Page:The Garden of Years.djvu/81

 Tripoli

From twoscore ports the smoke-wreaths crept, and a single

rocket skyward leapt To tell the brig in the offing that Decatur's work was

done, As the victors sprang to the ketch's deck, and pulled away

from the blazing wreck That reddened the tide to the harbor's neck, with news

of the glory won ! And the slim flames struck from rail to truck, till the haven

gleamed and glowed, And the whole wide night was ablaze with light where

Decatur's oarsmen rowed ; While Tripoli's sons from a hundred guns sent shot from

the shelving shore,

And the frigate replied with her last broadside an Ameri- can ship once more !

But Stewart had seen that Decatur's crew had done the

work that they came to do, And the boats of the brig lay close inshore, as the ketch

out-won her way ; Watching, the oarsmen, drawing near, pause in their rowing,

and, deaf to fear,

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