Verses for an Old Boy's Scrap - Book.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 40

Verses for an Old Boy's Scrap - Book.

(Inscribed to " Old Boy.") I challenged Dad Time In ray early days To play me a crocs-board game, An' 1 leuched ax I noted his canny ways, An' I thocht that his methods were tame. i " I'll beat you, old fellow," thorbt I to myaoV, j • Axi th"s thocht Jikuly fln».h«d Iv my e'e, i For he *hot rat a ginnc.o that gar'd me my~" Well, You, at oriyrate, winna beat me." The pieces were set, an' he made his move Wi' a slow but confident mien, An' I richt promptly replied to prove That my wits were sharp and keen. An' thu"» an 1 thus we shifted oor men. An' 1 thocht that his plots were lhm j An" *iu»ply sasn thro', and I pl&nncd to en* The game wl' a sweepin' win. He read my thocbt an' he raised his han', An' gave me a simple " talc'," An' syne anither, then jumped, his man Wi' an en' game knack, knack, knsck 1 An' mony a game I've played since then, An' I've strained till my heid did bizz, But aye I lose tcy grip at the en', An the " mova " is always his. An' I own at last that his play's sublime, Au' I've lang since ceased to craw, For I see that the shifts o' auld Father Time Are asterisk (*) moves one an a. But, f rien', there are draughts in the distance a bit To meet oor immortal thirst, An' I'm hopefu' o' beatin' the old boy yet, But maun ferric deep Jordan first. James Ogg, Aberdeen, in Draughts World.