There was a dibble sticking in the bed, Jim wrenched it out and swung it swiftly round, And sent it flying at the shepherd’s head: ’I’ll give you puppy-cake. Take that, you hound.’ The broken glass went clinking to the ground, The dibble balanced, checked, and followed flat. ’My God,’ said Ern, ’I’ll give you hell for that.’ He flung the door ajar with ’Now, my pup-- Hold up the candle, Anna--now, we’ll see.’ ’By crimes, come on,’ said Jimmy; ’Put them up. Come, put them up, you coward, here I be.’ And Jim, eleven stone, what chance had he Against fourteen? but what he could he did; Ern swung his right: ’That settles you, my kid.’ Jimmy went down and out: ’The kid,’ said Ern. ’A kid, a sucking puppy; hold the light.’ And Anna smiled: ’It gave me such a turn, You look so splendid, Ernie, when you fight.’ She looked at Jim with: ’Ern, is he all right?’ ’He’s coming to.’ She shuddered, ’Pah, the brute. What things he said’; she stirred him with her foot. ’You go inside,’ said Ern, ’and bolt the door, I’ll deal with him.’ She went and Jimmy stood. ’Now, pup,’ said Ern, ’don’t come round here no more. I’m here, not you, let that be understood. I tell you frankly, pup, for your own good.’ ’Give me my hat,’ said Jim. He passed the gate, And as he tottered off he called, ’You wait.’ ’Thanks, I don’t have to,’ Shepherd Ern replied; ’You’ll do whatever waiting’s being done.’ The door closed gently as he went inside, The bolts jarred in the channels one by one. ’I’ll give you throwing bats about, my son. Anna.’ ’My dear?’ ’Where are you?’ ’Come and find.’ The light went out, the windows stared out blind. Blind as blind eyes forever seeing dark. And in the dim the lovers went upstairs, Her eyes fast closed, the shepherd’s burning stark, His lips entangled in her straying hairs, Breath coming short as in a convert’s prayers, Her stealthy face all drowsy in the dim And full of shudders as she yearned to him. Jim crossed the water, cursing in his tears, ’By cripes, you wait. My God, he’s with her now And all her hair pulled down over her ears; Loving the blaggard like a filthy sow, I saw her kiss him from the apple bough. They say a whore is always full of wiles, O God, how sweet her eyes are when she smiles. Curse her and curse her. No, my God, she’s sweet, It’s all a helly nightmare. I shall wake. If it were all a dream I’d kiss her feet, I wish it were a dream for Jesus’ sake. One thing: I bet I made his guzzle ache, I cop it fair before he sent me down, I’ll cop him yet some evening on the crown. O God, O God, what pretty ways she had, He’s kissing all her skin, so white and soft. She’s kissing back. I think I’m going mad. Like rutting rattens in the apple loft. She held that light she carried high aloft Full in my eyes for him to hit me by, I had the light all dazzling in my eye.