Fogarty's Gin Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCBDDAEFAAAGHIAIJK KJJLLLMNOPLQQ RSTRLUAAULAVVWAWPP AXXAWYZZY YA2A2YCB2C2CD2D2LE2E 2F2F2C2C2C2 LMMUUNG2G2 H2I2H2I2WMWMWMMM G2G2J2BMJ2K2J2J2IL2I L2L2CCL2L2L2L2L2L2M2 M2| A sweat dripping horse and a half naked myall | A |
| And a message Come out to the back of the run | B |
| Be out at the stake yards by rising of sun | B |
| Ride hard and fail not there's the devil to pay | C |
| For the men from Monkyra have mustered the run | B |
| Cows and calves calves of ours without ever a brand | D |
| Fifty head if there's one on the camp there they stand | D |
| Come out to the stake yards nor fail me or by all | A |
| The saints they'll be drafted and driven away ' | E |
| Boot and saddle it was to the rolling of curses | F |
| Snatching whip snatching spurs where they hung on the nail | A |
| In his wrath old McIvor head stockman turned pale | A |
| Spitting oaths with his head 'neath the flap of his saddle | A |
| Taking up the last hole in the girth with his teeth | G |
| Then a hand on the pommel a quick catch of breath | H |
| A lift of the body a swing to the right | I |
| And ten half broken nags with ten riders astraddle | A |
| We sped arrow swift for the heart of the night | I |
| Thud of hoofs thud of hearts breath of man breath of beast | J |
| With M'Ivor in front and the rest heel to flank | K |
| So we rode in a bunch down the steep river bank | K |
| Churning up the black tide in the shallows like yeast | J |
| Through the coolabahs out on the plain it increased | J |
| Till we swung with the stride of the dingo pack swooping | L |
| On scent of weak mother with puny calf drooping | L |
| Staring eyes swaying forms o'er the saddle bow stooping | L |
| With the wind in our shirts grip of knee grip of rein | M |
| Losing ground falling back creeping forward again | N |
| Behind us the low line of dark coolabah | O |
| Overhead a sky spangled by planet and star | P |
| And to left on our shoulder the mighty Cross flaring | L |
| While afoot the quick pulsing of hoof beats disturbs | Q |
| Moist silence of grasses and salty leaved herbs | Q |
| - | |
| Steering on by the stars over hollow and crest | R |
| Tingling eyes looking out through a curtain of tears | S |
| From the slap of the wind over forward pricked ears | T |
| Over forehead and nose stretching out for the west | R |
| And into the face of the sombre night staring | L |
| Threading in threading out through a maze of sand rises | U |
| That spring either side loom a moment then flee | A |
| Dim hillocks of herbage and sun blasted tree | A |
| Till again a dark streak of far timber arises | U |
| And anon through the thick of a lignum swamp tearing | L |
| Bare tendrils back springing switch sharp on the knee | A |
| Plain again and again with the speed of the wind | V |
| The long miles in front join their comrades behind | V |
| Then a sound in our ears like to far summer thunder | W |
| Or the booming of surf in a southerly gale | A |
| And we shouted aloud each to each in our wonder | W |
| For we knew that those beasts must have come fast and far | P |
| That they moaned as the breaking of waves on a bar | P |
| - | |
| But behold overhead the dark sky had grown pale | A |
| With the azure tinged paleness of newly skimmed milk | X |
| And the dawn spiders floated on threads of floss silk | X |
| As the guards of the sun drew aside the thick veil | A |
| And made ready to fling the dawn portals asunder | W |
| Still that sound swelled and rolled thrilling deep on the air | Y |
| Calling long calling loud in the ear of each steed | Z |
| Bringing courage and strength in the moment of need | Z |
| And light'ning the weight of the burdens they bare | Y |
| - | |
| But that moment behind us upshot a red glare | Y |
| As the sun swept the sky with a roseate sponge | A2 |
| And McIvor's blue roan gave a rear and a plunge | A2 |
| A half sob and so fell like an over ripe pear | Y |
| Not a rein did we pull not a stride did we stay | C |
| Speeding onward and speeding For long we could hear | B2 |
| Old Mac 's maledictions ring loud in our rear | C2 |
| As we rode in hot haste from the incoming day | C |
| Then all sudden and strangely we came face to face | D2 |
| With the lead of the cattle and lo our long race | D2 |
| Was run out and we drew up the horses all panting | L |
| In stress of the chase and yet ready for more | E2 |
| And our eager ears drank in that thunderous roar | E2 |
| While we watched the red squadrons come over the levels | F2 |
| As if view holloa'd by a pack of night devils | F2 |
| Cow and calf chasing heifer and lumbering steer | C2 |
| With their grey dripping nostrils and eyes wide with fear | C2 |
| As if Burgess's cob followed hard on their rear | C2 |
| - | |
| So we blocked them and lo the new sun laid a slanting | L |
| Red finger on one who rode over the plain | M |
| Steed treading full slowly head drooping slack rein | M |
| Turning often aside through the dew laden grasses | U |
| To crop a sweet mouthful We needed no glasses | U |
| To see it was Fogarty Once and again | N |
| And again did we hail yet he never looked round | G2 |
| Neither made the least motion of hearing the sound | G2 |
| - | |
| Riding on like a man who should ride in his sleep | H2 |
| Or as one in the web of some deep woven charm | I2 |
| So he came through the grass his horse striding breast deep | H2 |
| With a woman held close in the crook of his arm | I2 |
| And her hair all unbound rippled over his shoulder | W |
| Dead black and her brow where the sweat of fierce pain | M |
| Had dried was brown tinged as bronze is but colder | W |
| Ah many times colder and as he pulled rein | M |
| He unwrapped saddle blanket in which he had rolled her | W |
| And lo the gay sunlight lit ominous stain | M |
| Where a murderous bullet had torn a blue vein | M |
| And let out her life in a warm crimson rain | M |
| - | |
| Then gently he laid his sad load on the ground | G2 |
| And with sorrowing glances we gathered around | G2 |
| Then he turned to the west with his eyes all aflame | J2 |
| With his brawny fists raised calling witness from Heaven | B |
| On his shoulder and flank the dark blood of the slain | M |
| And he hurled his curse back on the place whence he came | J2 |
| A loud curse and a threat that he yet would stand even | K2 |
| With those of Monkyra who wrought this foul shame | J2 |
| Though to tell the God's truth we'd have done just the same | J2 |
| In their place and have reckoned it nothing but right | I |
| For the black girl and Fogarty quietly crept | L2 |
| On the Monkyra men in the dead of the night | I |
| And it happened the watchman was weary and slept | L2 |
| So the gin who no doubt was a game little pullet | L2 |
| Slipped in and brought both their night horses away | C |
| While Fogarty started the cattle that lay | C |
| On the camp and the trick was so bold it succeeded | L2 |
| For the Monkyra men when their cattle stampeded | L2 |
| Had nothing to send in pursuit but a bullet | L2 |
| Yet that was as much as the little gin needed | L2 |
| She made no great fuss though nor murmured nor cried | L2 |
| Only rode on the right of her lord till she died | L2 |
| Her life ended well nothing scamped or by halves | M2 |
| Where she went who can tell But we branded the calves | M2 |
Barcroft Henry Thomas Boake
(1)
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