[Illustration]

  “Well, here’s one!”
  Shouts Ezry Dunn.

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  “Count me two!”
  Yells Cootsy Drew.

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  “Here’s yer three!”
  Sings Babe Magee.

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  “Score me four!”
  Roars Leech-hole Moore.

[Illustration]

  “Tally—­five!”
  Howls Jamesy Clive.

[Illustration]

  “I make six!”
  Chirps Herbert Dix.

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  “Punctchul!—­seven!”
  Pipes Runt Replevin.

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  “Mark me eight!”
  Grunts Mealbag Nate.

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  “I’m yet nine!”
  Growls “Lud’rick” Stein.

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  “Hi! here’s ten!”
  Whoops Catfish Ben.

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  “And now we march, in daring line,
  For the banks of Brandywine!”

* * * * *

4

“IT”

  A wee little worm in a hickory-nut
    Sang, happy as he could be,—­

[Illustration]

  “O I live in the heart of the whole round world,
    And it all belongs to me!”

* * * * *

5

THE DARING PRINCE

  A daring prince, of the realm Rangg Dhune,
  Once went up in a big balloon

[Illustration]

  That caught and stuck on the horns of the moon,
  And he hung up there till next day noon—­
  When all at once he exclaimed, “Hoot-toot!”
  And then came down in his parachute.

[Illustration]

* * * * *

A DUBIOUS “OLD KRISS”

[Illustration]

Us-folks is purty pore—­but Ma She’s waitin’—­two years more—­tel Pa He serve his term out.  Our Pa he—­ He’s in the Penitenchurrie!

  Now don’t you never tell!—­’cause Sis,
  The baby, she don’t know he is.—­
  ’Cause she wuz only four, you know,
  He kissed her last an’ hat to go!

  Pa alluz liked Sis best of all
  Us childern.—­’Spect it’s ’cause she fall
  “When she’uz ist a child, one day—­
  An’ make her back look thataway.

  Pa—­’fore he be a burglar—­he’s
  A locksmiff, an’ maked locks, an’ keys,
  An’ knobs you pull fer bells to ring,
  An’ he could ist make anything!—­

[Illustration]

  ‘Cause our Ma say he can!—­An’ this
  Here little pair o’ crutches Sis
  Skips round on—­Pa maked them—­yes-sir!—­
  An’ silivur-plate-name here fer her!

  Pa’s out o’ work when Chris’mus come
  One time, an’ stay away from home,
  An’ ‘s drunk an’ ‘buse our Ma, an’ swear
  They ain’t no “Old Kriss” anywhere!