In its hot eager answer to earliest love, And feet of wild horses hard flying before Or the bee hurried home by its burden of I hear like a sea breaking high on the shore, While the buffalo come like a surge of the sweets. sea, We lay low in the grass on the broad plain Driven far by the flame, driving fast on us levels, Old Revels and I and my stolen brown bride, And the heavens of blue and the harvest of brown And beautiful clover were welded as one, To the right and the left, in the light of the sun. Forty full miles, if a foot to ride Forty full miles, if a foot; and the devils Soon, very soon," muttered bearded old Revels As he peered at the sun, lying low on his back, Holding fast to his lasso. Then he jerked at his steed, And he sprang to his feet and glanced swiftly around, And then dropped as if shot, with his ear to the ground; Then again to his feet, and to me, to my bride, While his eyes were like fire, his face like a shroud, His form like a king, and his beard like a cloud, And his voice loud and shrill, as if blown from a reed: "Pull! pull in your lassos and bridle to steed, And speed you if ever for life you would speed, three As a hurricane comes, crushing palms in his ire." We drew in the lassos, seized saddle and rein, Threw them on, sinched them on, sinched them over again, And again drew the girth, cast aside the macheers, Cut away tapidaros, loosed the sash from its fold, Cast aside the catenas red-spangled with gold, And gold-mounted Colts-the companions of years Cast the silken serapes to the wind in a breath, And so, bared to the skin, sprang all haste to the horse As bare as when born, as when new from the hand Of God-without word, or one word of command. Turned head to the Brazos in a red race with death; Turned head to the Brazos with a breath in the hair Blowing hot from a king leaving death in his course; Turned head to the Brazos with a sound in the air Like the rush of an army, and a flash in the eye And ride for your lives: for your lives you Of a red wall of fire reaching up to the sky, must ride, For the plain is aflame, the prairie on fire, Stretching fierce in pursuit of a black rolling sea Rushing fast upon us, as the wind sweeping And saw his horse stagger; I saw his head And afar from the desert blew hollow and Hard down on his breast, and his naked hoarse. Not a word, not a wail, from a lip was let fall; breast stooping Low down to the mane, as so swifter and bolder Ran reaching out for us the red-footed fire. Not a kiss from my bride, not a look nor low To right and to left the black buffalo came, call A terrible surf on a red sea of flame, Rushing on in the rear, reaching high, reach Of love-note or courage; but on o'er the plain Rode we on, rode we three, rode we nose and gray nose, Reaching long, breathing loud, as a creviced wind blows; Yet we broke not a whisper, we breathed not a prayer: There was work to be done, there was death in the air, And the chance was as one to a thousand for all. ing higher, And he rode neck to neck to a buffalo bull, The monarch of millions, with shaggy mane full Of smoke and of dust, and it shook with desire Of battle, with rage and with bellowings loud And unearthly, and up through its lowering cloud Came the flash of his eyes like a half-hidden fire, While his keen crooked horns, through the storm of his mane, Gray nose to gray nose, and each steady Like black lances lifted and lifted again; And I looked but this once, for the fire licked through, And he fell and was lost as we rode two and two. Flew around like the spray on a storm-driven I looked to my left then, and nose, neck and deck. shoulder Twenty miles! Thirty miles! A dim dis- Sank slowly, sank surely, till back to my tant speck, thighs, her hair Then a long-reaching line, and the Brazos in And up through the black blowing veil of shoulder eyes With a longing and love, yet a look of de spair And of pity for me as she felt the smoke | And swift she would join me, and all would Without bloodshed or word. And now, as she fell From the front and went down in the ocean of fire, And flames reaching far for her glorious hair. Her sinking steed faltered; his eager ears fell To and fro and unsteady, and all the neck's swell Did subside and recede and the nerves fall The last that I saw was a look of delight as dead. That I should escape-a love, a desire, Then she saw sturdy Paché still lorded his Yet never a word, not one look of appeal, head, Lest I should reach hand, should stay hand With a look of delight; for nor courage nor bribe, Nor naught but my bride, could have brought him to me. For he was her father's, and at South Santafee Had once won a whole herd, sweeping everything down or stay heel One instant for her in my terrible flight. Then the rushing of fire around me and under, And the howling of beasts and a sound as of thunder and over In a race where the world came to run for Beasts burning and blind and forced onward the crown. And so, when I won the true heart of my As the passionate flame reached around them, bride My neighbor's and deadliest enemy's child, And child of the kingly war-chief of his tribe She brought me this steed to the border the She met Revels and me in her perilous flight And said, so half guessing of ill as she smiled, sue I should surely escape without other ado and wove her Red hands in their hair, and kissed hot till they died, Till they died with a wild and a desolate moan, As a sea heartbroken on the hard brown And into the Brazos I rode all alone- Than to ride, without blood, to the North In eddies, we struck on the opposite side. And await her, and wait till the next hollow Sell Paché-blind Paché? Now, mister, Hung her horn in the palms, when surely You have slept in my tent and partook of my cheer and soon Many days, many days, on this rugged fron- | 'Tis but a step down yonder lane, and the lit tier, tle church stands nearFor the ways they were rough and the The church where we were wed, Mary: I see the spire from here; Camanches were near, But you'd better pack up, sir: that tent is But the graveyard lies between, Mary, and too small The corn was springing fresh and green and the lark sang loud and high, my step might break your rest, For I've laid you, darling, down to sleep, with your baby on your breast. I'm very lonely now, Mary, for the poor make no new friends, But oh, they love the better far the few our Father sends; And you were all I had, Mary, my blessing and my pride: There's nothing left to care for now, since my poor Mary died. Yours was the brave, good heart, Mary, that still kept hoping on When the trust in God had left my soul and my arm's young strength was gone; There was comfort ever on your lip and the kind look on your brow; I bless you for the same, Mary, though you cannot hear me now. I thank you for the patient smile when your heart was like to break, And the red was on your lip, Mary, and the When the hunger-pain was gnawing there and lovelight in your eye. The place is little changed, Mary, the day is bright as then, The lark's loud song is in my ear and the corn is green again; But I miss the soft clasp of your hand and your breath warm on my cheek, And I still keep listening for the words you nevermore may speak. you hid it for my sake; I bless you for the pleasant word when your heart was sad and sore; Oh, I'm thankful you are gone, Mary, where grief can sting no more. I'm bidding you a long farewell, my Mary kind and true, But I'll not forget you, darling, in the land I'm going to; IN Thither turn the steady eye, Let the noble motto be Laugh at danger far or near; So shall Peace-a charming guest- Happy if celestial favor Smile upon the high endeavor; Happy if it be thy call In the holy cause to fall. ALEXANDER H. EVERETT. ALL SAINTS'. N a church which is furnished with mullion and gable, With altar and reredos, with gargoyle and |
