{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/three-highwaymen",
 "title": "Three Highwaymen",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume V",
 "book_slug": "collected-works-v",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 7,
 "container": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1911,
  "venue": "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume V (1911)",
  "note": "Taken from Volume V of the Neale collected edition (copyright 1911). That is the printing this text comes from, not the poem's first appearance: the volume's own preface states that most of its verses are republished from newspapers and periodicals of the Pacific Coast, and which of them printed this poem first has not been established here.",
  "uncertain": true,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof05bierrich"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/ambrose-bierce_poetry",
  "file": "black-beetles-in-amber.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4793",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12658",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12977",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15599",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof04bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof05bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof08bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/shapesofclay00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/literarycalifor05mighgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/cali07webb"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 29,
  "n_stanzas": 1,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 40,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "A street contractor, t’other morn,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Walked out before the day was born.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The silver moon beyond his reach",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Had prudently retired, and each",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Fair golden star his clutch that feared",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Trembled, grew pale, and disappeared.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The sun rose not⁠—afraid to risk",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His tempting, double-eagle disk.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our hero⁠—why spin out the verse?⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Two robbers robbed him of his purse,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Left him uncomfortably spread",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On his own pavement, semi-dead,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And ran away exultant. He",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sang “Murder!” “Fire!” in every key,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Until politeness bade him cease",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For fear of waking the police.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then straight unto the Chief, all faint,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He made his way and his complaint:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“I met two robber-men,” said he;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“We battled and⁠—well, look at me!⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sad citizen, O Chief, you see.”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“How much?” asked that sententious man.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Well, sir, as nearly as I can",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Compute it, though I gave them fits,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They got away⁠—with my six bits.”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Why, damn your avaricious soul!”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Chief said: “do you claim the whole?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "You did quite well to get, begad,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Within six bits of all they had!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}