The Reprobate's Reply

Three droving men, some three weeks sync,
Sat drinking the Queensland rum;
'Twas four a.m. when twa o' them
Saw jock M'Phee succumb.

Hech! they were giddy songs he'd sung,
And the yarns which he'd spun were "free"! -
For the liquor that nicht had loosed the tongue
O' gudeman Jock M'Phee.

They taul,t the meenister what befell,
So he tuk braw Jock to task:-
"Jock, gie me noo an answer true
To one question I wull ask.

"An' it happened the Laird had stricken ye,
A reprobate, graceless mon,
Whan ye war a bletherin' yestere'en -
D'ye ken whare ye wad hae gone?"

"Whare wad I hae gone?" - and Jockie wunk -
"Dinna ye fash yersel' mair -
For I wad ha' bin too terrible drunk
To ha' gone anywhere."