Then Captain wonder’d at the pace

Then Captain wonder’d at the pace The hedgerows seem to fly; “The trees,” says he, “appear to chase The clouds along the sky.” Again the sandwiches and beer Were called into request— Such homely sandwiches, ’twas clear His wife had done her best— But quite inadequate these were, Ere half the day was done; So when they arriv’d at Exeter, He got a lad to run Across the platform to the “inn,” To get a cake or bun, A quartern of best “Plymouth gin,” And gave the boy a crown: But ere the lad came back again, The engine ’gan to “cough;” And when he felt the moving train Had really started off, Joe curs’d and swore most terribly, Got in a dreadful rage:— (The passengers who sat close by Attempted to assuage The Captain’s wrath, but ’twas in vain, He swore and curs’d the more.) At last, appeased, he slept, and then, Of course, his rage was o’er. For many hours asleep he sat,— Until the sun went down,— Then ’woke deficient of his hat, And also of his crown;— And, to his great astonishment, Arrived at the “great town,” Where, in his haste to get away, He tumbles o’er a trunk! * * * (Now, whilst he’s down, he hears some say “The man is mad, or drunk.”) Springs up again, laughs out, “All right!” And bounds for Edgware Road, Where (the first “public-house” in sight) Joe takes up his abode; Makes free with some refreshments, and Tells how his hat was lost; Remarks—the landlord’s house was grand, And what the gas must cost, And such-like things; then goes to rest, But devil-a-bit could sleep, For something saunter’d round his waist, Then lodged upon his hip * * * Fatigued, at last his eyelids close:— Thus, happy for a time, He gets into a solid doze, And mutters forth in rhyme— “Where is my hat? where is my crown?” And, “Where, oh! where is London Town?” (A gent—in bed adjoining him, In the same room—o’erheard The purport of the Captain’s dream— Remember’d every word.)