Now facing North, and East, and West,
They meet the savage foes,
Recruiting Charon's army
By every lusty blow;
But still they come in hideous swarms,
Like hounds let loose from hell,
Till, overborne by numbers,
Our bleeding heroes fell!
All honor to the gallant three,
Twelve braves in silence lay,
With gaping wounds and stony eyes,
To greet returning day!
While yet a score were nursing
Wounds which these heroes gave,
That signed their right to enter
Into an unwept grave!
Ocala ne'er again would scourge
Their country, far and near,
Nor wring from helpless innocence
An unavailing tear!
His death alone destroyed the boast
And stilled the raging flood
Of senseless pride and passion
That bathed his hands in blood!
But, alas, for human prowess,
These deeds but roused the ire
Of savage wretches, who now tried
To vent their spleen with fire!
Three stakes were now erected
And fagots heaped around,
While painted fiends in human shape
Exultant, sat aground.
They led the helpless captives forth,
With many a shout and hoot,
And drug them to their awful doom,
Less feeling than a brute!
And first they bound Hugh Cannon,
Whose descendants, love, you know,
I pointed out to you, last Fall,
When we were at the show.
They bound him to the cruel stake
Before his comrades' eyes,
Then scornfully they bade them mark
"How a paleface coward dies!"
Thank God his captors were deceived,
He smiled amid the flame!
And, with his fast expiring breath,
These words bequeathed to fame:
"To suffer in a noble cause
Is sweet beyond compare!
These greedy flames that lick my blood
But light a vision fair,
Where heroism and heroes sweep
The still resounding lyre,
Heaven's harmonies have quenched
The tortures of this fire!
"Tumultuous raptures 'round me roll
Heaven's pearly gates ajar!
My spirit soars on fleshless wing
Beyond the faintest star!
Oh, blissful death; oh, vision fair,
What sweet celestial glories shine,
The loved and lost of earlier years
Are now forever mine!"
The savage horde in silence stood
And listened as he sang,
While even their untaught eyes could see
He suffered not a pang!
No yell triumphant smote his ear,
Awe silenced every tongue,
And many a heart beat faster
As he his requiem sung.
Then lionhearted Conway,
Beneath whose eagle eye
Even savage foes once trembled
Was offered up to die!
Defiant still 'mid writhing flames,
He heaped on them his scorn,
And, with true prophetic voice
He doomed their race unborn.