15 THE YANKEE'S RETURN FROM CAMP Father and I went down to camp, Along with Captain Gooding, Chorus. Yankee Doodle, keep it up, Yankee Doodle, dandy, Mind the music and the step, And with the girls be handy. And there we see a thousand men As rich as 'Squire David; The 'lasses they eat every day Would keep an house a winter; They have as much that, I 'll be bound, And there we see a swamping gun, Large as a log of maple, Upon a deuced little cart, A load for father's cattle. And every time they shoot it off And makes a noise like father's gun, I went as nigh to one myself And father went as nigh again I thought the deuce was in him. Cousin Simon grew so bold I thought he would have cock'd it; And Captain Davis had a gun; He kind of clapt his hand on 't, And stuck a crooked stabbing iron Upon the little end on 't. ΙΟ 5 The breezes went steadily thro' the tall pines, As stilly stole by a bold legion of horse, For Hale in the bush, for Hale in the bush. "Keep still!" said the thrush as she nestled her young, In a nest by the road, in a nest by the road; "For the tyrants are near, and with them appear What bodes us no good, what bodes us no good." 5 The brave captain heard it and thought of his home, He so gaily forsook, he so gaily forsook. Cooling shades of the night were coming apace, He warily trod on the dry rustling leaves, As he pass'd thro' the wood, as he pass'd thro' the wood, And silently gain'd his rude launch on the shore, As she play'd with the flood, as she play'd with the flood. 20 The guards of the camp, on that dark, dreary night, Had a murderous will, had a murderous will: They took him and bore him afar from the shore, To a hut on the hill, to a hut on the hill. No mother was there, nor a friend who could cheer, 25 In his heart all was well, in his heart all was well. An ominous owl with his solemn base voice Sat moaning hard by, sat moaning hard by: "The tyrant's proud minions most gladly rejoice, For he must soon die, for he must soon die." The brave fellow told them, no thing he restrain'd, His errand from camp, of the ends to be gain'd; And said that was all, and said that was all. They took him and bound him and bore him away, Down the hill's grassy side, down the hill's grassy side. "T was there the base hirelings, in royal array, Five minutes were given, short moments, no more, 30 35 40 The faith of a martyr the tragedy shew'd, As he trod the last stage, as he trod the last stage; And Britons will shudder at gallant Hale's blood, As his words do presage, as his words do presage: "Thou pale king of terrors, thou life's gloomy foe, THE BATTLE OF THE KEGS (BY FRANCIS HOPKINSON) Gallants, attend, and hear a friend Trill forth harmonious ditty: Strange things I'll tell, which late befell "T was early day, as poets say, Just when the sun was rising, As in amaze he stood to gaze, The truth can't be denied, sir, A sailor, too, in jerkin blue, This strange appearance viewing, Then said, "Some mischief 's brewing: "These kegs, I'm told, the rebels hold, Packed up like pickled herring; 1776? And they're come down t' attack the town, The soldier flew, the sailor too, And scared almost to death, sir, Wore out their shoes to spread the news, And ran till out of breath, sir. |