A Ballad of a Drum

The Austrians at Arcola(The fight had lasted long),The Austrians at Arcola—Some fifty thousand strong—Assailed the bridge whereto the French(A fourth their strength) had come,With menace dire, and murderous fire;Then fled before a drum!

For Estienne at Arcola—Heroic little lad!—Seeing the carnage on the bridge,With soul grown sick and sad,Had sworn that he, at least, would passBeyond the sanguine tide,And beat his drum, whate'er should come,Upon the farther side.

So Estienne at Arcola—No fear had he to die!—With one brave Sergeant, swam the stream,His precious drum held high,And from the river dripping roseAmid the battle's hum,A French refrain, with might and main,To pound upon his drum.

The Austrians at ArcolaSeemed fifty thousand strong,But many were the raw recruitsAmong that mighty throng,Who hearing Frenchmen in the rear,Listened, confused and dumb,Then gave a shout,—"We're hemmed about!"And fled—before a drum!

The courage shown at ArcolaBy André Estienne—The lesson taught at ArcolaIs wholesome now as then.Needs there a moral to the tale?Then read in this its sum:The greatest strength may yield at length,When sounds a hero's drum!