St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

Page 33 text:

THE PIRATE 31 Files of soldiers and men of the sea, They followed our pathway south: They picked our track in ships burnt black, wherever our standard flew And we laughed and sang as we sought our lair For the trap was set and ready there And the line fleets ran from the black corsair, As we cleft the ocean blue. XVQ Hed to the cove whence the pirates rove, anchored and sped ashore: And crouched in the grove of the treasure trove, till into the bay the frigate hove Then inland, silently, swift, to move, while their long boats bend the oar. Seven miles we draw a track, Twice a hundred marching wide Into the hills: then double back And crouch in a canyon's side. Their musket sheen is in betweeng they're man to man or more: Theres a cautious stir in the ambuscade, The Hash and roar of a fusillade, A slither of pikes on cutlass blade And the soldiers are no more. XYe strip the dead from heel to head and don their trap- pings gayg Right well we wed their coats of redg their hats tilt well on the pirate's head: NVQ- let them lie in their grassy bed, and turn to the shore away. Cheering and shouting' we reach the soundg The frigate greets us with rocket showers, For we've draped the pirates' kerchiefs round The heads on the pikes that were meant for ours. And they'd never a hint why our heads were bent when under their lee we lay,

Page 32 text:

30 THE ICI.X'.+1Tf,4,Y That Sant Marie, its men and maids, Sl1OUld THSTC Ol OUT wrath at last. There was a mansion upon the hill, Vllhose silence we never had broke, A village of lyinej spies to kill, A host for our fire and smoke. A Ave, we swore that day they would Pai' H114 PHY- IWW' ever the fates should cast: Their blood should wash the stain away, From the mansion hill to the reekin! haf' Or all that stood on our dcili that 'IEW lVould swing from a irigate mast. NYe schemed and planned and gathered a band. a stanch two hundred strong. Tron of heart and steel of hand, the hawks of whatever warrior land, Till the barque of the corsair at last was manned to avenge the corsair's wrong. Into the fortressed gate we ran, llut their guns roared long' and true And crumpled the swarthy rover man As their iron missles flew. Out of the bay we dragged our way, crippled we limped along: Sternwards, red ran the reeling' tide lYhere the scuppers dripped from our sunclered side Till, distant, the fire of the foeman died, Like a red triumphant song. long months more, while safe ashore, we built our shat- tered crew, Ancl wakened again our cannon's roar, the beacons on many a far-otli shore, 'XVriting' again the pirate lore, the nierchant's cruisers knew. Then they fitted a frigate at Sant Marie, Four long rows of cannon mouth,

Page 34 text:

32 THE form TIAX Till strange, neree faces above them laughed, And my foot was into the battle Craft Ancl my hanger plunged to the reeking halt In a breast that barrerl the way. They wake to the erasli anfl the Cutlass clash anfl the pikeheacl's reclflening shaft A bloorly minute their weapons rlash as into the rlumb- struek ranks we flash And clear our way in a gory slash to the foot of the frigates mast. Reels the struggle as to and fro The fighting, swearing' sailors sway. Ancl flying, answer, blow for blow, The eorsairs' Cutlass play. Till the last go: better they know, to light to the vengeful last, Than to feel the plank with your burden spring and see the sharks in a raven ring, Or wait in a sullen line, to swing lfrom the sprit of a pirate craft. And now, can'st see? 'Tis Saint Marie that widens on our Sight? The Union jack is flying free above our mast in victory:- The Jolly Roger clips the sea where the sternward sr-ume is white- The crowds along the shoreline cheer The corses that the yarrlarms bear Our rerl coats crowd, the bulwarks near, To greet the cannons blare. ll'e're past the fort! lYe're in the port! Our naked blades are bright: Now, Sea-clogs, drink your SXYO1'Cl-lC1lQ'tl1'S till Show them the corsairs' lust to kill- The mansion beckons from the hill- Lord! lt shall be a night! T'1'm'e11t Hvliffftllll Hallilzuzz.