THE RED THREAD OF HONOUR. TOLD ΤΟ THE AUTHOR BY THE LATE GENERAL SIR CHARLES NAPIER. ELEVEN men of England A breastwork charged in vain ; Lie stripped and gashed and slain Slain, but of foes that guarded Their rock-built fortress well, Some twenty had been mastered, Whilst Napier piloted his wondrous way Across the sand-waves of the desert sea; Then flashed at once, on each fierce clan, dismay, These missed the glen to which their steps were bent, The Robber-chief mused deeply Above those daring dead. 'Bring here,' at length he shouted, Let Eblis blast for ever 'Before the Ghiznee tiger Leapt forth to burn and slay, Before the holy Prophet Taught our grim tribes to pray; Before Secunder's 1 lances Pierced through each Indian glen; Were framed for fearless men. 'Still, when a chief dies bravely, The green one, or the red?' 'Our brethren, laid in honoured graves, may wear Thus conquering hate, and stedfast to the right, Once more, the Chief gazed keenly Down on those daring dead; From his good sword their heart's blood 1 Alexander. THE RED THREAD OF HONOUR. Once more he cried, 'The judgment, Have we not more to do? 'These were not stirred by anger, 'As, without sound or struggle, 'If I were now to ask you Ye all at once would answer, They called him Mehrab Khan 1— He sleeps among his fathers, Dear to our native land, With the bright mark he bled for Firm round his faithful hand. 'The songs they sing of Roostum Fill all the past with light; 277 1 Mehrab Khan died, as he said he would, sword in hand, at the door of his own zenana. Newspaper report. If truth be in their music, He was a noble knight. But were these heroes living, And strong for battle still, Would Mehrab Khan, or Roostum, Have climbed, like these, the Hill?' And they replied-Though Mehrab Khan was brave Enough,' he shouted fiercely; Round both wrists-bind it well. 'Who knows but that great Allah Shouted a stern amen, They raised the slaughtered sergeant, They raised his mangled ten. And when we found their bodies Left bleaching in the wind, Around both wrists, in glory That crimson thread was twined. Then Napier's knightly heart, touched to the core, He bade its memory live for evermore, That those who run may read. 1 Roostum, overcome in the first instance, escaped death by imposing upon the simple good faith of his son Zohrab, whom he afterwards killed (ignorantly, of course). VERSES FOR THE FIRST PAGE OF A SHAKSPERE. PRESENTED TO MISS JULIA TOLLEMACHE ON HER MARRIAGE. IF by some wizard Shakspere's pen Might find fit words for all it meant : Words that should make your name as dear And still shine on, year after year, But as, alas, this may not be, For what you are, that once were they Then smiled in his benignant way (As on May rose-buds fresh and white). Trusting that each young flower was sure May 1873. |