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Page:Ballads of a Bohemian.djvu/171

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PRISCILLA
169

If the Huns ain’t strafing the road ahead
So the convoy can’t get through!
A barrage of shrap, and us alone;
Four rush-cases–you hear ’em moan?
Fierce old messes of blood and bone.…
Priscilla, what shall we do?”


Again it seems that Priscilla hears.
With a rush and a roar her way she clears,
Straight at the hell of flame she steers,
Full at its heart of wrath.
Fury of death and dust and din!
Havoc and horror! She’s in, she’s in;
She’s almost over, she’ll win, she’ll win!
Woof! Crump! right in the path.


Little Priscilla skids and stops,
Jerry MacMullen sways and flops;
Bang in his map the crash he cops;
Shriek from the car: “Mon Dieu!”
One of the blessés hears him say,
Just at the moment he faints away:
“Reckon this isn’t my lucky day,
Priscilla, it’s up to you.”


Sergeant raps on the doctor’s door;
“Car in the court with couchés four;
Driver dead on the dashboard floor;
Strange how the bunch got here.”
“No,” says the Doc, “this chap’s alive;
But tell me, how could a man contrive