Page:Poems of Patriotism (1942).djvu/20

 “Yes, he’s dead. Died an hour after bringing us word that the chief was aware of our plight, An’ for us to hang on to the ditch that we held; the reserves would relieve us at night. Then we stuck to our trench an’ we stuck to our guns; you know how you’ll fight when you know That new strength is coming to fill up the gaps. There’s heart in the force of your blow.

“It wasn’t till later I got all the facts. They wanted McGee to remain. They begged him to stay. He had cheated death once an’ was foolish to try it again. ‘R. I. P. are my orders,’ he answered them all, ‘an’ back to the boys I must go; Four of us died comin’ out with the news. It will help them to know that you know.’”