[Poems by Gallagher in] The Hesperian Tree An Annual of the Ohio Valley - 1900 |
 |
| 1. | I
TECUMSEH'S LEAGUE |
| 2. |
| 3. |
 | [Poems by Gallagher in] The Hesperian Tree |  |
I
TECUMSEH'S LEAGUE
O hearken not the white men's word—
'T is formed but to betray!
They come with fire, they come with sword,
To wrest our lands away.
But spread ye like the prairie-fire,
And bear the war-talk round!
Who loiters, my indignant ire
Shall strike him to the ground!
Away! away!
Away! away!
They may hunt us forever,
Through forest—by river—
But we'll yield to them never!
'T is formed but to betray!
They come with fire, they come with sword,
To wrest our lands away.
But spread ye like the prairie-fire,
And bear the war-talk round!
Who loiters, my indignant ire
Shall strike him to the ground!
Away! away!
Away! away!
They may hunt us forever,
Through forest—by river—
But we'll yield to them never!
These are our own broad hunting-grounds:
Our fathers' bones lie here.
Manetto's threatened vengeance sounds
E'en now within my ear.
Come, Children of the Red-man's God!
Come from the darkling shade,
From sunny plain and rolling flood,
And tangled everglade!
Unite! unite!
Unite! unite!
Though they hunt us forever,
Through forest—by river—
They shall conquer us never!
Our fathers' bones lie here.
Manetto's threatened vengeance sounds
E'en now within my ear.
Come, Children of the Red-man's God!
Come from the darkling shade,
From sunny plain and rolling flood,
And tangled everglade!
Unite! unite!
Unite! unite!
Though they hunt us forever,
Through forest—by river—
They shall conquer us never!
What though our wigwams smoking lie
Where pass their leaden showers—
We still are sheltered by yon sky,
These forests still are ours!
Then hearken not their peaceful talk—
It bodes but deadlier strife;
Bear well in hand the tomahawk,
Make sharp the scalping-knife!
Yah-loo! yah-loo!
Yah-loo! yah-loo!
And we'll yield to them never—
But in forest, and by river,
Will defy them forever!
Where pass their leaden showers—
We still are sheltered by yon sky,
These forests still are ours!
Then hearken not their peaceful talk—
It bodes but deadlier strife;
Bear well in hand the tomahawk,
Make sharp the scalping-knife!
194
Yah-loo! yah-loo!
And we'll yield to them never—
But in forest, and by river,
Will defy them forever!
| [Poems by Gallagher in] The Hesperian Tree | |