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They ha' rigged him a Joseph's jury-coat to keep his honor warm."

The halliards twanged against the tops, the bunting bellied broad,

The skipper spat in the empty hold and mourned for a wasted cord.

Masthead

masthead, the signal sped by the line o'

the British craft;

The skipper called to his Lascar crew, and put her

about and laughed :

“It's mainsail haul, my bully boys all

the seas again;

we'll out to

Ere they set us to paint their pirate saint, or scrub at

his grapnel-chain

It's fore-sheet free, with her head to the sea, and the

swing of the unbought brine

We'll make no sport in an English court till we come as a ship o' the Line,

Till we come as a ship o' the Line, my lads, of thirty foot in the sheer,

Lifting again from the outer main with news of a privateer;

Flying his pluck at our mizzen-truck for weft of

Admiralty.

Heaving his head for our dipsy-lead in sign that we

keep the sea.

Then fore-sheet home as she lifts to the foam

stand on the outward tack

We are paid in the coin of the white man's tradethe bezant is hard, ay, and black.

The frigate-bird shall carry my word to the King and the Orang-Laut

The Rime of the Three Captains

How a man may sail from a heathen coast to be robbed in a Christian port;

How a man may be robbed in Christian port while Three Great Captains there

Shall dip their flag to a slaver's rag- -to show that his trade is fair!"

EVARRA AND HIS GODS

Read here,

This is the story of Evarra · man-
Maker of Gods in lands beyond the sea.

Because the city gave him of her gold,
Because the caravans brought turquoises,
Because his life was sheltered by the King,

So that no man should maim him, none should steal,
Or break his rest with babble in the streets

When he was weary after toil, he made
An image of his God in Gold and pearl,
With turquoise diadem and human eyes,
A wonder in the sunshine, known afar

And worshiped by the King! but, drunk with pride,
Because the city bowed to him for God,

He wrote above the shrine: "Thus Gods are made, And whoso makes them otherwise shall die."

And all the city praised him. . . . Then he died.

Read here the story of Evarra

man

Maker of Gods in lands beyond the sea.

Because his city had no wealth to give,
Because the caravans were spoiled afar,
Because his life was threatened by the King,
So that all men despised him in the streets,
He hacked the living rock, with sweat and tears,
And reared a God against the morning-gold,
A terror in the sunshine, seen afar,

Evarra and his Gods

And worshiped by the King; but, drunk with pride. Because the city fawned to bring him back,

He carved upon the plinth: "Thus Gods are made, And whoso makes them otherwise shall die.

And all the people praised him.

...

man

Maker of Gods in lands beyond the sea.
Because he lived among a simple folk,

Then he died.

Because his village was between the hills,

Because he smeared his cheeks with blood of ewes. He cut an idol from a fallen pine,

Smeared blood upon its cheeks, and wedged a shell
Above its brows for eye, and gave it hair

Of trailing moss, and plaited straw for crown.
And all the village praised him for this craft,
And brought him honey, milk, and curds.

Wherefore, because the shoutings drove him mad,
He scratched upon that log: "Thus Gods are made,
And whoso makes them otherwise shall die.”

And all the people praised him. . . Then he died.

man

Maker of Gods in lands beyond the sea.

Because his God decreed one clot of blood

Should swerve a hair's-breadth from the pulse's path,

And chafe his brain, Evarra mowed alone,
Rag-wrapped, among the cattle in the fields,
Counting his fingers, jesting with the trees,
And mocking at the mist, until his God
Drove him to labor.

Out of dung and horns

Dropped in the mire he made a monstrous God, Abhorrent, shapeless, crowned with plantain tufts. And when the cattle lowed at twilight-time,

He dreamed it was the clamor of lost crowds,

And howled among the beasts: "Thus Gods are

made,

And whoso makes them otherwise shall die."

Thereat the cattle bellowed.

Then he died.

Yet at the last he came to Paradise,

And found his own four Gods, and that he wrote;

And marveled, being very near to God,

What oaf on earth had made his toil God's law,

Till God said, mocking: "Mock not. These be

thine."

Then cried Evarra: "I have sinned!

"Not so.

If thou hadst written otherwise, thy Gods
Had rested in the mountain and the mine,
And I were poorer by four wondrous Gods,
And thy more wondrous law, Evarra. Thine,
Servant of shouting crowds and lowing kine.”
Thereat with laughing mouth, but tear-wet eyes,
Evarra cast his Gods from Paradise.