Desperate Dick's & Durty Nellie's

The Legend of Desperate Dick & Durty Nellie's

We have yet to know, lest the truth be told, of the man called Desperate Dick.
He disappeared one adventurous night, to this story I will stick.
Though some will say my account is flawed; much more happened that fateful night,
When Desperate Dick hopped in his plane and took his last known flight.
 
He was a brave young soul in search of gold and love and adventure too,
And when he left his Southern home, his family disapproved.
And for they should, as any parent would, if their son went off to explore,
The land beneath the northern skies, where only a few had gone before.
 
Needless to say, that night they prayed, that God watch over their son,
And so with this, I’ll continue the tale of how Dick’s adventure begun.
 
(Somewhere beneath the northern skies…)
 
Miss Nellie awoke with a startling jolt, as she heard an engine roar,
She ran to the window and peered down at a young man at her door.
Now Miss Nellie with her fiery hair, was a feisty Irish lass.
Her nickname “Durty” meant just that, ‘Full of life with a bit of Sass!’
 
She ran her boarding house for years, yet no busier it had been,
Since the rush for gold in these here parts brought many to be seen.
Brave young souls in search of gold, the fever had struck them hard.
Dreams of gold and wealth and fame drove them north from lands afar.
 
It would soon be dark, Dick would stay in town, to get his bearings straight. 
The light in Nellie’s window caught his eye , as if by fate.
So many nights at Nellie’s place he’d share his stories of the rush.
“Someday I’ll strike it rich”, he’d say, but for the luck, there wasn’t much.
 
One day in town, he was approached, with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Supplies at a mine were needed, and his plane could surely be used.
And so began the many flights of carrying supplies and men
To and from the many sites where Dick’s old dream did end.
 
And Dick would reply as to why he wasted his time in the air:
“There’s far more gold to be found up here then you’ll ever find down there!”
Miss Nellie was please, that her love to be, took on these transport flights.
It meant that Dick would stay awhile and be back to spend each night. 
 
And so Dick found his gold in flying, he found his love and adventure too.
It was great for the moment, but soon he needed something new.
One day he took his earnings, treated himself to a brand new plane.
He bought a top of the line Seabee, and set off for adventure again.
 
Little did they know that day,  they’d be the last, to see Desperate Dick:
Or so the story goes, and to the story I will stick.
 
Nellie waited patiently, day and night, for word from her love,
And oftentimes, she thought she heard, his Seabee from above.
The long cold winter had come and gone, and in the spring there was some word,
A Seabee had been spotted, on a shoreline, so they heard.
 
So with the hope of finding her love, Miss Nellie hired a flight.
Many thought, it a hopeless task, when she flew at first day light.
Off they flew into the unknown,  until they could fly no more.
“I’ll set off, on foot from here”, she said, as if she’d been there before.
 
So off she went, on a year old trail, in search of her one true love.
“Please dear God, give me strength”, she prayed to the sky above.
And so she walked until the time a plane came into sight.
As she drew near, it became quite clear, it was Dick’s Seabee alright!
 
We have yet to know, lest the truth be told, of Dick and Nellie’s fate.
Only two truly know, but the tale is surely great!