 | The Baroness of New York |  |
XI.
The long, gray moss swung grim and drear.
The leaves lay yellow crisp and sere.
Long ancient boughs lay inter-cross
All tangled in one mesh of moss.
The keepers of the forest fled,
The red man prisoned, banished, dead,
No cautious, constant hunter stood
To guard with guarded flame the wood,
And with his annual bonfire clear
The gathered mosses of the year.
But all lay one entangled mass
So matted scarce the beast could pass.
The leaves lay yellow crisp and sere.
Long ancient boughs lay inter-cross
All tangled in one mesh of moss.
The keepers of the forest fled,
The red man prisoned, banished, dead,
No cautious, constant hunter stood
To guard with guarded flame the wood,
And with his annual bonfire clear
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But all lay one entangled mass
So matted scarce the beast could pass.
'Twas burning autumn time. The mill
Was swathed with long gray swinging moss:
Broad reaching boughs in gold and red
Did clash and inter-clang across
Like swords of fire swung overhead.
The nuts fell ripe upon the hill
Where quails were piping sharp and shrill.
Was swathed with long gray swinging moss:
Broad reaching boughs in gold and red
Did clash and inter-clang across
Like swords of fire swung overhead.
The nuts fell ripe upon the hill
Where quails were piping sharp and shrill.
At dusk the wrinkled, ghostly crone
Dashed suddenly from out the wood
And close beside black Mungo stood.
She reached her arms, held up her head
As if the princess of a throne,
And so, demanded from his hand
Some sign of tribute for her land,
If but the smallest crumb of bread.
Dashed suddenly from out the wood
And close beside black Mungo stood.
She reached her arms, held up her head
As if the princess of a throne,
And so, demanded from his hand
Some sign of tribute for her land,
If but the smallest crumb of bread.
Black Mungo bit his nether lip
Then sullenly he shook his head,
Then sudden stooped and clutched a stone.
He called his dog from out the ship,
He snapped his fingers, let him slip,
And bade him take her, as she fled.
She turned, she struck the mastiff dead.
Then lifting high, defiant hands
That shone with gleaming, golden bands
She stretched her arms in mighty moan;
She hew'd the air above her head
And wailing still, she turned and fled.
Then sullenly he shook his head,
Then sudden stooped and clutched a stone.
He called his dog from out the ship,
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And bade him take her, as she fled.
She turned, she struck the mastiff dead.
Then lifting high, defiant hands
That shone with gleaming, golden bands
She stretched her arms in mighty moan;
She hew'd the air above her head
And wailing still, she turned and fled.
The tall trees blossomed into stars.
The moon climbed slowly up the cone,
She sat an empress on her throne.
Her silver beams fell down in bars
Between the mighty, mossy trees—
Grand, kingly comrades of the wood,
That shoulder unto shoulder stood
With friendships knit through centuries.
The moon climbed slowly up the cone,
She sat an empress on her throne.
Her silver beams fell down in bars
Between the mighty, mossy trees—
Grand, kingly comrades of the wood,
That shoulder unto shoulder stood
With friendships knit through centuries.
The night came, moving in dim flame,
As lighted by round autumn sun
Descending through the hazy blue.
It were a gold and amber hue
And all hues blended into one.
The moon spilled fire where she came
And filled the yellow wood with flame.
The moon slid down, and leaning low,
The far sea isles were all aglow.
She fell along the amber flood
An isle of flame in seas of blood.
It was the strangest moon, ah me!
That ever settled on that sea.
As lighted by round autumn sun
Descending through the hazy blue.
It were a gold and amber hue
And all hues blended into one.
The moon spilled fire where she came
And filled the yellow wood with flame.
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The far sea isles were all aglow.
She fell along the amber flood
An isle of flame in seas of blood.
It was the strangest moon, ah me!
That ever settled on that sea.
Adora stood within her door,
She heard the anchor clank a chain,
As one that moaned in very pain.
The crone crouched, crooning as before,
She screamed, and then was seen no more.
It was the wierdest eve, I ween
That man or maid has ever seen.
She heard the anchor clank a chain,
As one that moaned in very pain.
The crone crouched, crooning as before,
She screamed, and then was seen no more.
It was the wierdest eve, I ween
That man or maid has ever seen.
Black Mungo smoked his pipe and kept
His deck with pike and gun at hand.
A mastiff waiting his command
Coiled up and watching, waked and slept.
The very dog drew in his breath,
As if he snuffed the scent of death.
His deck with pike and gun at hand.
A mastiff waiting his command
Coiled up and watching, waked and slept.
The very dog drew in his breath,
As if he snuffed the scent of death.
Black Mungo turned. A grizzly beast,
With glaring eyes so like the priest,
Rushed out along the west-most wood,
And snuffed his hot breath from the flood.
The water was as still as death,
The very heaven held its breath.
With glaring eyes so like the priest,
Rushed out along the west-most wood,
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The water was as still as death,
The very heaven held its breath.
The woodmen sat subdued and grave
Beside the wide and soundless wave.
And then a half-blind bitch that sat
All slobber-mouthed and monkish cowled
With great broad floppy leathern ears,
Amid the men, sprang up and howled,
And doleful howled her plaintive fears,
And all looked mute amaze thereat.
It was the damn'dest eve, I think,
That ever hung on Hades' brink.
Beside the wide and soundless wave.
And then a half-blind bitch that sat
All slobber-mouthed and monkish cowled
With great broad floppy leathern ears,
Amid the men, sprang up and howled,
And doleful howled her plaintive fears,
And all looked mute amaze thereat.
It was the damn'dest eve, I think,
That ever hung on Hades' brink.
Then broad-winged bats possessed the air,
Went whirling blindly everywhere.
It was such a still, wierd, twilight eve,
As never mortal would believe.
Went whirling blindly everywhere.
It was such a still, wierd, twilight eve,
As never mortal would believe.
“Will she not come?” strong Doughal cried
In terror from his tall ship's side.
“The air hangs hot, the beasts howl fierce,
There hangs a haze no eye can pierce!”
“And Doughal will not come to me.
His ship is rounding to the sea,”
She said, with bowed and shaking head,
And shook her long, disheveled hair,
And clasped her helpless hands in prayer.
In terror from his tall ship's side.
“The air hangs hot, the beasts howl fierce,
There hangs a haze no eye can pierce!”
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His ship is rounding to the sea,”
She said, with bowed and shaking head,
And shook her long, disheveled hair,
And clasped her helpless hands in prayer.
A panther's scream? or woman's screech?
Or fiend of hell encompassed there?
It was the wildest, wierdest yell
That ever yet from mortal fell.
Or fiend of hell encompassed there?
It was the wildest, wierdest yell
That ever yet from mortal fell.
It rolled like death-knell through the air,
It echoed through the woods and ran
From forests deep to open beach,
And where they sat each silent man
Leapt up, and as transfixed in place,
Stood staring in his fellow's face.
It echoed through the woods and ran
From forests deep to open beach,
And where they sat each silent man
Leapt up, and as transfixed in place,
Stood staring in his fellow's face.
A woman's screech! a panther scream:
A wild hag howling as she fled
With bony hands above her head
Beyond the broad and wooded stream!
A wild hag howling as she fled
With bony hands above her head
Beyond the broad and wooded stream!
It ceased! Then all things fell so still,
Men heard the black hearth cricket trill.
Then suddenly the silent wood
Was sounding like a broken flood.
And far adown some dark smoke curled
As if from out an under-world.
Men heard the black hearth cricket trill.
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Was sounding like a broken flood.
And far adown some dark smoke curled
As if from out an under-world.
Slim snakes slid quick from out the grass,
From wood, from fen, from everywhere:
As if they sped pursuing her:
They slid a thousand snakes, and then,
You could not step, you would not pass,
And you would hesitate to stir
Least in some sudden, hurried tread,
Your foot struck some unbruiséd head.
It was so weird, it seemed withal,
The very grass began to crawl.
From wood, from fen, from everywhere:
As if they sped pursuing her:
They slid a thousand snakes, and then,
You could not step, you would not pass,
And you would hesitate to stir
Least in some sudden, hurried tread,
Your foot struck some unbruiséd head.
It was so weird, it seemed withal,
The very grass began to crawl.
They slid in streams into the stream,
They rustled leaves along the wood,
They hissed and rattled as they ran
As if in mockery of man.
It seemed like some infernal dream:
It seemed as they would fill the flood.
They rustled leaves along the wood,
They hissed and rattled as they ran
As if in mockery of man.
It seemed like some infernal dream:
It seemed as they would fill the flood.
They curved, and graceful curved across,
Like deep and waving sea-green moss—
There is no art of man can make
A ripple like a running snake.
Like deep and waving sea-green moss—
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A ripple like a running snake.
The wild beasts leapt from out the wood;
They rent the forest as they fled,
They plunged into the foaming flood
And swam with wild, exalted head.
They rent the forest as they fled,
They plunged into the foaming flood
And swam with wild, exalted head.
It seemed as if some mighty hand
Had sudden loosened all command.
They howled as if the hand of God
Pursued and scourged them with a rod.
Had sudden loosened all command.
They howled as if the hand of God
Pursued and scourged them with a rod.
The black smoke mantled flood and wood,
Where Doughal mute and helpless stood.
He lifted not his face or spoke.
He felt as if her curse had broke
In justice on his guilty head,
And he was as a man that's dead.
He prays not, makes command, nor stirs,
He bows beneath this curse of hers.
Yet he would die for sign or trace
Of that loved woman's lifted face.
A rift of wind! The smoke rolls by!
He sees a form, he hears a cry,
And two hands stretch above the flood
From out the frowning, flaming wood.
Where Doughal mute and helpless stood.
He lifted not his face or spoke.
He felt as if her curse had broke
In justice on his guilty head,
And he was as a man that's dead.
He prays not, makes command, nor stirs,
He bows beneath this curse of hers.
Yet he would die for sign or trace
Of that loved woman's lifted face.
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He sees a form, he hears a cry,
And two hands stretch above the flood
From out the frowning, flaming wood.
“Come back, my Doughal! Come to me!
O, leave me not to death and shame!
O, I will dare the utmost sea,
Yea, dare, defy this sea of flame,
With you, could I but only know
You loved, nor sought my overthrow.
I can but call, this once more call—
The flames consume me.” Like a pall
The black smoke mantled: yet his name
Seemed calling through the leaping flame.
O, leave me not to death and shame!
O, I will dare the utmost sea,
Yea, dare, defy this sea of flame,
With you, could I but only know
You loved, nor sought my overthrow.
I can but call, this once more call—
The flames consume me.” Like a pall
The black smoke mantled: yet his name
Seemed calling through the leaping flame.
He started, sprung, as if to land
From ship to flame. A black, hard hand
Thrust out, and with a giant's strength
It threw him back on deck full length.
“And would you leave your men to die?”
Black Mungo cried, with flashing eye.
“The land is cursed, and cursed that maid!
Your men shrink trembling and afraid.
Come! be their Moses, lead them through
The terrors that you brought them to.”
From ship to flame. A black, hard hand
Thrust out, and with a giant's strength
It threw him back on deck full length.
“And would you leave your men to die?”
Black Mungo cried, with flashing eye.
“The land is cursed, and cursed that maid!
Your men shrink trembling and afraid.
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The terrors that you brought them to.”
Then bent Black Mungo ceased to rail;
He caught an axe, the cable fell;
The winds took up an empty sail;
The ship swung loosely round; the swell
Of ebbing current slowly bore
The crowded ship from off the shore.
He caught an axe, the cable fell;
The winds took up an empty sail;
The ship swung loosely round; the swell
Of ebbing current slowly bore
The crowded ship from off the shore.
He sprang, he caught the helm, and he
Stood grimly out towards the sea.
For utmost seas, unnamed, unknown,
Black Mungo steered mid beasts alone.
Yet seeing him you well might think
He was the very missing link.
Stood grimly out towards the sea.
For utmost seas, unnamed, unknown,
Black Mungo steered mid beasts alone.
Yet seeing him you well might think
He was the very missing link.
A grizzly monster sat the poop,
A panther held the chicken-coop
The hold had wombats by the score,
A she-bear sat at his right hand,
While at his feet an hundred more
Seemed calmly waiting his command,
And with this motley company
He grimly steered toward the sea.
A bat kept creeping up his sleeve,
A spider then began to weave
A little web of rope and sail,
As if to help to catch the gale.
And with this screeching company
He slowly drifted tow'rd the sea.
A panther held the chicken-coop
The hold had wombats by the score,
A she-bear sat at his right hand,
While at his feet an hundred more
Seemed calmly waiting his command,
And with this motley company
He grimly steered toward the sea.
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A spider then began to weave
A little web of rope and sail,
As if to help to catch the gale.
And with this screeching company
He slowly drifted tow'rd the sea.
He held the helm right true. He steered
Between the burning walls of wood
Adown the broad and burning flood.
His brawn and hairy arms were bare.
A rat kept creeping through his hair,
And pink-eyed mice peered from his beard.
His teeth were set, for now he knew
That he with this same motley crew,
Somewhere upon the lonesome sea
Must sail and sail eternally.
Between the burning walls of wood
Adown the broad and burning flood.
His brawn and hairy arms were bare.
A rat kept creeping through his hair,
And pink-eyed mice peered from his beard.
His teeth were set, for now he knew
That he with this same motley crew,
Somewhere upon the lonesome sea
Must sail and sail eternally.
The great sea-cows from out their isle,
The while they mouthed full mouths of moss,
Looked up, and as he sailed across
They called and called a weary while.
The while they mouthed full mouths of moss,
Looked up, and as he sailed across
They called and called a weary while.
| The Baroness of New York | |