Departmental Ditties and Ballads and Barracks. Room Ditties. REV. Ed (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 edition. Excerpt: ... where the naked hill men ran and stabbing from below Brought down the horse and rider and we trampled them and passed. To left the roar of musketry rang like a falling fiood--' To right the sunshine rippled red from redder lance and blade--Above the dark Upsaras 1 flew, beneath us plashed the blood, And, bellying black against the dust, the Bhagwa Jhanda swayed. I saw it fall in smoke and fire, the banner of the Bhao; I heard a voice across the press of one who called in vain: -1 The Choosers of the Slain. C Thereat, as when a sand-bar breaks m clotted spume and spray--When rain of later autumn sweeps the Jumna. water-head, Before their charge from flank to flank our riven ranks gave way; But of the waters of that flood the Jumna fords ran red. I held by Scindia, my lord, as close as man might hold; A Soobah of the Deccan asks no aid to guard his life; But Holkar's Horse were flying, and our chiefest chiefs were cold, And like a flame among us leapt the long lean Northern knife. I held by Scindia--my lance from butt to tuft was dyed, The froth of battle bossed the shield and roped the bridle-chain--What time beneath our horses' feet a maiden rose and cried, And clung to Scindia, and I turned a sword-cut from the twain. (He set a spell upon the maid in woodlands long ago, A hunter by the Tapti banks she gave him water there: He turned her heart to water, and she followed to her woe. What need had he of Lalun who had twenty maids as fair?) Now in that hour strength left my lord; he wrenched his mare aside; He bound the girl behind him and we slashed and struggled free. Across the reeling wreck of strife we rode as shadows ride From Paniput to Delhi town, but not alone were we. 'Twas Lutuf-Ullah Populzai laid horse upon our...