Achingforanhour’ssleep,dozingoffbetween;
  ’Heardtherottenrivetsdrawwhenshetookitgreen;
  ’Watchedthecompasschaseitstaillikeacatatplay——
  Thatwasonthe-Bolivar-,southacrosstheBay。
  Oncewesawbetweenthesqualls,lyin’headtoswell——
  Madwithworkandweariness,wishin’theywaswe——
  SomedamnedLiner’slightsgobylikealonghotel;
  Cheeredherfromthe-Bolivar-swampin’inthesea。
  Thenagraybackclearedusout,thentheskipperlaughed;
  “Boys,thewheelhasgonetoHell——rigthewinchesaft!
  Yokethekickingrudder-head——getherunderway!”
  Sowesteeredher,pulley-haul,outacrosstheBay!
  Justapacko’rottenplatesputtiedupwithtar,Inwecame,an’timeenough,’crossBilbaoBar。
  Overloaded,undermanned,meanttofounder,weEuchredGodAlmighty’sstorm,bluffedtheEternalSea!
  Sevenmenfromalltheworld,backtotownagain,Rollin’downtheRatcliffeRoaddrunkandraisingCain:
  SevenmenfromoutofHellAin’ttheownersgay,’Causewetookthe“Bolivar“safeacrosstheBay?
  THEENGLISHFLAG
  Abovetheporticoaflag-staff,bearingtheUnionJack,remainedflutteringintheflamesforsometime,butultimatelywhenitfellthecrowdsrenttheairwithshouts,andseemedtoseesignificanceintheincident——DAILY
  PAPERS。
  WindsoftheWorld,giveanswer!Theyarewhimperingtoandfro——
  AndwhatshouldtheyknowofEnglandwhoonlyEnglandknow?——
  Thepoorlittlestreet-bredpeoplethatvapourandfumeandbrag,TheyareliftingtheirheadsinthestillnesstoyelpattheEnglishFlag!
  MustweborrowacloutfromtheBoer——toplasteranewwithdirt?
  AnIrishliar’sbandage,oranEnglishcoward’sshirt?
  WemaynotspeakofEngland;herFlag’stosellorshare。
  WhatistheFlagofEngland?WindsoftheWorld,declare!
  TheNorthWindblew:——“FromBergenmysteel-shodvanguardsgo;
  IchaseyourlazywhalershomefromtheDiskofloe;
  BythegreatNorthLightsabovemeIworkthewillofGod,Andthelinersplitsontheice-fieldortheDoggerfillswithcod。
  “Ibarredmygateswithiron,Ishutteredmydoorswithflame,Becausetoforcemyrampartsyournutshellnaviescame;
  Itookthesunfromtheirpresence,Icutthemdownwithmyblast,Andtheydied,buttheFlagofEnglandblewfreeerethespiritpassed。
  “Theleanwhitebearhathseenitinthelong,longArcticnight,Themusk-oxknowsthestandardthatfloutstheNorthernLight:
  WhatistheFlagofEngland?Yehavebutmybergstodare,YehavebutmydriftstoconquerGoforth,foritisthere!”
  TheSouthWindsighed:——“FromtheVirginsmymid-seacoursewasta’enOverathousandislandslostinanidlemain,Wherethesea-eggflamesonthecoralandthelong-backedbreakerscroonTheirendlessoceanlegendstothelazy,lockedlagoon。
  “Strayedamidlonelyislets,mazedamidouterkeys,Iwakedthepalmstolaughter——Itossedthescudinthebreeze——
  Neverwasislesolittle,neverwasseasolone,Butoverthescudandthepalm-treesanEnglishflagwasflown。
  “IhavewrencheditfreefromthehalliardtohangforawispontheHorn;
  IhavechaseditnorthtotheLizard——ribbonedandrolledandtorn;
  Ihavespreaditsfoldo’erthedying,adriftinahopelesssea;
  Ihavehurleditswiftontheslaver,andseentheslavesetfree。
  “Mybaskingsunfishknowit,andwheelingalbatross,WherethelonewavefillswithfirebeneaththeSouthernCross。
  WhatistheFlagofEngland?Yehavebutmyreefstodare,YehavebutmyseastofurrowGoforth,foritisthere!”
  TheEastWindroared:——“FromtheKuriles,theBitterSeas,I
  come,AndmemencalltheHome-Wind,forIbringtheEnglishhome。
  Look——lookwelltoyourshipping!BythebreathofmymadtyphoonIsweptyourclose-packedPrayaandbeachedyourbestatKowloon!
  “Thereelingjunksbehindmeandtheracingseasbefore,Irapedyourrichestroadstead——IplunderedSingapore!
  IsetmyhandontheHoogli;asahoodedsnakesherose,AndIflungyourstouteststeamerstoroostwiththestartledcrows。
  “Neverthelotuscloses,neverthewild-fowlwake,ButasoulgoesoutontheEastWindthatdiedforEngland’ssake——
  Manorwomanorsuckling,motherorbrideormaid——
  BecauseonthebonesoftheEnglishtheEnglishFlagisstayed。
  “Thedesert-dusthathdimmedit,theflyingwild-assknows,Thescaredwhiteleopardwindsitacrossthetaintlesssnows。
  WhatistheFlagofEngland?Yehavebutmysuntodare,YehavebutmysandstotravelGoforth,foritisthere!”
  TheWestWindcalled:——“InsquadronsthethoughtlessgalleonsflyThatbearthewheatandcattleleststreet-bredpeopledie。
  Theymakemymighttheirporter,theymakemyhousetheirpath,TillIloosemyneckfromtheirrudderandwhelmthemallinmywrath。
  “Idrawtheglidingfog-bankasasnakeisdrawnfromthehole,Theybellowonetotheother,thefrightedship-bellstoll,FordayisadriftingterrortillIraisetheshroudwithmybreath,Andtheyseestrangebowsabovethemandthetwogolockedtodeath。
  “Butwhetherincalmorwrack-wreath,whetherbydarkorday,Iheavethemwholetothecongerorriptheirplatesaway,Firstofthescatteredlegions,underashriekingsky,Dippingbetweentherollers,theEnglishFlaggoesby。
  “Thedeaddumbfoghathwrappedit——thefrozendewshavekissed——
  Thenakedstarshaveseenit,afellow-starinthemist。
  WhatistheFlagofEngland?Yehavebutmybreathtodare,YehavebutmywavestoconquerGoforth,foritisthere!”
  “CLEARED“
  InMemoryofaCommission
  HELPforapatriotdistressed,aspotlessspiritburt,Helpforanhonorableclansoretrampledinthedirt!
  FromQueenstownBaytoDonegal,Olistentomysong,Thehonorablegentlemenhavesufferedgrievouswrong。
  Theirnoblenameswerementioned-
  Otheburningblackdisgrace!-
  ByabrutalSaxonpaperinanIrishshooting-case;
  Theysatuponitforayear,thensteeledtheirhearttobraveit,And“coruscatinginnocence“thelearnedJudgesgaveit。
  Bearwitness,Heaven,ofthatgrimcrimebeneaththesurgeon’sknife,Thehonorablegentlemendeploredthelossoflife;
  Bearwitnessofthosechantingchoirsthatburkandshirkandsnigger,Nomanlaidhandupontheknifeorfingertothetrigger!
  Clearedinthefaceofallmankindbeneaththewinkingskies,LikephoenixesfromPhoenixParkandwhatlaytheretheyrise!
  Goshoutittotheemeraldseas-givewordtoErinnow,Herhonorablegentlemenarecleared-andthisishow:
  TheyonlypaidtheMoonlighterhiscattle-hockingprice,Theyonlyhelpedthemurdererwithcouncil’sbestadvice,But-sureitkeepstheirhonorwhite-thelearnedCourtbelievesTheynevergaveapieceofplatetomurderersandthieves。
  Theyevertoldtherampingcrowdtocardawoman’shide,Theynevermarkedamanfordeath-whatfaultoftheirshedied?-
  Theyonlysaid“intimidate。”andtalkedandwentaway-
  ByGod,theboysthatdidtheworkwerebravermenthanthey!
  Theirsinitwasthatfedthefire-smallblametothemthatheardThe“bhoys“getdrunkonrhetoric,andmaddenattheword-
  Theyknewwhomtheyweretalkingat,iftheywereIrishtoo,ThegentlementhatliedinCourttheyknewandwellthevknew。
  TheyonlytooktheJudas-goldfromFeniansoutofjail,Theyonlyfawnedfordollarsontheblood-dyedClan-na-Gael。
  Ifblackisblackorwhiteiswhite,illblackandwhiteit’sdown,Tbey’reonlytraitorstotheQueenandrebelstotheCrown。
  “Cleared。”honorablegentlemenBethankfulit’snomore:
  Thewidow’scurseisonyourhouse,thedeadareatyourdoor。
  Dnyoutheshameofopenshame,onyoufromNorthtoSouthThebandofeveryhonestmanflat-heeledacrossyourmouth。
  “Lessblackthanwewerepainted“?-Faith,nowordofblackwassaid;
  Ihelightesttouchwashumanblood,andthat,yeknow,runsred。
  It’sstickingtoyourfistto-dayforallyoursneerandscoff,AndbytheJudge’swell-weighedwordyoucannotwipeitoff。
  Holdupthosehandsofinnocence-go,scareyoursheep,together,Theblundering,trippingtupsthatbleatbehindtheoldbell-weather;
  Andiftheysnuffthetaintandbreaktofindanotherpen,Tellthemit’starthatglistensso,anddaubthemyoursagain!
  “Thechargeisold“?-AsoldasCain-asfreshasyesterday;
  OldastheTenCommandments,haveyetalkedthoselawsaway?
  Ifwordsarewords,ordeathisdeath,orpowdersendstheball,Youspokethewordsthatspedtheshot-thecursebeonyouall。
  “Ourfriendsbelieve“?Ofcoursetheydo-asshelteredwomenmay;
  Buthavetheyseentheshriekingsoulrippedfromthequiveringclay?
  TheyI-Iftheirownfrontdoorisshut,they’llswearthewholeworld’swarm;
  Whatdotheyknowofdreadofdeathorhangingfearofharm?
  Thesecrethalfacountrykeeps,thewhisperinthelane,Theshriekthattellstheshotwenthomebehindthebrokenpane,Thedrybloodcrispinginthesunthatscaresthehonestbees,Andshowsthe“bhoys“haveheardyourtalk-whatdotheyknowofthese?
  Butyou-youknow-ay,tentimesmore;thesecretsofthedead,Blackterroronthecountry-sidebywordandwhisperbred,Themangledstallion’sscreamatnight,thetail-croppedheifer’slow。
  Whosetthewhispergoingfirst?Youknow,andwellyouknow!
  Mysoul!I’dsoonerlieinjailformurderplainandstraight,PurecrimeI’ddonewithmyownhandformoney,lust,orhate,ThantakeaseatinParliamentbyfellow-felonscheered,Whileoneofthose“notprovens“provedmeclearedasyouarecleared。
  Cleared-youthat“lost“theLeagueaccounts-go,guardourhonorstill,Go,helptomakeourcountry’slawsthatbrokeGod’slawsatwill-
  Onebandstuckoutbehindtheback,tosignal“strikeagain“;
  Theotheronyourdress-shirtfronttoshowyourheartisdane,Ifblackisblackorwhiteiswhite,inblackandwhiteit’sdown,You’reonlytraitorstotheQueenandbutrebelstotheCrownIfprintisprintorwordsarewords,thelearnedCourtperpends:
  Wearenotruledbymurderers,only-bytheirfriends,ANIMPERIALRESCRIPT
  NowthisisthetaleoftheCounciltheGermanKaiserdecreed,Toeasethestrongoftheirburden,tohelptheweakintheirneed,Hesentawordtothepeoples,whostruggle,andpant,andsweat,Thatthestrawmightbecountedfairlyandthetallyofbricksbeset。
  TheLordsofTheirHandsassembled;fromtheEastandtheWesttheydrew——
  Baltimore,Lille,andEssen,Brummagem,Clyde,andCrewe。
  Andsomewereblackfromthefurnace,andsomewerebrownfromthesoil,Andsomewerebluefromthedye-vat;butallwereweariedoftoil。
  AndtheyoungKingsaid:——“Ihavefoundit,theroadtotherestyeseek:
  Thestrongshallwaitfortheweary,thehaleshallhaltfortheweak;
  Withtheeventrampofanarmywherenomanbreaksfromtheline,Yeshallmarchtopeaceandplentyinthebondofbrotherhood——
  sign!”
  Thepaperlayonthetable,thestrongheadsbowedthereby,Andawailwentupfromthepeoples:——“Ay,sign——giverest,forwedie!”
  Ahandwasstretchedtothegoose-quill,afistwascrampedtoscrawl,When——thelaughofablue-eyedmaidenranclearthroughthecouncil-hall。
  AndeachoneheardHerlaughingaseachonesawHerplain——
  Saidie,Mimi,orOlga,Gretchen,orMaryJane。
  AndtheSpiritofManthatisinHimtothelightofthevisionwoke;
  Andthemendrewbackfromthepaper,asaYankeedelegatespoke:——
  “There’sagirlinJerseyCitywhoworksonthetelephone;
  We’regoingtohitchourhorsesanddigforahouseofourown,Withgasandwaterconnections,andsteam-heatthroughtothetop;
  And,WHohenzollern,IguessIshallworktillIdrop。”
  AndanEnglishdelegatethundered:——“Theweakan’thelamebeblowed!
  I’veaberthintheSou’-Westworkshops,ahomeintheWandsworthRoad;
  Andtillthe’sociationhasfootedmyburyin’bill,Iworkforthekidsan’themissusPullup?IbedamnedifIwill!”