"Whin me frind Mack con-cluded 'twas time f'r us to stop fightin' an'
begin skinning each other in what Hogan calls th' marts iv thrade, ye
thought that ended it. So did Mack. He says, says he, 'Let us have
peace,' he says. An' Mark Hanna came out iv' th' cellar, where he's been
since Cousin George presinted his compliments to th' Ph'lippines an' wud
they prefer to be kilt or dhrownded, an' pro-posals was made to bond th'
Cubian pathrites, an' all th' deuces in th' deck begun to look like face
car-rds again, whin suddently there comes a message fr'm Cousin George.
'In pursooance iv ordhers that niver come,' he says, 'to-day th'
squadhron undher my command knocked th' divvle out iv th' fortifications
iv th' Ph'lippines, bombarded the city, an' locked up th' insurgent
gin'ral. The gov'nor got away be swimmin' aboord a Dutch ship, an' th'
Dutchman took him to Ding Dong. I'll attind to th' Dutchman some
afthernoon whin I have nawthin'else to do. I'm settin' in the palace
with me feet on th' pianny. Write soon. I won't get it. So no more at
prisint, fr'm ye'er ol' frind an' well-wisher, George Dooley.'
"How ar-re they goin' to stop him? How ar-re they goin' to stop him?
There's Mack on th' shore bawlin' ordhers. 'Come back,' he says. 'Come
back, I command ye,' he says. 'George, come back,' he says. 'Th' war is
over,' he says. 'We're at peace with th' wurruld,' he says. 'George,' he
says, 'George, be a good fellow,' he says. 'Lave up on thim,' he says.
'Hivins an' earth, he's batin' that poor Spanyard with a pavin' block.
George, George, ye break me hear-rt,' he says.
"But George Dooley, he gives th' wink to his frinds, an' says he,
'What's that man yellin' on th' shore about?' he says. 'Louder,' he
says. 'I can't hear ye,' he says. 'Sing it,' he says. 'Write it to me on
a postal ca-ard at Mahdrid,' he says. 'Don't stop me now,' he says.
'This is me, busy day,' he says; an' away he goes with a piece iv lead
pipe in wan hand an' a couplin' pin in th' other.
"What'll we do with him? We can't catch up with him. He's goin' too
fast. Mack's a week behind him ivry time he stops annywhere. He has
sthrung a throlley acrost th' islands, an' he's climbin' mountains with
his fleet. Th' on'y thing I see, Hinnissy, that Mack can do is to go
east an' meet him comin' r-round. If he hurries, he'll sthrike him
somewhere in Rooshia or Boohlgahria, an' say to him: 'George, th' war's
over. Won't ye come home with me?' I think he'll listen to reason."
"I think a man ought to stop fightin' whin th' war is ended," said Mr.
Hennessy.
"I dinnaw about that," said Mr. Dooley. "He started without askin' our
lave, an' I don't see what we've got to do with th' way he finishes.
'Tis a tur-rble thing to be a man iv high sperrits, an' not to know whin
th' other fellow's licked."
ON THE PHILIPPINES.
"I know what I'd do if I was Mack," said Mr. Hennessy. "I'd hist a flag
over th' Ph'lippeens, an' I'd take in th' whole lot iv thim."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account