FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>  
' height." IV. "The Moors have ta'en their vantage-ground, The volleys thunder fast-- The dark defile is blazing Like a heated oven-blast; The lion hears the strange turmoil, And leaves his mangled prey-- No place was that for him to feed; And thick and loud the cries, Feu!--Allah! Allah!--En avant! In mingled discord rise; The Franks have reached the summit-- They have won the victory!" V. "With bristling steel, upon the top The victors take their stand: Beneath their feet, with all its towns, They see the promised land-- From Tunis, even unto Fez, From Atlas to the seas. The cavaliers alight to gaze, And gaze full well they may, Where countless minarets stand up So solemnly and gray, Amidst the dark-green masses Of the flowering myrtle-trees." VI. "The almond blossoms in the vale; The aloe from the rock Throws out its long and prickly leaves, Nor dreads the tempest's shock: A blessed land, I ween, is that, Though luckless is its Bey. There lies the sea--beyond lies France! Her banners in the air Float proudly and triumphantly-- A salvo! come, prepare! And loud and long the mountains rang With that glad artillery." VII. "'Tis they!" exclaimed the aged Scheik. "I've battled by their side-- I fought beneath the Pyramids! That day of deathless pride-- Red as thy turban, Moor, that eve, Was every creek in Nile! But tell me--" and he griped his hand-- "Their Sultaun. Stranger, say-- His form--his face--his posture, man? Thou saw'st him in the fray? His eye--what wore he?" But the Moor Sought in his vest awhile. VIII. "Their Sultaun, Scheik, remains at home Within his palace walls: He sends a Pasha in his stead To brave the bolts and balls. He was not there. An Aga burst For him through Atlas' hold. Yet I can show thee somewhat too. A Frankish Cavalier Told me his effigy was stamped Upon this medal here-- He gave me with others For an Arab steed I sold." IX. The old man took the golden coin: Gazed steadfastly awhile, If that could be the Sultaun Whom from the banks of Nile He guided o'er the desert path-- Then sighed and thus spake he-- "'Tis not _his_ eye--'t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>  



Top keywords:

Sultaun

 
Scheik
 

awhile

 

leaves

 

griped

 

guided

 
posture
 
steadfastly
 

Stranger

 

desert


beneath

 

fought

 

Pyramids

 

battled

 

deathless

 
sighed
 

turban

 
stamped
 

effigy

 

Cavalier


Frankish

 

golden

 

Within

 
palace
 

remains

 

Sought

 

summit

 

reached

 
victory
 

bristling


Franks

 

mingled

 
discord
 

promised

 

victors

 

Beneath

 
thunder
 
volleys
 

defile

 

blazing


ground
 

vantage

 

height

 

heated

 

mangled

 

strange

 

turmoil

 
luckless
 

France

 
Though