We had only eighty leagues to go
And the sky was turning lighter
ANd the good ole boat still flew afloat,
She 'uz born and built a fighter.
And I reckon the height of the seas came down
To something more like twenty.
So we figgered we might see an end to our woes,
Which was good, as we'd all had plenty.

But the wind kept ripping through the stays
Screaming like hell's own daughter,
And down below, the cry came out
"By DAMN!!! She's takin' water!!"
And sure there was water in the bilge
Where the keelson had set to leakin'
ANd one of the seams had come unpaid
And cracked, instead of creakin'.

Well I don't need to say how pale we grew
As we checked that water level,
An' we untied Hawk and t'othah one too,
(By Christ, they looked dishelvel'd!
They was green at the gills and their eyes was wild,
And their nerves was strained and jumpin'
But we slapped them both till they came around,
ANd we set those boys to pumpin'.