Football -- Juvenile fiction; Schools -- Juvenile fiction
Bert and Chick joined forces with “Judge” Anstruther, Billy Haines
and Hank Howard and wandered into Upton and up to the assistant
manager’s room. Judge could do weird and wonderful things on a strange
looking contraption that was about half-way between a guitar and a
mandolin--with leanings toward several other instruments--and they
had a musical evening. Hank Howard proclaimed his ability to play
beautifully on a harmonica and Billy Haines disappeared and returned
with one a minute or two later. After that, although Billy knew almost
none of the tunes that Judge knew, the program took on an added
interest. About the only thing the two performers could thoroughly
get together on was that ribald composition, “Oh, Doctor!” This was a
rimed insult set to music which Alton had once sung at the football
games with Kenly. Of late it had become taboo, however, and when it
sometimes threatened to break out it was quickly suppressed by the
cheer leaders. On such occasions as this, though, “Oh, Doctor!” might
be sung to the heart’s content without frantic “shushings.” So with
Judge Anstruther beating the strings of his exotic instrument and Billy
swaying ecstatically with his hands cupped about the borrowed harmonica
the others sang loudly:
“Oh, Doctor! Oh, Doctor, now won’t you hurry, pray?
There’s been a crime most awful committed down our way!
Pull on your breeches, grab your bag,
Drop the shafts on the old gray nag
And hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, Doctor!
“Oh, Doctor! Oh, Doctor, and will the patient live?
He’s twisted, and he’s busted, he’s riddled like a sieve!
His center’s in a frightful shape;
I guess you’ll have to operate!
Oh, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, Doctor!
“Oh, Doctor! Oh, Doctor, the pearly gates we view!
They’re open very wide now! Oh, can’t you pull him through?
Old Kenly’s bad and getting worse;
Inform the sexton, send the hearse!
Oh, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, Doctor!”
By the end of the first verse reënforcements had appeared from
neighboring rooms, and when the song had been concluded the applause
was so hearty and insistent that the musicians had to begin again.
As the room was now filled to capacity the encore completely drowned
the music. A rumor that Mr. Offerman was on his way upstairs finally
reduced the chorus to its original number and sent Judge Anstruther
into the gentle strains of an Hawaiian melody. Mr. Offerman, however,
didn’t materialize and the party broke up in a disappointed mood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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