Armed with rifles, sure to the white speck on the target, at the distance of one hundred paces, or to decapitate the wild turkey on the top of the tallest pine-these were indeed a formidable band.
"A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion"
William Dobein James
But they who spend their time in trying to lasso and decapitate a lie will come back worsted, as did the English cockneys from a fox chase described in the poem entitled "Pills to Purge Melancholy:" "And when they had done their sport, they came to London, where they dwell, Their faces all so torn and scratched their wives scarce knew them well; For 'twas a very great mercy so many 'scaped alive, For of twenty saddles carried out, they brought again but five."
"Around The Tea-Table"
T. De Witt Talmage
We agreed that we were on neutral ground for the moment: that he might ultimately have to decapitate me, or I to banish him, but temporarily we could compare our plans for governing.
"The Tragic Comedians, Complete"
George Meredith Last Updated: March 7, 2009