Ballads of Battle/The Bayonet
THE BAYONET
The rifle bullet ranges far,The bursting shell seeks wide,The mortar and machine guns areBoth trusty friends and tried;But the swiftest weapon in the warIs the steel swings by my side.
The rifle rings out sharp and clear,The "75" can speak,And viciously upon the carSound "swish-bang" and "pip-squeak,"But the bayonet is the Silent FearIn this game of hide-and-seek.
The bullet speeds with wail and sob,The shrapnel showers its hails,But the keen-edged bayonet point can probeWhere the leaden pellet fails;And the "white arm" finishes the job—And dead men tell no tales!
The mortar gun is full of ireWhen once ye do begin it,The facile mitrailleuse can fireSeven hundred rounds a minute,But "La Rosalie" will never tireWhen once her finger's in it.
The blade upon the barrel clicksWhen the battle is begun,And often has the Captain's "Fix!"Carried us out o' one;Then thrust and parry—these the tricksBy which the trench is won.
With thrust and parry, lunge and point,Point, parry, lunge, and thrust;Our knees seem going at the joint,Our hearts beat fit to burst—And then—may Christ our souls aroint,―We stab at what seems accurst!—Ugh!
The rifle bullet ranges far,The bursting shell seeks wide,The mortar and machine guns areBoth trusty tools and tried;But the surest weapon in the warIs the steel swings by my side!