Andrew Barton Paterson (Эндрю Бартон Патерсон)
With French to Kimberley
The Boers were down on Kimberley with siege and Maxim gun; The Boers were down on Kimberley, their numbers ten to one! Faint were the hopes the British had to make the struggle good -- Defenceless in an open plain the Diamond City stood. They built them forts with bags of sand, they fought from roof and wall, They flashed a message to the south, ”Help! or the town must fall!” Then down our ranks the order ran to march at dawn of day, And French was off to Kimberley to drive the Boers away. He made no march along the line; he made no front attack Upon those Magersfontein heights that held the Seaforths back; But eastward over pathless plains, by open veldt and vley. Across the front of Cronje’s force his troopers held their way. The springbuck, feeding on the flats where Modder River runs, Were startled by his horses’ hoofs, the rumble of his guns. The Dutchman’s spies that watched his march from every rocky wall Rode back in haste: ”He marches East! He threatens Jacobsdal!” Then north he wheeled as wheels a hawk, and showed to their dismay That French was off to Kimberley to drive the Boers away. His column was five thousand strong -- all mounted men -- and guns: There met, beneath the world-wide flag, the world-wide Empire’s sons; They came to prove to all the earth that kinship conquers space, And those who fight the British Isles must fight the British race! From far New Zealand’s flax and fern, from cold Canadian snows, From Queensland plains, where hot as fire the summer sunshine glows -- And in front the Lancers rode that New South Wales had sent: With easy stride across the plain their long, lean Walers went. Unknown, untried, those squadrons were, but proudly out they drew Beside the English regiments that fought at Waterloo. From every coast, from every clime, they met in proud array To go with French to Kimberley to drive the Boers away. He crossed the Reit and fought his way towards the Modder bank. The foemen closed behind his march, and hung upon the flank. The long, dry grass was all ablaze (and fierce the veldt fire runs); He fought them through a wall of flame that blazed around the guns! Then limbered up and drove at speed, though horses fell and died; We might not halt for man nor beast on that wild, daring ride. Black with the smoke and parched with thirst, we pressed the livelong day Our headlong march to Kimberley to drive the Boers away. We reached the drift at fall of night, and camped across the ford. Next day from all the hills around the Dutchman’s cannon roared. A narrow pass ran through the hills, with guns on either side; The boldest man might well turn pale before that pass he tried, For, if the first attack should fail, then every hope was gone: Bur French looked once, and only once, and then he siad, ”Push on!” The gunners plied their guns amain; the hail of shrapnel flew; With rifle fire and lancer charge their squadrons back we threw; And through the pass between the hills we swept in furious fray, And French was through to Kimberley to drive the Boers away. Ay, French was through to Kimberley! And ere the day was done We saw the Diamond City stand, lit by the evening sun: Above the town the heliograph hung like an eye of flame: Around the town the foemen camped -- they knew not that we came; But soon they saw us, rank on rank; they heard our squadrons’ tread; In panic fear they left their tents, in hopeless rout they fled -- And French rode into Kimberley; the people cheered amain, The women came with tear-stained eyes to touch his bridle rein, The starving children lined the streets to raise a feeble cheer, The bells rang out a joyous peal to say ”Relief is here!” Ay! we that saw that stirring march are proud that we can say We went with French to Kimberley to drive the Boers away.
Andrew Barton Paterson’s other poems:
943
