The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-11
THE DUTCHMNN.

BY Edward J. Wheeler.
His PROV was pointed toward the South
ern stars:
He plowed a furrow half way round the
world
The winds of many zones tugged at his
And beat his deck before his sails were
furled.
on, on and on-three thousand leagues
Untried, unknown, he traversed to be
free
Stolid and stern, unsightly and uncouth,
No scented darling he for courtly game;
But in that slow speech there was stead
fast truth,
On Aries farthest cape he made his
home
cease to roam.
The Kings played chess, as Kings are
Each move an end to some fair lands
On Aries fields. three thousand leagues
one tyfants flag came down, another
The Dutchman saw with gratitude
He hailed a savior-a worse tyrant
found.
Vain his long search Ger many sounding
Still on the heights doth freedom love
To shake her tresses in the mountain
And hear the tales the upland forests
Far to the North, where snowy sum-
The Boer. administered, turned his
longing eyes.
Before him lay long miles Of arid plain;
Around him valleys full OF plenty
smiled.
The jambok spoke in menace shrill and
Each mighty beast. submissive, bent
And the Boer started on his long, long
trek.
Came days of aching toll. Night after
He faced Death, eye to eye, and stared
him Gown.
With naked fist he met the lion in fight
And sent him scurrying to his jungles
brown.
The savage blacks who came to spoil
Relied back before the laagers stern
array.
Oh, Freedom dear, II ever man there was
In all the ages, earned thy favoring
This patient man has earned It, In his
Pleads all the world to-day. Yea, even
that isle
That. Kisses hate OF him, thrills, too,
Deep notes of protest against Eng
lands wrong.
Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold The cry filled the
And wrought like magic on the hearts
of men.
The restless souls in every land who dare
! Wit falt
leap again.
| They came in squads-in troops-in
Their motto ever this: Follow the
! gleamr'
But most were men of that proud race
The Triple Isle as trident of the sea
What! Was this Boer to rule ~ealm Of
gold?
His slow hand to time the march of
| Destiny?
So came the clash, and on Majuba Hill
That slow hand proved its swift, I'M
erring skill.
The old Colossus spanned the Rhodian
A continent the new one would be-
From cape to Cairo drive his iron way.
And new empire for his Queen pro-
An earthquake laid the old Colossus
low,
/ Inc new one laughs amid the eartn-
quake's throe.
The lust for gold and lust for empire
That The bold Dutchman dared their
way to block.
They Joined their force to sweep him
from the ground:
Move, said the Sea; l will not, said the
Rock.
For twenty years the Sea has shout
ed, Go!
For twenty years the Rock has an
swered, MOI
Now breaks the tempest! now the light
nings leap!
And Boer and Briton join in final strife
And we, afar, bewildered sit and keep
flushing the thoughts that cut us like
a knife.
Are we. not Britons, too, in speech and
blood?
Can we curse them and bless the alien
brood?
Britons. but not such Britons we: for lol
These men who goad the patient Boer
to-day
Are heirs OF those who struck tn in
| sensate blow
| At Lexington and Concord. Tories they.
/ Whose hands have smitten Freedoms
form, alasi
In all her strifes with privilege and
| class.
/ Not these cur kindred! no. we spurn the