"I dhrow my canteen ofer to vere he lie, but he answer Dot his left handt vos gone, und his right arm proke mit a fall; Den I shump ofer, und gife him to drink, but shust as I ran, sir, Bang! come a sharp-shooter's pullet; und dot's how it vos--dot is all."
"And they called you foolish and crazy, did they? Him you befriended-- The 'reb,' I mean--what became of him? Did he ever come 'round?" "Dey tell me he crawl to my side, und call till his strength vos all ended, Until dey come out mit der stretchers, und carry us off from der ground.
"But pefore ve go, he ask me my name, und says he, 'Yacob Keller, You loses your leg for me, und some day, if both of us leefs, I shows you I don't vorget'--but he most hafe died, de poor feller; I nefer hear ofe him since. He don't get vell, I beliefs.
"Only I alvays got der saddisfachshun ofe knowin'-- Shtop! vots der matter? Here, take some peer, you're vite as a sheet-- Shteady! your handt on my shoulder! my gootness! I dinks you vos goin' To lose your senses avay, und fall right off mit der seat.
"Geef me your handts. Vot! der left one gone? Und you vos a soldier In dot same battle?--a Tennessee regiment?--dot's mighty queer-- Berhaps after all you're--" "Yes, Yacob, God bless you old fellow, I told you I'd never--no, never forget you. I told you I'd come, and I'm here."
Der meat-chopper hanged on der vhitevashed vall, For no gustomers comed to der putcher's shtall; Der sausage masheen was no longer in blay, And der putcher poys all had a holiday. Der shoemaker's poy comed dere to shlide On der door of der zellar, but shtealed inside: Mit der chopping masheen he peginned to make free, Un he cried, "Dere ish nopody looking at me." O! der shoemaker's poy, Un, O! der shoemaker's poy!
Der day goed avay, un der night comed on. Ven der shoemaker vound dat his poy vas gone, He called up his vrow, un der search pegan To look for der poy, un vind him if dey can. Dey seeked un asked for him at efery door,-- At der putcher's, der paker's, un groshery shtore; At der lager-pier cellar, der shtation-house; But der answer dey getted vas, "Nix cum arous." O! der shoemaker's poy, Un, O! der shoemaker's poy!
Dey seeked him all night, un dey seeked him next tay Un for more as a mont vas der duyvil to pay, In der alleys, der houses, un efery place round, In der Toombs, in der rifer, un in der tog-pound. Dey seeked him in vain undil veeks vas bast, Un der shoemaker goed to his awl at _last_; Un ven he'd passed py, all der peeples vould cry, "Dere goes der shoemaker vot losed his poy!" O! der shoemaker's poy, Un, O! der shoemaker's poy!