{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/hunters-and-trappers",
 "title": "Hunters and Trappers",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 33,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 48,
  "n_stanzas": 12,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 44,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Two hunters near to Hudson Bay,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their names John Grant and Tom McKay,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their skill and courage naught could daunt,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The boldest one perhaps was Grant.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The winter was their busy time,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When all was snow and frost and rime,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It paid best then to pull trigger,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For then furs were better thicker.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "While setting trap Grant cut through boot",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And quick the blood gushed from his foot,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The horrid scene, now who can paint,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For loss of blood soon makes him faint.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But his kind partner Tom McKay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The rush of blood he tried to stay,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And when its flow did somewhat slack",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He carried him upon his back.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "As homeward he doth slowly go,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A track of blood is o’er the snow,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But long and weary is the way",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And soon exhausted is McKay.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He feels assistance he doth want,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For to rescue his dear friend Grant,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He stood him up against a tree",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While the blood yet flowed quite free.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Now wolves had visited the trap",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And blood from snow they eager lap,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then tracked poor Grant, for on the snow",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The blood in heavy drops did flow.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He soon got help, then John McKay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Doth hurry back without delay,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And what a sight then met their gaze",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Filled them with horror and amaze.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The sight their minds will ever haunt,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Mangled by wolves was their friend Grant,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But round him several wolves were slain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With bullet holes right through their brain.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "For he had fought hard for his life,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And some he slew with hunting knife,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And he is still quite surrounded,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While fierce brutes are badly wounded.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Now clubs doth soon dash out their brains",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And then they gather Grant’s remains,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They cut two saplings both same size,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With twigs they lace them acrosswise.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So it then made for the poor dead",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A good soft and pliable bed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now to his home remains they bear,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where his poor wife is in despair.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}