Ebbed and flowed the muddy Pei-Ho by the Gulf of Pechi-Li,
Near its waters swung the yellow dragon-flag;
Past the batteries of China, looking westward we could see
Lazy junks along the lazy river lag;
Villagers in near-by Ta-Kou toiled beneath their humble star,
On the flats the ugly mud-fort lay and dreamed;
While the _Powhatan_ swung slowly at her station by the bar,
While the _Toey-Wan_ with Tattnall onward steamed.
Lazy East and lazy river, fort of mud in lazy June,
English gunboats through the waters slowly fare,
With the dragon-flag scarce moving in the lazy afternoon
O’er the mud-heap storing venom in the glare.
We were on our way to Pekin, to the Son of Heaven’s throne,
White with peace was all our mission to his court;
Peaceful, too, the English vessels on the turbid waters strown,
Seeking passage up to Pekin past the fort.
By the bar lay half the English, while the rest with gallant Hope
Wrestled with the slipping ebb-tide up the stream;
They had cleared the Chinese irons, reached the doubled chain and rope
Where the ugly mud-fort scowled upon their beam;--
Crash! the heavens split asunder with the thunder of the fight
As the hateful dragon made its faith a mock;
Every cannon spat its perfidy, each casemate blazed its spite,
Dashing down upon the English, shock on shock.
In his courage Rason perished, bold McKenna fought and fell,
Scores were dying as they’d lived, like valiant men;
And the meteor flag that upward prayed to heaven from that hell
Wept below for those who ne’er should weep again.
Far away the English launches near the _Powhatan_ swung slow,
All despairing, useless, out of reach of war,
Saw their comrades in the battle, saw them reel beneath the blow,
Lying helpless ’gainst the ebb-tide by the bar.
On the _Toey-Wan_ stood Tattnall, Stephen Trenchard at his side,--
“Old Man” Tattnall, he who dared at Vera Cruz,--
Saw here, crippled by the cannon, saw there, throttled by the tide,
Men of English blood and speech: Could he refuse?
“I’ll be damned,” says he to Trenchard, “if ‘Old’ Tattnall’s standing by
Seeing white men butchered here by such a foe!
Where’s my barge? No side-arms, mind you! See the English fight and die!
Blood is thicker, sir, than water. Let us go!”
Quick we man the barge, and quicker plunge into that devil’s-brew--
“An official call,” and Tattnall went in state:
Trenchard’s hurt, our flag in ribbons, and the lunging boat shot through,
Hart, our coxswain, dies beneath the Chinese hate;
But the cheers those English give us as we gain their Admiral’s ship
Make the shattered barge and weary arms seem light--
Then the rare smile from “Old” Tattnall and Hope’s hearty word and grip,
Bleeding though he was, and brave in hell’s despite.
Tattnall nods and we go forward, find a gun no longer fought--
What is peace to us, when all its crew lie dead?
One bright English lad brings powder and a wounded man brings shot,
And we scotch that Chinese dragon, tail and head.
Hands are shaken, faith is plighted, sounds our captain’s cheery call;
In a borrowed boat we speed us fast and far,
And the _Toey-Wan_ and Tattnall down the ebb-tide slide and fall
To the launches lying moaning by the bar.
Eager for an English vengeance, battle light on every face,
See, the Clustered Stars lead on the Triple Cross!
Cheering, swinging into action, valiant Hope takes heart of grace
From the cannons’ cloudy roar, the lanyards’ toss.
How they fought, those fighting English! how they cheered the _Toey-Wan_,
Cheered our sailors, cheered “Old” Tattnall, grim and gray!
And their cheers ring down the ages as they rang beneath the sun
O’er those bubbling, troubled waters far away.
Ebbs and flows the muddy Pei-Ho by the Gulf of Pechi-Li,
Idly floats beside the stream the dragon-flag;
Past the batteries of China, looking westward still you see
Lazy junks along the lazy river lag.
Let the long, long years drop slowly on that lost and ancient land,
Ever dear one scene to hearts of gallant men:
There’s a hand-clasp and a heart-throb, there’s a word we understand--
“Blood is thicker, sir, than water,” now as then.