As　in　the　past　two　years；　this　town　be　dry
  Matters　but　little　Oh　yes；　revenue
  For　sidewalks；　sewers；　that　is　well　enough！
  I　wish　to　God　this　fight　were　now　inspired
  By　other　passion　than　to　salve　the　pride
  Of　John　Cabanis　or　his　daughter。
  Why　Can　never　contests　of　great　moment　spring
  From　worthy　things；　not　little？　Still；　if　men
  Must　always　act　so；　and　if　rum　must　be
  The　symbol　and　the　medium　to　release
  From　life's　denial　and　from　slavery；
  Then　give　me　rum！〃
  Exultant　cries　arose。
  Then；　as　George　Trimble　had　o'ercome　his　fear
  And　vacillation　and　begun　to　speak；
  The　door　creaked　and　the　idiot；　Willie　Metcalf；
  Breathless　and　hatless；　whiter　than　a　sheet；
  Entered　and　cried：　〃The　marshal's　on　his　way
  To　arrest　you　all。　And　if　you　only　knew
  Who's　coming　here　tomorrow；　I　was　listening
  Beneath　the　window　where　the　other　side
  Are　making　plans。〃
  So　to　a　smaller　room
  To　hear　the　idiot's　secret　some　withdrew
  Selected　by　the　Chair；　the　Chair　himself
  And　Jefferson　Howard；　Benjamin　Pantier；
  And　Wendell　Bloyd；　George　Trimble；　Adam　Weirauch；
  Imanuel　Ehrenhardt；　Seth　Compton；　Godwin　James
  And　Enoch　Dunlap；　Hiram　Scates；　Roy　Butler；
  Carl　Hamblin；　Roger　Heston；　Ernest　Hyde
  And　Penniwit；　the　artist；　Kinsey　Keene；
  And　E。　C。　Culbertson　and　Franklin　Jones；
  Benjamin　Fraser；　son　of　Benjamin　Pantier
  By　Daisy　Fraser；　some　of　lesser　note；
  And　secretly　conferred。
  But　in　the　hall
  Disorder　reigned　and　when　the　marshal　came
  And　found　it　so；　he　marched　the　hoodlums　out
  And　locked　them　up。
  Meanwhile　within　a　room
  Back　in　the　basement　of　the　church；　with　Blood
  Counseled　the　wisest　heads。　Judge　Somers　first；
  Deep　learned　in　life；　and　next　him；　Elliott　Hawkins
  And　Lambert　Hutchins；　next　him　Thomas　Rhodes
  And　Editor　Whedon；　next　him　Garrison　Standard；
  A　traitor　to　the　liberals；　who　with　lip
  Upcurled　in　scorn　and　with　a　bitter　sneer：
  〃Such　strife　about　an　insult　to　a　woman
  A　girl　of　eighteen　〃Christian　Dallman　too；
  And　others　unrecorded。　Some　there　were
  Who　frowned　not　on　the　cup　but　loathed　the　rule
  Democracy　achieved　thereby；　the　freedom
  And　lust　of　life　it　symbolized。
  Now　morn　with　snowy　fingers　up　the　sky
  Flung　like　an　orange　at　a　festival
  The　ruddy　sun；　when　from　their　hasty　beds
  Poured　forth　the　hostile　forces；　and　the　streets
  Resounded　to　the　rattle　of　the　wheels
  That　drove　this　way　and　that　to　gather　in
  The　tardy　voters；　and　the　cries　of　chieftains
  Who　manned　the　battle。　But　at　ten　o'clock
  The　liberals　bellowed　fraud；　and　at　the　polls
  The　rival　candidates　growled　and　came　to　blows。
  Then　proved　the　idiot's　tale　of　yester…eve
  A　word　of　warning。　Suddenly　on　the　streets
  Walked　hog…eyed　Allen；　terror　of　the　hills
  That　looked　on　Bernadotte　ten　miles　removed。
  No　man　of　this　degenerate　day　could　lift
  The　boulders　which　he　threw；　and　when　he　spoke
  The　windows　rattled；　and　beneath　his　brows
  Thatched　like　a　shed　with　bristling　hair　of　black；
  His　small　eyes　glistened　like　a　maddened　boar。
  And　as　he　walked　the　boards　creaked；　as　he　walked
  A　song　of　menace　rumbled。　Thus　he　came；
  The　champion　of　A。　D。　Blood；　commissioned
  To　terrify　the　liberals。　Many　fled
  As　when　a　hawk　soars　o'er　the　chicken　yard。
  He　passed　the　polls　and　with　a　playful　hand
  Touched　Brown；　the　giant；　and　he　fell　against；
  As　though　he　were　a　child；　the　wall；　so　strong
  Was　hog…eyed　Allen。　But　the　liberals　smiled。
  For　soon　as　hog…eyed　Allen　reached　the　walk；
  Close　on　his　steps　paced　Bengal　Mike；　brought　in
  By　Kinsey　Keene；　the　subtle…witted　one；
  To　match　the　hog…eyed　Allen。　He　was　scarce
  Three…fourths　the　other's　bulk；　but　steel　his　arms；
  And　with　a　tiger's　heart。　Two　men　he　killed
  And　many　wounded　in　the　days　before；
  And　no　one　feared。
  But　when　the　hog…eyed　one
  Saw　Bengal　Mike　his　countenance　grew　dark；
  The　bristles　o'er　his　red　eyes　twitched　with　rage；
  The　song　he　rumbled　lowered。　Round　and　round
  The　court…house　paced　he；　followed　stealthily
  By　Bengal　Mike；　who　jeered　him　every　step：
  〃Come；　elephant；　and　fight！　Come；　hog…eyed　coward！
  Come；　face　about　and　fight　me；　lumbering　sneak！
  Come；　beefy　bully；　hit　me；　if　you　can！
  Take　out　your　gun；　you　duffer；　give　me　reason
  To　draw　and　kill　you。　Take　your　billy　out。
  I'll　crack　your　boar's　head　with　a　piece　of　brick！〃
  But　never　a　word　the　hog…eyed　one　returned
  But　trod　about　the　court…house；　followed　both
  By　troops　of　boys　and　watched　by　all　the　men。
  All　day；　they　walked　the　square。　But　when　Apollo
  Stood　with　reluctant　look　above　the　hills
  As　fain　to　see　the　end；　and　all　the　votes
  Were　cast；　and　closed　the　polls；　before　the　door
  Of　Trainor's　drug　store　Bengal　Mike；　in　tones
  That　echoed　through　the　village；　bawled　the　taunt：
  〃Who　was　your　mother；　hogeyed？〃　In　a　trice
  As　when　a　wild　boar　turns　upon　the　hound
  That　through　the　brakes　upon　an　August　day
  Has　gashed　him　with　its　teeth；　the　hog…　one
  Rushed　with　his　giant　arms　on　Bengal　Mike
  And　grabbed　him　by　the　throat。　Then　rose　to　heaven
  The　frightened　cries　of　boys；　and　yells　of　men
  Forth　rushing　to　the　street。　And　Bengal　Mike
  Moved　this　way　and　now　that；　drew　in　his　head
  As　if　his　neck　to　shorten；　and　bent　down
  To　break　the　death　grip　of　the　hog…eyed　one；
  OTwixt　guttural　wrath　and　fast…expiring　strength
  Striking　his　fists　against　the　invulnerable　chest
  Of　hog…eyed　Allen。　Then；　when　some　came　in
  To　part　them；　others　stayed　them；　and　the　fight
  Spread　among　dozens；　many　valiant　souls
  Went　down　from　clubs　and　bricks。
  But　tell　me；　Muse；
  What　god　or　goddess　rescued　Bengal　Mike？
  With　one　last；　mighty　struggle　did　he　grasp
  The　murderous　hands　and　turning　kick　his　foe。
  Then；　as　if　struck　by　lightning；　vanished　all
  The　strength　from　hogeyed　Allen；　at　his　side
  Sank　limp　those　giant　arms　and　o'er　his　face
  Dread　pallor　and　the　sweat　of　anguish　spread。
  And　those　great　knees；　invincible　but　late；
  Shook　to　his　weight。　And　quickly　as　the　lion
  Leaps　on　its　wounded　prey；　did　Bengal　Mike
  Smite　with　a　rock　the　temple　of　his　foe；
  And　down　he　sank　and　darkness　o'er　his　eyes
  Passed　like　a　cloud。
  As　when　the　woodman　fells
  Some　giant　oak　upon　a　summer's　day
  And　all　the　songsters　of　the　forest　shrill；
  And　one　great　hawk　that　has　his　nestling　young
  Amid　the　topmost　branches　croaks；　as　crash
  The　leafy　branches　through　the　tangled　boughs
  Of　brother　oaks；　so　fell　the　hogeyed　one
  Amid　the　lamentations　of　the　friends
  Of　A。　D。　Blood。
  Just　then；　four　lusty　men
  Bore　the　town　marshal；　on　whose　iron　face
  The　purple　pall　of　death　already　lay；
  To　Trainor's　drug　store；　shot　by　Jack　McGuire。
  And　cries　went　up　of　〃Lynch　him！〃　and　the　sound
  Of　running　feet　from　every　side　was　heard
  Bent　on　the
  THE　END
  The　late　Mr。　Jonathan　Swift　Somers；　laureate　of　Spoon　River
  planned　The　Spooniad　as　an　epic　in　twenty…four　books；　but
  unfortunately　did　not　live　to　complete　even　the　first　book。　The
  fragment　was　found　among　his　papers　by　William　Marion　Reedy
  and　was　for　the　first　time　published　in　Reedy's　Mirror　of　December
  18th；　1914。
  End