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10.14: The Man He Killed

  • Page ID
    3189
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    “Had he and I but met
    By some old ancient inn,
    We should have sat us down to wet
    Right many a nipperkin!

    “But ranged as infantry,
    And staring face to face,
    I shot at him as he at me,
    And killed him in his place.

    “I shot him dead because —
    Because he was my foe,
    Just so: my foe of course he was;
    That’s clear enough; although

    “He thought he’d ‘list, perhaps,
    Off-hand like — just as I —
    Was out of work — had sold his traps —
    No other reason why.

    “Yes; quaint and curious war is!
    You shoot a fellow down
    You’d treat if met where any bar is,
    Or help to half-a-crown.”

    — 1901

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    10.14: The Man He Killed is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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