Saltbush Bill's Gamecock Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGG EEHHIIJJEE KKGGLL DDDDGGEEMM DDGGNNOO DDDDJJDDDD EEDDDDDD| 'Twas Saltbush Bill with his travelling sheep was making his way to town | A |
| He crossed them over the Hard Times Run and he came to the Take 'Em Down | A |
| He counted through at the boundary gate and camped at the drafting yard | B |
| For Stingy Smith of the Hard Times Run had hunted him rather hard | B |
| He bore no malice to Stingy Smith 'twas simply the hand of Fate | C |
| That caused his waggon to swerve aside and shatter old Stingy's gate | C |
| And being only the hand of Fate it follows without a doubt | D |
| It wasn't the fault of Saltbush Bill that Stingy's sheep got out | D |
| So Saltbush Bill with an easy heart prepared for what might befall | E |
| Commenced his stages on Take 'Em Down the station of Roostr Hall | E |
| 'Tis strange how often the men out back will take to some curious craft | F |
| Some ruling passion to keep their thoughts away from the overdraft | F |
| And Rooster Hall of the Take 'Em Down was widely known to fame | G |
| As breeder of champion fighting cocks his forte was the British Game | G |
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| The passing stranger within his gates that camped with old Rooster Hall | E |
| Was forced to talk about fowls all noght or else not talk at all | E |
| Though droughts should come and though sheep should die his fowls were his sole delight | H |
| He left his shed in the flood of work to watch two game cocks fight | H |
| He held in scorn the Australian Game that long legged child of sin | I |
| In a desperate fight with the steel tipped spurs the British Game must win | I |
| The Australian bird was a mongrel bird with a touch of the jungle cock | J |
| The want of breeding must find him out when facing the English stock | J |
| For British breeding and British pluck must triumph it over all | E |
| And that was the root of the simple creed that governed old Rooster Hall | E |
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| 'Twas Saltbush Bill to the station rode ahead of his travelling sheep | K |
| And sent a message to Rooster Hall that wakened him out of his sleep | K |
| A crafty message that fetched him out and hurried him as he came | G |
| A drover has an Australian bird to match with your British Game | G |
| 'Twas done and done in half a trice a five pound note a side | L |
| Old Rooster Hall with his champion bird and the drover's bird untried | L |
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| Steel spurs of course said old Rooster Hall you'll need 'em without a doubt | D |
| You stick the spurs on your bird said Bill but mine fights best without | D |
| Fights best without said old Rooster Hall he can't fight best unspurred | D |
| You must be crazy But Saltbush Bill said Wait till you see my bird | D |
| So Rooster Hall to his fowl yard went and quickly back he came | G |
| Bearing a clipt and a shaven cock the pride of his English Game | G |
| With an eye as fierce as an eaglehawk and a crow like a trumbet call | E |
| He strutted about on the garden walk and cackled at Rooster Hall | E |
| Then Rooster Hall sent off a boy with a word to his cronies two | M |
| McCrae the boss of the Black Police and Father Donahoo | M |
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| Full many a cockfight old McCrae had held in his empty Court | D |
| With Father D as the picker up a regular all round Sport | D |
| They got the message of Rooster Hall and down to his run they came | G |
| Prepared to scoff at the drover's bird and to bet on the English Game | G |
| They hied them off to the drover's camp while Saltbush rode before | N |
| Old Rooster Hall was a blithsome man when he thought of the treat in store | N |
| They reached the camp where the drover's cook with countenance all serene | O |
| Was boiling beef in an iron pot but never a fowl was seen | O |
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| Take off the beef from the fire said Bill and wait till you see the fight | D |
| There's something fresh for the bill of fare there's game fowl stew tonight | D |
| For Mister Hall has a fighting cock all feathered and clipped and spurred | D |
| And he's fetched him here for a bit of sport to fight our Australian bird | D |
| I've made a match for our pet will win though he's hardly a fighting cock | J |
| But he's game enough and it's many a mile that he's tramped with the travelling stock | J |
| The cook he banged on a saucepan lid and soon as the sound was heard | D |
| Under the dray in the shallow hid a something moved and stirred | D |
| A great tame emu strutted out Said Saltbush Here's our bird | D |
| Bur Rooster Hall and his cronies two drove home without a word | D |
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| The passing stranger within his gates that camps with old Rooster Hall | E |
| Must talk about something else than fowls if he wishes to talk at all | E |
| For the record lies in the local Court and filed in its deepest vault | D |
| That Peter Hall of the Take 'Em Down was tried for a fierce assault | D |
| On a stranger man who in all good faith and prompted by what he heard | D |
| Had asked old Hall if a British Game could beat an Australian bird | D |
| And Old McCrae who was on the bench as soon as the case was tried | D |
| Remarked Discharged with a clean discharge the assault was justified | D |
Banjo Paterson
(1)
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