Page:Departmental Ditties and Ballads and Barrack-Room Ballads, Kipling, 1899.djvu/304

120 They only took the Judas-gold from Fenians out of jail,

They only fawned for dollars on the blood-eyed Clan-na-Gael.

If black is black or white is white, in black and white it's down,

They're only traitors to the Queen and rebels to the Crown.

"Cleared," honourable gentlemen. Be thankful it's no more:—

The widow's curse is on your house, the dead are at your door.

On you the shame of open shame, on you from North to South

The hand of every honest man flat-heeled across your mouth.

"Less black than we were painted"?—Faith, no word of black was said;

The lightest touch was human blood, and that, ye know, runs red.