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THE GREY HORSE TROOP, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: All alone on the hillside
Last Line: Drink to the troop that never shall die!
Subject(s): Cavalry; Geronimo (1829-1909); Native Americans - Wars


ALL alone on the hillside --
Larry an' Barry an' me;
Nothin' to see but the sky an' the plain,
Nothin' to see but the drivin' rain,
Nothin' to see but the painted Sioux,
Galloping, galloping: "Whoop -- whuroo!
The divil in yellow is down in the mud!"
Sez Larry to Barry, "I'm losin' blood."

"Cheers for the Greys!" yells Barry;
"Second Dragoons!" groans Larry;
Hurrah! hurrah! for Egan's Grey Troop!
Whoop! ye divils -- ye've got to whoop;
Cheer for the troopers who die: sez I --
"Cheer for the troop that never shall die!"

All alone on the hillside --
Larry an' Barry an' me;
Flat on our bellies, an' pourin' in lead --
Seven rounds left, an' the horses dead --
Barry a-cursin' at every breath;
Larry beside him, as white as death;
Indians galloping, galloping by,
Wheelin' and squealin' like hawks in the sky!

"Cheers for the Greys!" yells Barry;
"Second Dragoons!" groans Larry;
Hurrah! hurrah! for Egan's Grey Troop!
Whoop! ye divils -- ye've got to whoop;
Cheer for the troopers who die: sez I --
"Cheer for the troop that never shall die!"

All alone on the hillside --
Larry an' Barry an' me;
Two of us livin' and one of us dead --
Shot in the head, and God! -- how he bled!
"Larry's done up," sez Barry to me;
"Divvy his cartridges! Quick! gimme three!"
While nearer an' nearer an' plainer in view,
Galloped an' galloped the murderin' Sioux.

"Cheers for the Greys!" yells Barry;
"Cheer --" an' he falls on Larry.
Alas! alas! for Egan's Grey Troop!
The Red Sioux, hovering stoop to swoop;
Two out of three lay dead, while I
Cheered for the troop that never shall die.

All alone on the hillside --
Larry an' Barry an' me;
An' I fired an' yelled till I lost my head,
Cheerin' the livin', cheerin' the dead,
Swingin' my cap, I cheered until
I stumbled and fell. Then over the hill
There floated a trumpeter's silvery call,
An' Egan's Grey Troop galloped up, that's all.

Drink to the Greys, -- an' Barry!
Second Dragoons, -- an' Larry!
Here's a bumper to Egan's Grey Troop!
Let the crape on the guidons droop;
Drink to the troopers who die, while I
Drink to the troop that never shall die!





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