Butchers on backs of butchers' hacks, That shambled to and fro ! Bakers intent upon a buck, Neglectful of the dough! Change Alley Bears to speculate, As usual, for a fall; And green and scarlet runners, such 'Twas strange to think what difference A single creature made; A single stag had caused a whole Now Huggins from his saddle rose, And lo! a little cart that came Hard by a little wood. In shape like half a hearse,—tho' not For corpses in the least; For this contained the deer alive, And not the dear deceased! And now began a sudden stir, And then a sudden shout, The prison-doors were opened wide, His antlered head shone blue and red, Like other bucks that come to 'list One curious gaze of mild amaze, Then gently ran adown the mead, Now Huggins, standing far aloof, Till all at once he saw the beast Away he went, and many a score Of riders did the same, On horse and ass-like High and Low And Jack pursuing Game! Good Lord! to see the riders now, Thrown off with sudden whirl, A score within the purling brook, A score were sprawling on the grass, There was another Floorer there, Beside the Queen of Flowers! Some lost their stirrups, some their whips, Some had no caps to show; C But few, like Charles at Charing Cross, Rode on in Statue quo. "O dear! O dear!" now might you hear, "I've surely broke a bone;" "My head is sore," with many more Such speeches from the thrown. Howbeit their wailings never moved The wide Satanic clan, Who grinned, as once the Devil grinned, To see the fall of Man. And hunters good, that understood, For deer must have due course of law, Like,men the Courts among ; Before those Barristers the dogs Proceed to "giving tongue." And now Old Robin's foes were set, That fatal taint to find, That always is scent after him, Yet always left behind. And here observe how dog and man What hound resents that he is sent Towler and Jowler-howlers all, No spur he lacked; fear stuck a knife And every dog he knew had got Away, away! he scudded like A ship before the gale; Now flew to "hills we know not of,” Now, nun-like, took the vale. |