Rigors of a Smooth Crossing

Last night
I joined a friend on a hunt
It was odd me being asked to go along
Knowing my friend as i do
He's one of them solitary fellows
[A troubled soul you might say]
Who keeps his face in the shadows
And what has little to say
And less patience for listening
A lot like me actually

We rendezvoused by the river
Where he'd crossed over by longboat
And we never exchanged a word betwixt us
He just passed over the leash to his hunting dog
And once it had put its nostrils to the ground
The chase was on
Fortunately i gots strong legs
And keeping pace with that mongrel
Once it picked up the blood trail
Was no easy thing
My lungs was aching inside of ten minutes
And when i glanced over at my friend
He was gliding along like the wind carried him
But that's the way with them slender fellows
They are built for running

The varmint we was after
Once it heard our hound baying back of it
Took to running
And skairt varmints can vault
Like a rock careening down a cliff face
I seen it look back over its shoulder
A couple of times
And on one occasion
When it got a decent peek
At who it was was after it
I heard it let out a pitiable wail of despair
After that it was running so fast
We couldn't get within sight of it again
So i let loose the hound
And it had the varmint treed
In short order

My friend give me a nudge
And so i stepped in
And clubbed the poor bugger
On its crown
It was the charitable thing to do
As our hound was chewing him up
Something vicious
[That's what you get] i said
[For shying away from your appointments
It would'ha gone softer on you
If you'd fought it out like a real man
Or even give up without so much as a struggle
Its yer fault we had to sick the dogs on you]

I throwed the trophy across my shoulder
And i carted it back to the boat
With little labor lost I tarried
And there i knelt and skritched his dog
Behind its ears [all six of them]
My companion give me his best smile
From behind that impenetrable hood he wears
And lifted his hand in farewell
As he pushed off with his pole
Sending boat and cargo
Sliding smoothly into the mists
Enshrouding the impassive current

That he had been genuinely impressed
At my prowess with knobby club
And rusted pike i am assured
And later
As i lean on my clumsy weapon
And gaze in retrospect at the fire
I am anticipating our next outing together
When once again
He will offer to make a trade
Of my clobbering stick for his scythe
But little chance of that
As i m holding out for the three headed dog

Brother TROLL † [- yours for clemency]