Barbarians

Stent lost the fight, fell outward, wider, dropping back into mid-air. [ Page 62 ] [pg iii] BARBARIANS By Robert W. Chambers Author of "The Dark Star," "The Girl Philippa," "Who Goes There," Etc. With Frontispiece By A. I. Keller A. L. Burt Company Publishers New York Published by arrangement with D. Appleton & Company [pg v] TO LYLE and MADELEINE MAHAN [pg vii] I "Daughter of Light, the bestial wrath Of Barbary besets thy path! The Hun is beating his painted drum; His war horns blare! The Hun is come!" "Father, I feel his fœtid breath: The thick air reeks with the stench of death; My will is Thine. Thy will be done On Turk and Bulgar, Czech and Hun!" II She understands. Where the dead headland flare Mocks sea and sand; Where death-lights shed their glare On No-Man's-Land. France takes her stand. Magnificently fair, The Flaming Brand Within her slender hand; Christ's lilies in her hair. III "Daughter of Grief, thy House is sand! Thy towers are falling athwart the land. They've flayed the earth to its ribs of chalk And over its bones the spectres stalk!" "Father, I see my high spires reel; My breast is scarred by the Hun's hoofed heel. What was, shall be! I read Thy sign: Thy ocean yawns for the smitten swine!" [pg viii] IV Then, from Verdun Pealed westward to the Somme From every gun God's summons: "Daughter! Come!" Then the red sun Stood still. Grew dumb The universal hum Of life, and numb The lips of Life, undone By Death.... And so—France won! V "Daughter of God, the End is here! The swine rush on: the sea is near! My wild flowers bloom on the trenches' edge; My little birds sing by shore and sedge." "Father, raise up my martyred land! Clothe her bones with Thy magic hand; Receive the Brand Thy angel lent, And stanch my blood with Thy sacrament." Contents I. FED UP II. MAROONED III. CUCKOO! IV. RECONNAISSANCE V. PARNASSUS VI. IN FINISTÈRE VII. THE AIRMAN VIII. EN OBSERVATION IX. L'OMBRE X. THE GHOULS XI. THE SEED OF DEATH XII. FIFTY-FIFTY XIII. MULETEERS XIV. LA PLOO BELLE XV. CARILLONETTE XVI. DJACK XVII. FRIENDSHIP XVIII. THE AVIATOR XIX. HONOUR XX. LA BRABANÇONNE XXI. THE GARDENER XXII. THE SUSPECT XXIII. MADAM DEATH XXIV. BUBBLES XXV. KAMERAD Advertisement Jacket Flap Text Advertisement [pg 1] FED UP So this is what…