Or, there's Satan!-one might venture As he 'd miss till, past retrieve, We're so proud of! Hy, Zy, Hine.. THROUGH THE METIDJA TO ABD-EL-KADR. A S I ride, as I ride, With a full heart for my guide, So its tide rocks my side, As I ride, as I ride, That, as I were double-eyed, He, in whom our Tribes confide, Is descried, ways untried As I ride, as I ride. As I ride, as I ride To our Chief and his Allied, Who dares chide my heart's pride As I ride, as I ride? Or are witnesses denied,— Through the desert waste and wide Do I glide unespied As I ride, as I ride? As I ride, as I ride, When an inner voice has cried, The sands slide, nor abide (As I ride, as I ride) As I ride, as I ride, Ne'er has spur my swift horse plied, As I ride, as I ride, Shows where sweat has sprung and dried, Zebra-footed, ostrich-thighed, How has vied stride with stride As I ride, as I ride! As I ride, as I ride, Could I loose what Fate has tied, Ere I pried, she should hide All that 's meant me: satisfied When the Prophet and the Bride COUNT GISMOND. 'HRIST God, who savest men, save most CH Of men Count Gismond who saved me! Count Gauthier, when he chose his post, Chose time and place and company To suit it; when he struck at length My honor 't was with all his strength. And doubtlessly ere he could draw All points to one, he must have schemed. That miserable morning saw I thought they loved me, did me grace If showing mine so caused to bleed My cousins' hearts, they should have dropped A word, and straight the play had stopped. They, too, so beauteous! Each a queen But no: they let me laugh, and sing A last look on the mirror, trust And come out on the morning troop Of merry friends who kissed my cheek, And called me Queen, and made me stoop Under the canopy,- (a streak That pierced it, of the outside sun, Powdered with gold its gloom's soft dun,) — And they could let me take my state And foolish throne amid applause Of all come there to celebrate My Queen's day, — O, I think the cause Howe'er that be, all eyes were bent Theirs down; 't was time I should present The victor's crown, but . . . there, 't will last No long time. . . the old mist again Blinds me as then it did. How vain! See! Gismond 's at the gate, in talk With his two boys: I can proceed. Well, at that moment, who should stalk Forth boldly (to my face, indeed) But Gauthier, and he thundered "Stay!" And all stayed. "Bring no crowns, I say!" "Bring torches ! Wind the penance-sheet Or lay herself before their feet! Say!" I never fancied such a thing As answer possible to give. What says the body when they spring Some monstrous torture-engine's whole Strength on it? No more says the soul. Till out strode Gismond; then I knew I felt quite sure that God had set He strode to Gauthier, in his throat North, South, East, West, I looked. The lie was dead, And damned, and truth stood up instead. This glads me most, that I enjoyed The heart of the joy, with my content In watching Gismond unalloyed By any doubt of the event: God took that on him, I was bid Watch Gismond for my part: I did. Did I not watch him while he let His armorer just brace his greaves, Rivet his hauberk, on the fret The while! His foot. . . my memory leaves No least stamp out, nor how anon He pulled his ringing gauntlets on. And e'en before the trumpet's sound Was finished, prone lay the false Knight, Prone as his lie upon the ground: Gismond flew at him, used no sleight Of the sword, but open-breasted drove, Cleaving till out the truth he clove. Which done, he dragged him to my feet And said, "Here die, but end thy breath In full confession, lest thou fleet From my first, to God's second death! Say hast thou lied?" And I have lied To God and her," he said, and died. Then Gismond, kneeling to me, asked What safe my heart holds, though no word Could I repeat now, if I tasked My powers forever, to a third Dear even as you are. Pass the rest Until I sank upon his breast. Over my head his arm he flung Against the world; and scarce I felt |