BARNEY RILEY'S DREAM.
A TRUE STORY

ON March the tenth, in forty-six,
Bill Cleghorn had te fight
Wi' Michael Riley, on Blyth Links,
For fifty at catch-wight.

Mick's bruther, Barney, thrice had dreamt
That he wad konker'd be,
That Cleghorn's blows wad fatal prove,
Throo which poor Mick wad dee.

An' Barney sair wes put aboot,
For superstishus, he
Believed in dreams, an' fear'd the end
Ov this, his warnins three,

He tried te myek his bruther give
The forfeit up te Bill,
But Mick replied, "Wor gawn te fight,
We are not match'd te killl"

"Then Barney, cum, an' see me lick
The champein 0' Tyneside,
Aw'll win the fight withoot a mark,
See hoo aw'll tan his hide!"

" It's not the likes 0' Cleghorn that
Can tyek a Riley doon;
So nivvor mind yor feulish dreams, .
Aw'm best man i' the toonl"

The mornin com, an' hundrids there,
Te see the battle, cheer'd,
When two such men 0' fistic fame,
Stript te the buff, appear'd.

Bill Cleghorn stud byeth firm an' calm,
True confidence display'd;
An' Riley's smiles an' boondless chaff
Show'd he wes not aflaid.

For two lang oors 'twes give an' tyek,
Wi' strite an' heavy blows,
That fell upon the ribs an' fyece,
The cheeks, the eyes, an' nose.

Then Riley fund his easy job
Wes noo nowt like a joke,
Wi' jeers an' puttin oot his tung
He tried Bill te provoke.

But Cleghorn nivvor off his guard,
Watch'd Riley's tung cum throo,
Then struck him fiercely on the chin,
An' chopt it clean in two.

The fight wes ended.-Cleghorn wun.
Next mornin Mick wes deed,
An'there he lay a batter'd corpse,
Wi' Barney at his heed.

Poor Barney's dream com ower true, Said he,
"Aw'm not te blame,
Aw warn'd him, but aw'm glad te knaw
Me brother Mick died game!

An' this wes i' the gud aud days,
When men wad proodly sing,
An' lift thor voices high an' praise
The heroes ov the ring.

But tho the ring's for iver deun,
I' these new-fashun'd days,
Thor's murder always in the air,
In lots 0' different ways.

-Source: Joe Wilson, (author) Songs and Drolleries, 1890