Page:Ballads of a Bohemian.djvu/181

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KELLY OF THE LEGION
179

The men who’ve known damnation,
Are picked to lead the way.”


Well, Kelly joined the Legion;
They marched him day and night;
They rushed him to the region
Where largest loomed the fight.
“Behold your mighty mission,
Your destiny,” said they;
”By glorious tradition
The Legion leads the way.


With tattered banners flying
With trail of dead and dying,
On! On! All hell defying,
The Legion sweeps the way.”


With grim, hard-bitten faces,
With jests of savage mirth,
They swept into their places,
The men of iron worth;
Their blooded steel was flashing;
They swung to face the fray;
Then rushing, roaring, crashing,
The Legion cleared the way.


The trail they blazed was gory;
Few lived to tell the story;
Through death they plunged to glory;
But, oh, they cleared the way!