Songs and Other Verse by Field, Eugene, 1850-1895

But once there came a powerful change; one sollum Sunday night Occurred the tidal wave that put ol' Salty out o' sight. He win on deuce an' ace an' Jack--he win on king an' queen-- Clif Bell allowed the like uv how he win wuz never seen. An' how he done it wuz revealed to all us fellers when He said he teched a humpback to win out ten.

There must be somethin' in it, for he never win afore, An' when he told the crowd about the humpback, how they swore! For every sport allows it is a losin' game to luck Agin the science uv a man who's teched a hump f'r luck; And there is no denyin' luck wuz nowhere in it when Salty teched a humpback an' win out ten.

I've had queer dreams an' seen queer things, an' allus tried to do The thing that luck apparently intended f'r me to; Cats, funerils, cripples, beggers have I treated with regard, An' charity subscriptions have hit me powerful hard; But what's the use uv talkin'? I say, an' say again: You've got to tech a humpback to win out ten!

So, though I used to think that luck wuz lucky, I'll allow That luck, for luck, agin a hump aint nowhere in it now! An' though I can't explain the whys an' wherefores, I maintain There must be somethin' in it when the tip's so straight an' plain; For I wuz there an' seen it, an' got full with Salty when Salty teched a humpback an' win out ten!

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