Page:The poems of Edmund Clarence Stedman, 1908.djvu/74

IN WAR TIME And the call of the roll was followed by orders fast:

Then in each rank, by fours, we took the count,

And the head of the column wheeled for the long parade.

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The regiment formed from right to left;

Our Colonel, straight in his saddle, looked around,

Reining the stallion in, that felt the heft

Of his rider, and stamped his foot, and wanted to dance.

At last the order came:

From each officer in advance;

And, as the rear-guard left the spot,

We broke into the even trot.

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In the dust and in the dew,

Roads and open meadows through.

Steadily we kept the tune

Underneath the stars and moon.

None, except the Colonel, knew

What our orders were to do;

Whether on a forage-raid

We were tramping, boot and blade,

Or a close reconnoissance

Ere the army should advance;

One thing certain, we were bound

Straight for Stuart's camping-ground.

Plunging into forest-shade,

Well we knew each glen and glade!

Sweet they smelled, the pine and oak,

And of home my comrade spoke. 44