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  • The Cremation of Sam McGee

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    The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge I cremated Sam McGee. He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell. "A pal's last need is a thing to heed, So I swore I would not fail? and we started on at the streak of dawn? but God! he looked ghastly pale.

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    The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge I cremated Sam McGee. He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell. "A pal's last need is a thing to heed, So I swore I would not fail? and we started on at the streak of dawn? but God! he looked ghastly pale.

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    458 views4 pages

    The Cremation of Sam McGee

    Uploaded by

    banzaibob
    The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge I cremated Sam McGee. He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell. "A pal's last need is a thing to heed, So I swore I would not fail? and we started on at the streak of dawn? but God! he looked ghastly pale.

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    Poem:TheCremationofSamMcGee

    byRobertW.Service Therearestrangethingsdoneinthemidnightsun Bythemenwhomoilforgold TheArctictrailshavetheirsecrettales Thatwouldmakeyourbloodruncold TheNorthernLightshaveseenqueersights, Butthequeeresttheyeverdidsee WasthatnightonthemargeofLakeLebarge IcrematedSamMcGee. NowSamMcGeewasfromTennessee,wherethecottonbloomsandblows. WhyhelefthishomeintheSouthtoroamroundthePole,Godonlyknows. Hewasalwayscold,butthelandofgoldseemedtoholdhimlikeaspell Thoughhedoftensayinhishomelywaythathedsoonerliveinhell. OnaChristmasDayweweremushingourwayovertheDawsontrail. Talkofyourcold!throughtheparkasfolditstabbedlikeadrivennail. Ifoureyeswedclose,thenthelashesfrozetillsometimeswecouldntsee Itwasntmuchfun,buttheonlyonetowhimperwasSamMcGee. Andthatverynight,aswelaypackedtightinourrobesbeneaththesnow, Andthedogswerefed,andthestarsoerheadweredancingheelandtoe, Heturnedtome,andCap,sayshe,Illcashinthistrip,Iguess AndifIdo,Imaskingthatyouwontrefusemylastrequest. Well,heseemedsolowthatIcouldntsaynothenhesayswithasortofmoan: Itsthecursedcold,anditsgotrightholdtillImchilledcleanthroughtothe bone. Yettaintbeingdeaditsmyawfuldreadoftheicygravethatpains SoIwantyoutoswearthat,foulorfair,youllcrematemylastremains. Apalslastneedisathingtoheed,soIsworeIwouldnotfail AndwestartedonatthestreakofdawnbutGod!helookedghastlypale. Hecrouchedonthesleigh,andheravedalldayofhishomeinTennessee AndbeforenightfallacorpsewasallthatwasleftofSamMcGee. Therewasntabreathinthatlandofdeath,andIhurried,horrordriven, WithacorpsehalfhidthatIcouldntgetrid,becauseofapromisegiven Itwaslashedtothesleigh,anditseemedtosay:Youmaytaxyourbrawnand brains, Butyoupromisedtrue,anditsuptoyoutocrematethoselastremains. Nowapromisemadeisadebtunpaid,andthetrailhasitsownsterncode. Inthedaystocome,thoughmylipsweredumb,inmyhearthowIcursedthat load. Inthelong,longnight,bythelonefirelight,whilethehuskies,roundinaring, HowledouttheirwoestothehomelesssnowsOGod!howIloathedthething. Andeverydaythatquietclayseemedtoheavyandheaviergrow AndonIwent,thoughthedogswerespentandthegrubwasgettinglow Thetrailwasbad,andIfelthalfmad,butIsworeIwouldnotgivein AndIdoftensingtothehatefulthing,andithearkenedwithagrin.

    WordInfoimageALLrightsreserved.

    TillIcametothemargeofLakeLebarge,andaderelicttherelay Itwasjammedintheice,butIsawinatriceitwascalledtheAliceMay. AndIlookedatit,andIthoughtabit,andIlookedatmyfrozenchum ThenHere,saidI,withasuddencry,ismycrematoreum. SomeplanksItorefromthecabinfloor,andIlittheboilerfire SomecoalIfoundthatwaslyingaround,andIheapedthefuelhigher Theflamesjustsoaredandthefurnaceroaredsuchablazeyouseldomsee ThenIburrowedaholeintheglowingcoal,andIstuffedinSamMcGee. ThenImadeahike,forIdidntliketohearhimsizzleso Andtheheavensscowled,andthehuskieshowled,andthewindbegantoblow. Itwasicycold,butthehotsweatrolleddownmycheeks,andIdontknowwhy Andthegreasysmokeinaninkycloakwentstreakingdownthesky. IdonotknowhowlonginthesnowIwrestledwithgrislyfear ButthestarscameoutandtheydancedaboutereagainIventurednear Iwassickwithdread,butIbravelysaid:Illjusttakeapeepinside. Iguesshescooked,anditstimeIlooked...thenthedoorIopenedwide.

    WordInfoimageALLrightsreserved.

    AndtheresatSam,lookingcoolandcalm,intheheartofthefurnaceroar Andheworeasmileyoucouldseeamile,andhesaid:Pleaseclosethatdoor. Itsfineinhere,butIgreatlyfearyoullletinthecoldandstorm SinceIleftPlumtree,downinTennessee,itsthefirsttimeIvebeenwarm. Therearestrangethingsdoneinthemidnightsun Bythemenwhomoilforgold TheArctictrailshavetheirsecrettales Thatwouldmakeyourbloodruncold TheNorthernLightshaveseenqueersights, Butthequeeresttheyeverdidsee

    WasthatnightonthemargeofLakeLebarge IcrematedSamMcGee.
    FromLaterCollectedVersebyRobertService Dodd,Mead&CompanyNewYork1970pages3336.

    RobertServiceBiogrphicalSketch RobertW.Service,aCanadianpoetandnovelist,wasknownforhisballadsofthe Yukon.Hewrotethisnarrativepoemwhichispresentedherebecauseitisan outstandingexampleofhowsensorystimuliareemphasizedandithasasurprise ending. RobertWilliamServicewasborninPreston,England,onJanuary16,1874.He emigratedtoCanadaattheageoftwenty,in1894,andsettledforashorttimeon VancouverIsland.HewasemployedbytheCanadianBankofCommerceinVictoria, B.C.,andwaslatertransferredtoWhitehorseandthentoDawsonintheYukon. Inall,hespenteightyearsintheYukonandsawandexperiencedthedifficult timesoftheminers,trappers,andhuntersthathehaspresentedtousinverse. DuringtheBalkanWarof191213,Servicewasawarcorrespondentforthe TorontoStar.HeservedthispaperinthesamecapacityduringWorldWarI,also servingtwoyearsasanambulancedriverintheCanadianArmymedicalcorps.He returnedtoVictoriaforatimeduringWorldWarII,butlaterlivedinretirementonthe FrenchRiviera,wherehediedonSeptember14,1958,inMonteCarlo. SamMcGeewasarealperson,acustomerattheBankofCommercewhereService worked.TheAliceMaywasarealboat,theOliveMay,aderelictonLakeLaberge. Anyonewhohasexperiencedthebitternessofcoldweatherandwhatitcandotoa personwillempathizewithSamMcGeesfeelingsasexpressedbyRobertServiceinhis poem,TheCremationofSamMcGee. MorepoemsarelistedatthisPoems:Index.

    Listofcremationwords.
    Ifthereareanynumbersbelow,usethemtoseeotherpagesinthisunit.

    BacktoIndex|SearchBox|MainIndex TheMainWordInfopage The+signattheendofaunittitlemeansallofthewordsinthatunit havedefinitions.


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