Broadside ballad entitled 'The Last Shot'

Transcription

THE LAST SHOT.

THIS POPULAR RECITATION CAN ALWAYS BE HAD AT POET'S Box, Overgte Dundee.

Three to ride and to save, one to ride and to be saevd-
That's the key of my tale, boys, deep on my heart engra-
        ved.
With death before and behind,   through dangers many
        and nigh,
Four to ride together, and three of the four to die.
There was the Captain's daughter,    a young and delicate
        girl,
With her baby face and shining eyes, and hair of sunniest
        curl;
She looked like a beautiful flower,    too slight to be even
        caressed,
Yet never had hero braver heart than beat in that girlish
        breast.
And then there was Sargent Gray,    a martinest old and
        grim ;
The worst of tyrants that ever lived was a lamb compared
        to him ;
Ne'er-dae-weel Duglas next, a Borderer born and bred,
With a sin on his soul for every hair that grew on his
        handsome head.
And then there was Fighting Denis-Denis the stout of
        heart,
Foremost in every row and brawl,    skilled in the "manly
        art;"
Take the three altogether, the truth is, old and young,
They were three o' the greatest scmps,    boys, that ever
        deserved to be hung.
What was she doing, you ask, me alone with fellows
        lailke these,
Down on the Gauges' bank, hid 'mong the mango trees ?
Well, she couldn't help herself, could only wait and pray,
And they, they were doing their duty as well as they
        knew they way.
Slowly the read moon rose, and then the sargent spok-
"Pat, look to the horses' girth; Grahm, give the lady this
        clock;
Now, miss, be your father's daughter, our lads are close
        below.
The horses are fresh,   and the road is clear, and we've only
        fivemiles to go."
Then spoke the Captain's daughter,    and her voice was
        weak but clear-
"I want you to promise, brave friends, while we're altoga-
        egther here,
That you'll keep the last shot for me-when each heart of
        hope despairs ;
Better to die by hands like yours than be left alive in theirs.
The sergent cleared his throat, and turned his face away ;
Denis,   the stout of hearts, had never a word to say ;
And Douglas grasped his hilt with a look and gesture grin,
While he watched the the face o' the girl with eyes grown
        suddenly blurred and dim.
'Oh, you'll promise me, will you not?" the weak voice pl
        eaded again,
"You   will not leave me to them-you-soldiers-my
        father's men?
For the sake of my mother in Heaven-and God and death
        so near--
Oh, father, you would, I know, if only you were here."
''I promise." "And I." "And I." The voices were hoarse
        and low,
And each man prayed, I ween, that the task he might not
        know
As out on the plain they rode swiftly and silently-
Four to ride together, and three o' the four to die.

The sergent's charger led with a long and raking stride,
And the Arab's lighter bound kept the lady by his side,
While hanging on eather Hank, the watchers, steady and

        strong,
Swept on through the clouds of dust that rose as the lead
        ers thundered along.

Fire to the right and left, in front and rear,
As the dusky demons broke from their lurking ambush
        near-
"Noo, Denis, boot tae boot-keep close betweew, you
        twa-
We've cut her a road through waurthan this, an-Charge!
        Hurrah ! Hurrah !"

As the lightning cleaver the clouds, as the tempest rends
        the oak,
The comrades headlong rush, the gathering miscreants
        broke ;
Unharmed through the yelling horde the Captan's daug-
        hter fled,
While thick and fast in firce pursuit the Sirdar's horsemen
        sped.

Up on the crest o' the rise where Canpore's curse of blood
Hushes with horror yet the wide and rolling flood,
Douglas reeled in his saddle,   and whispered prokenly-
'Gray, dinna let her ken,   but it'snear a ower wi'me."
"Hit?"'-"Ay, here in the side."-"Bad?"-"Aye bad,
        pshaw !
I'll face you hounds on the brae, it my gain ye a minute
        or twa-
Tak' my horse-ye may need it for her. Steady, there !-
        woa, there, Gem!-
Dinna forget your promise- yon lassie's on for them."

An iron grip o' the hands-a mist o'er the sergent's sight;
As he swiftly wheeled the horses and vanished in the night
Then round to the nearing foe, under the starry sky.
Alone with his God and his own brave heart Grahame
        Douglas turned to die.
On came Hamed, the boastful- who so sure as he,
With his Siva-charmed sword, keen-edged, againest the
        Feringhee ?
Wo for Hamed, the boastful ! woe the mistake he made,
When he matched his sword 'gainst a Border arm, and
        the sweep of a Border blade !
Then fighting it, thrust for thrust fighting it blow for blow
Till at last,   where the bank fell sheer to the dusky stream
        below,
He fell-a groan-a plunge-wave cirles eddying wide-
And the ne'er-dae-weel was still at last 'neath the rever's
        turbid tide.
"Scretcth to it, gallant Selim !-leap to it, Ned and Dan !
Well done, brave brutes ! Hurrah! Let them catch us now
        who can !"

On and on for life-for a higher, dearer stake-
For true men's chivalry-for a helples woman's sake !

A sputtre of fire on the right, a flame of fire in the rear,
And Gem leaped up and fell-another, and all too near
The hiasing bullets came, and them the sergent knew
His blood and life were ebbing away with every breath
        he drew.

Sore and deep the wound, but never a moan he made,
And rising straight in his saddle, erect as when on parade,
"Pat, if you get in, repot that Duglas and I are dead ;
Tell them we did our duty, and mind-your promise," he
        said

The maden checked her horse with a quick, wild scream of
        pain-
"Oh. Heaven, have pity !" she sobben, as Denis seized her
        rein;
Then, giving his last command-" Ride on !''-with impa-
        tient frown,
True British soldier to the last, the brave old man went
        down.

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