was dispersed. All the tents, artillery, and stores fell into the hands of the Americans. The garrison, sallying forth, pursued St. Leger for a while, but the faithless Indians, enjoying his discomfiture, and willing to curry favor with the stronger party, kept up the chase nearly all the way to Oswego, laying ambushes every night, and diligently murdering the stragglers, until hardly a remnant of an army was left to embark with its crestfallen leader for Montreal. NATHAN HALE. BY FRANCIS MILES FINCH. [Born in Ithaca, N. Y., June 9, 1827; is a judge of the U. S. District Court. The following lyric and "The Blue and the Gray" establish his poetic reputation.] To drum beat and heart beat, A soldier marches by: There is courage in his eye, By starlight and moonlight, He hears the rustling flag, And the armèd sentry's tramp; With slow tread and still tread, By the gaunt and shadowy pine; The dark wave, the plumed wave, A dark wave, a plumed wave, A sharp clang, a steel clang, In the camp a spy hath found; With calm brow, steady brow, Nor a shadow trace of gloom; In the long night, the still night, 'Neath the blue morn, the sunny morn, He dies upon the tree; And he mourns that he can lose But one life for Liberty; And in the blue morn, the sunny morn, His spirit wings are free. But his last words, his message words, They burn, lest friendly eye Should read how proud and calm A patriot could die, With his last words, his dying words, A soldier's battle cry. From Fame leaf and Angel leaf, From monument and urn, The sad of earth, the glad of heaven, And on Fame leaf and Angel leaf The name of HALE shall burn! |