Underneath the Bough

THE START

THE appointed time at length the dials show.

“Attention, both!... Now, are you ready?... Go!!”

The chauffeur grips his lever with a hand

Of steel.—A leap!—A flash of wheels! A grand

And supple beast-like spring!—A growl of gear!

As, sweeping through the multitudinous sea

Of men upraising full-voiced cheer on cheer,

He whirls away to promised victory!...

ON THE ROAD

The high road stretches straight and white

Away

To dreamy distance, on and on—

The day

Dawns sharp and foggy; nips the driver’s

Nose,

Despite his costly furs. Zounds! How

It blows!

The motor purrs!—Our mobile seems

To fly,

[Pg 2]

Nor touch the ground... (Pneumatic

Mystery!)

The motor purrs!—Farewell wood, field

And stream!

Once on the road, we’ve scanty time

To dream!

The motor purrs!—Look out! A sheer

Decline.

Temptation whispers: Faster here!

It’s fine!

Faster? It’s madness! Yes, I know!—

But on!

Full speed down hill! Another record

Gone!...

The driver plunges out of view...

See, there

He climbs the distant slope again.

I swear

He’d scale Olympus! Yet that course

Is clear

From many mishaps that beset

Us here!

We crush a curséd mongrel in

The dust!

[Pg 3]

Slow down to miss an English spinster,

Just

Graze by her on her clumsy, ancient

Wheel!—

Rout ducks and chickens, set the pigs

A-squeal!

It’s not our fault! We can’t be kept

All day

To clear the road!... Speed on!—Away!

Away!...

THE STRUGGLE

But hark!... Behind, a trumpet-blast winds clear!

Great God! Our dread competitor draws near;

We’d half a minute start, and now, like Fate,

He’s rushing onward to annihilate

Distance and time, whirled in a hurricane!

Inexorably we see him gain and gain....

“Now!—speed her up!” the boy cries out. “More speed!”

“The curséd motor’s gone to sleep!—Indeed,

“We’re hardly doing fifty miles an hour.

“But he won’t pass us yet awhile! More power!”...

[Pg 4]

The driver heeds; he moves—the furious pace

Grows frenzied! Oh, the glory of a race

Like this of modern days, with steady hand

To steer a whirlwind through a startled land!