Page:A selection of war lyrics with illustrations on wood.djvu/33

ON BOARD THE CUMBERLAND. Meanwhile the shapeless iron mass

Came moving o'er the wave,

As gloomy as a passing hearse,

As silent as the grave.

Her ports were closed; from stem to stern

No sign of life appeared.

We wondered, questioned, strained our eyes

Joked—everything but feared.

She reached our range. Our broadside rang,

Our heavy pivots roared;

And shot and shell, a fire of hell,

Against her sides we poured.

God's mercy! from her sloping roof

The iron tempest glanced,

As hail bounds from a cottage-thatch,

And round her leaped and danced;

Or when against her dusky hull

We struck a fair, full blow,

The mighty, solid iron globes,

Were crumbled up like snow.

On, on, with fast increasing speed,

The silent monster came;

Though all our starboard battery

Was one long line of flame

She heeded not, no gun she fired,

Straight on our bow she bore;

Through riving plank and crashing frame

Her furious way she tore.

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