Hockertown was prohibish,
Business mostly run to fish;
Grimes was busy most the year
Freightin' fish and bottled beer.

Comin' up the stream one day
Yankee pine stood in his way;
Two young yaps that rowed the skiff
Thought he'd pass 'em in a jiff.

But they shot that skiff up stream;
Grimes was firin' up fer steam.
"That ere skiff I've got to pass
Or this trip will be my las'."

Fellers in the Yankee pine
Hollered back: "Yer doin' fine;
Heat her up an' stoke her down-
Bet we 'll beat you into town!"

Grimes was burnin' ev'ry kind
Scraps uv fuel he could find:
Burned his bench an' hick'ry cheer,
Can uv tar was settin' near.

Picked it up an' heaved it in,
Shorely het her biler then.
Smell was awful on that boat,
Smell of tar an' billvgoat.

Somethin' happened-I don't know-
Seemed the rivets all let go
On the biler, then a sound
That was heard for miles around.

Grimes was swimmin' for the shore,
Ragged shirt was all he wore;
Where his pants an' boots was blowed
To this day he's never knowed.

An' he kinder rubbed his head,
Settin' on the shore, an' said:
" 'Taint so hard to lose the boat
As it was that billygoat."

"An'," says he, "thar haint a doubt
As to that my winnin' out;
We'd a reached the waufboat fust
'F that dam biler hadn't bust!