ALL alone on the hillside -- Larry an' Barry an' me; Nothin' to see but the sky an' the plain, Nothin' to see but the drivin' rain, Nothin' to see but the painted Sioux, Galloping, galloping: "Whoop -- whuroo! The divil in yellow is down in the mud!" Sez Larry to Barry, "I'm losin' blood." "Cheers for the Greys!" yells Barry; "Second Dragoons!" groans Larry; Hurrah! hurrah! for Egan's Grey Troop! Whoop! ye divils -- ye've got to whoop; Cheer for the troopers who die: sez I -- "Cheer for the troop that never shall die!" All alone on the hillside -- Larry an' Barry an' me; Flat on our bellies, an' pourin' in lead -- Seven rounds left, an' the horses dead -- Barry a-cursin' at every breath; Larry beside him, as white as death; Indians galloping, galloping by, Wheelin' and squealin' like hawks in the sky! "Cheers for the Greys!" yells Barry; "Second Dragoons!" groans Larry; Hurrah! hurrah! for Egan's Grey Troop! Whoop! ye divils -- ye've got to whoop; Cheer for the troopers who die: sez I -- "Cheer for the troop that never shall die!" All alone on the hillside -- Larry an' Barry an' me; Two of us livin' and one of us dead -- Shot in the head, and God! -- how he bled! "Larry's done up," sez Barry to me; "Divvy his cartridges! Quick! gimme three!" While nearer an' nearer an' plainer in view, Galloped an' galloped the murderin' Sioux. "Cheers for the Greys!" yells Barry; "Cheer --" an' he falls on Larry. Alas! alas! for Egan's Grey Troop! The Red Sioux, hovering stoop to swoop; Two out of three lay dead, while I Cheered for the troop that never shall die. All alone on the hillside -- Larry an' Barry an' me; An' I fired an' yelled till I lost my head, Cheerin' the livin', cheerin' the dead, Swingin' my cap, I cheered until I stumbled and fell. Then over the hill There floated a trumpeter's silvery call, An' Egan's Grey Troop galloped up, that's all. Drink to the Greys, -- an' Barry! Second Dragoons, -- an' Larry! Here's a bumper to Egan's Grey Troop! Let the crape on the guidons droop; Drink to the troopers who die, while I Drink to the troop that never shall die! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MUSKETAQUID by RALPH WALDO EMERSON EPITAPH ON A JACOBITE by THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY DECEMBER 31ST by LASCELLES ABERCROMBIE ST. MARTIN'S WALL by ANTON ALEXANDER VON AUERSPERG SATURDAY IN Y' HOLY WEEK by JOSEPH BEAUMONT |