ng and, Old ngland at her ho Yet my bo y - drea m s came ba ck again THE VAGABOND 5 —U—w —h —M fi w fi h Ra o f ttle winches whipping freight , B P lue eters cracking at the fore, Ma tes ba wlin - belc hin gs from the reat g — g Sta ined funnels s alt whiffs from the Nore ; Mule bells that clanked through dizzy hours As - pack trains scaled the hanging track, Where the great glaciers soared like towers An d flashed the fires o f sunset back ; B a ti o s lue shadows in cool p , C k lic ed castanets and twanged guitars , The a n d o f ro deos rush dust , Lone camp fires under lonelier stars he l T roped convo vulus in bloom, h r s T e strong Trade droning th ough the palm , Al ’ ong the reef the breaker s boom, A sun -girl with her golden arms ; ’ The yellow moon o er jungle swamps Where tom- toms thumped a devil dance s — S C To haunted mi ts , the tampede amps ’ Th e l G lure , the ust , the ambler s chance o f l Chanties shellbacks hauling brai s , Odours of coma, tar and brine, Wide billowy skies and Open trails B Go d i y , they tugged this heart Of mine 6 VAGABOND VERSES In K sa ent the green p surged to head, An d ploughboy lovers clumped to meet Their milkmaid loves where white thorns sprea d Bridal confetti at their feet . B l l lks y i ac bowers, down flowery wa S dr - e wung oning, honey drunken be s The ff l l da odi s danced on their sta ks , - Swayed by the ballet ma ster breeze . Pale jasmines lit the garden close - i With wide eyed stars . In a iry fl ght D fli o anced butter es from rose to r se , - Like wind blown petals red and white . T l Me e hrough the green hi ls the dway flow d, With brown - sailed barge and drifting Wherry Under green hills the Pilgrims ’ Road Curled o n to Holy Ca nterbury . Life in o ur midst went shod an d sha wled Time was a drowse of Arca dy Yet all ll day long the prairies ca ed, l An d all night ong I heard the sea . I - fa l said good bye to rm and fie d, ’ Then at the Old inn s mullioned pane D K ale K al rank ent to the entish We d , An l d whist ing faced the road again . A FANTASY A FANTAS Y. To STELLA . If yo u were a white rose Columbine An d I were a Harlequin , ’ I d o n n leap and sway my spa gled hips, An d blow you a kiss with my finger tips, An d woo a smile t o your petal lips With every glittering spin . If I were a pig-tailed Buccaneer An d B you were a ristol girl , A- rolling home from over the sea ’ I d o u o n give y a hug the landing quay, A - a hook nosed parrot th t swore like me , ’ - O - An d a brooch of mother pearl . If you were a Dona o f o ld Ca stile An d I a Troubadour were , I ’d sing at night beneath your room, ' An d weave your dreams in a minstrel s loom With rainbow tears and the roses ’ bloom An d star -shine out o f the sky. VAGABOND VE RSE S If I were a powdered E xquisite An d o u Bellairs y were a fair , I ’d press your hand in the gay pavane, An d whisper under your painted fan As I bowed y o u into your blue sedan At the Old Assembly stairs .