And now upon the inner gate He reads these mystic words of fate:-- See Page Image==> {051} {052} XXIV. Above the distich hung the trump:- The hero got it with a jump, And shouting gallantly, "Ya--hips!" Applied the mouth-piece to his lips. A blast he blew,- Asunder flew The portals with a brazen clang: Windows were smashed, And chains were clashed, While a thousand gongs in discord rang. A voice within, that seemed the note Of some prodigious magpie's throat, In ranc'rous tone cried, "Hallo, now! I say, what means this tarnel row?" And out came Catawampus, cross; Behind him slunk Slockdollagos; The Great Sea Serpent, trailing slim His coils tremendous, after him. XXV. Six of the tallest men that e'er Raised in old Kentucky were, Each standing on the other's head, Had scarce o'ertopped the monster dread; The brim of his hat, so considerate, Was half as big round as the King's Round Table; His massive club was a maple's trunk:- He might have made great Arthur "funk." {053} Arthur the First, or Arthur the Second, As Arthur oe Wellington may be reckoned. Slockdollagos was rather less, But he was n't very short, I guess:-- He was fashionably drest, In the style of a Wizard of the West. XXVI. "Clear off, now," was the Giant's cry; "The oldest man in all Kentucky My father whopp'd--my father, I:-- Absquotilate, and cut your lucky!" Catawampus looked on every side, But not a single soul espied; To the right and left he grimly grinned, Till the trunks of the very trees were skinned. "Come out!" he bawled, "or I swear I 'll dash Your brains into an immortal smash! Don't raise my dander; if you do, You won't much like me,--_I_ tell you." XXVII. Jack laughed this bootless brag to hear, And thus he sang in the Giant's ear:- "Yankee doodle doodle doo, Yankee doodle dandy; Prepare your knavish deeds to rue, For know, your fate is handy!" {054} XXVIII. Slockdollagos turned green and blue, But Catawampus in fury flew, And brandished at random his maple stick, Smashing the nose of the wizard "slick Who fetched him in return a kick, Crying, "Hallo! I wish you'd mind; I rather speculate you 're blind." XXIX. Catawampus bellowed "Oh! I say, tarnation sieze your toe!" Rubbing the part as he limped and hopped: Jack his legs in sunder chopped. He fell with an astounding sound, And his castle tottered to the ground. In faith, the most "tremendous fall In tea," to this, was nothing at all.