(Corporals)

At times when under cover I ’ave said, To keep my spirits up an’ raise a laugh, ’Earin’ ’im pass so busy over-’ead-- Old Nickel Neck, ’oo isn’t on the Staff-- ‘There’s one above is greater than us all.’

Before ’im I ’ave seen my Colonel fall, An’ watched ’im write my Captain’s epitaph, So that a long way off it could be read-- He ’as the knack o’ makin’ men feel small-- Old Whistle Tip, ’oo isn’t on the Staff.

There is no sense in fleein’ (I ’ave fled), Better go on an’ do the belly-crawl, An’ ’ope ’e’ll ’it some other man instead Of you ’e seems to ’unt so speshual-- Fitzy van Spitz, ’oo isn’t on the Staff.

An’ thus in mem’ry’s gratis biograph, Now that the show is over, I recall The peevish voice an’ ’oary mushroom ’ead Of ’im we owned was greater than us all, ’Oo give instruction to the quick an’ the dead-- The Shudderin’ Beggar not upon the Staff.

BOOTS