"There passed a weary time. Each throat The ancient Ma-

TX i i i i « . riner beholdeth a

Was parched, and glazed each eye. „¡gnintneele.

A weary time! a weary time! ment afar off.
How glazed each weary eye,
When looking westward, I beheld
A something in the sky.

"At first it seemed a little speck,
And then it seemed a mist;
It moved and moved, and took at last
A certain shape, I wist.

"A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist!
And still it neared and neared:
As if it dodged a water-sprite,
It plunged and tacked and veered.

At its nearer approach, it seemeth him to be a ship; and at a dear ransom he freeth his speech from the bonds of thirst.

"With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,

We could nor laugh nor wail;

Through utter drought all dumb we stood!

I bit my arm, I sucked the blood,

And cried, A sail! a sail!

"With throats unslaked, with black lips baked Agape they heard me call: A flash of joy, Gramercy! they for joy did grin,

And all at once their breath drew in,
As they were drinking all.

And horror for- "See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!

lows. For can it тт- i . i i

be a ship that Hither to work us weal;

comes onward Without a breeze, without a tide,

without wind or ''

,ide' She steadies with upright keel!

"The western wave was all a-flame,
The day was well-nigh done!