| THE DARKEST, strangest mystery | |
| I ever read, or heern, or see, | |
| Is 'long of a drink at Taggart's Hall,— | |
| Tom Taggart's of Gilgal. | |
| |
| I 've heern the tale a thousand ways, | 5 |
| But never could git through the maze | |
| That hangs around that queer day's doin's; | |
| But I 'll tell the yarn to youans. | |
| |
| Tom Taggart stood behind his bar, | |
| The time was fall, the skies was fa'r, | 10 |
| The neighbors round the counter drawed, | |
| And ca'mly drinked and jawed. | |
| |
| At last come Colonel Blood of Pike, | |
| And old Jedge Phinn, permiscus-like, | |
| And each, as he meandered in, | 15 |
| Remarked, "A whisky-skin." | |
| |
| Tom mixed the beverage full and fa'r, | |
| And slammed it, smoking, on the bar. | |
| Some says three fingers, some says two,— | |
| I 'll leave the choice to you. | 20 |
| |
| Phinn to the drink put forth his hand; | |
| Blood drawed his knife, with accent bland, | |
| "I ax yer parding, Mister Phinn— | |
| Jest drap that whisky skin." | |
| |
| No man high-toneder could be found | 25 |
| Than old Jedge Phinn the country round. | |
| Says he, "Young man, the tribe of Phinns | |
| Knows their own whisky-skins!" | |
| |
| He went for his 'leven-inch bowie-knife:— | |
| "I tries to foller a Christian life; | 30 |
| But I 'll drap a slice of liver or two, | |
| My bloomin' shrub, with you." | |
| |
| They carved in a way that all admired, | |
| Tell Blood drawed iron at last, and fired. | |
| It took Seth Bludso 'twixt the eyes, | 35 |
| Which caused him great surprise. | |
| |
| Then coats went off, and all went in; | |
| Shots and bad language swelled the din; | |
| The short, sharp bark of Derringers, | |
| Like bull-pups, cheered the furse. | 40 |
| |
| They piled the stiffs outside the door; | |
| They made, I reckon, a cord or more. | |
| Girls went that winter, as a rule, | |
| Alone to spellin'-school. | |
| |
| I 've sarched in vain, from Dan to Beer- | 45 |
| Sheba, to make this mystery clear; | |
| But I end with hit as I did begin,— | |
| Who got the whisky-skin? | |
