FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54  
55   56   57   58   59   60   >>  
And we heard the rasp of bullets in the dark astonished air. When the sun rose, hot and bloody, all the fight had well begun; The artillery were pounding at the weak place in the wall; While the smoke, from vale and city, seemed the melancholy, dun Robes of spirits hovering over for the fated ones to fall. Like a strong Numidian lion, on her rock the city lay, Nothing daunted though surrounded, and with scanty store of bread; Her fierce eyes, two flags of crimson, stared through battle all the day, One on Babel Wad's high key-stone, and one on Babel Djed. Round these gates they set their sworders, hoping thence to drive us back When we followed up their sallies, which were baits to make us come; But in vain, our works were safer, though we longed for the attack, And eagerly awaited for the summons of the drum. Stone by stone a breach was opened in the thin place in the wall, Till at last we sent a truce flag to the gate of Babel Djed, Saying to the town, "Surrender, Constantine must surely fall; If you fail, no soul remaining shall be left to count your dead." Like a sword-thrust was the answer, "There is plenty in the place Both of food and ammunition; if 'tis these the French desire, We can furnish them abundance; but surrender means disgrace, And our homes shall be defended while one soldier stands to fire." Should not this town be captured, every man must bear the fault, And many a one bethought him of his own in sunny France. Down our line there ran the murmur, "We must take it by assault," And we heard the bugles playing for the stormers to advance. Like great billows never breaking were the rocks of Constantine, And a cargoed ship the city with its keel in every one; She was sailing for the future with the barter of the line, And her mast-like towers were gaudy with the pennons of the sun. But now a storm had struck her, and a hole was in her side, And the waters rushed in wildly while she paused upon the brink. All in vain each brave endeavor; for all on board her tried To close the leak with fury, that the vessel might not sink. Our men the angry waters that could not be turned nor checked, And they bore all straws before them in their mad impetuous way. So the town, betrayed, was captured; so the great ship had been wrecked; And with the troops in triumph I rode in upon that day. VIII. THE WEDDING AND THE FALSE FRI
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54  
55   56   57   58   59   60   >>  



Top keywords:

waters

 
Constantine
 
captured
 

bugles

 
assault
 
billows
 
breaking
 

cargoed

 

stormers

 

advance


furnish
 

playing

 

bethought

 

defended

 
stands
 
Should
 

soldier

 

France

 

murmur

 
disgrace

surrender
 

abundance

 

checked

 

straws

 
impetuous
 

turned

 

WEDDING

 
triumph
 

betrayed

 
wrecked

troops
 

vessel

 

pennons

 

struck

 

towers

 
future
 

sailing

 

barter

 

rushed

 
wildly

endeavor

 

paused

 

scanty

 

surrounded

 
fierce
 

daunted

 

Nothing

 
Numidian
 

strong

 

crimson