.. but the spark of life had fled!
The soldier of the Legion, in a foreign land was dead!
And the soft moon rose up slowly, and calmly she looked down
On the red sand of the battle-field, with bloody corpses strown;
Yea, calmly on that dreadful scene her pale light seemed to shine,
As it shone on distant Bingen--fair Bingen on the Rhine!
DEEDS NOT WORDS.
BY CAPTAIN MARRYAT.
The Captain stood on the carronade--first lieutenant, says he,
Send all my merry men aft here, for they must list to me;
I haven't the gift of the gab, my sons--because I'm bred to the sea;
That ship there is a Frenchman, who means to fight with we.
Odds blood, hammer and tongs, long as I've been to sea,
I've fought 'gainst every odds--but I've gained the victory.
That ship there is a Frenchman, and if we don't take _she_,
'Tis a thousand bullets to one, that she will capture _we_;
I haven't the gift of the gab, my boys; so each man to his gun,
If she's not mine in half an hour, I'll flog each mother's son.
Odds bobs, hammer and tongs, long as I've been to sea,
I've fought 'gainst every odds--and I've gained the victory.
We fought for twenty minutes, when the Frenchman had enough
I little thought, he said, that your men were of such stuff;
The Captain took the Frenchman's sword, a low bow made to he;
I haven't the gift of the gab, monsieur, but polite I wish to be.
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