The Hemp

    （A Virginia Legend.）

    Captain Hawk² scourged³ clean the seas

    （Black is the gap below the plank⁴）

    From the Great North Bank to the Caribbees

    （Down by the marsh⁶ the hemp grows rank）。

    His fear was on the seaport⁷ towns，

    The weight of his hand held hard the downs.

    And the merchants cursed him， bitter and black，

    For a red flame in the sea-fog's wrack⁸

    Was all of their ships that might come back.

    For all he had one word alone，

    One clod of dirt in their faces thrown，

    "The hemp that shall hang me is not grown！"

    His name bestrode the seas like Death.

    The waters trembled at his breath.

    This is the tale of how he fell，

    Of the long sweep and the heavy swell⁹，

    And the rope that dragged him down to hell.

    The fight was done， and the gutted¹⁰ ship，

    Stripped like a shark the sea-gulls strip，

    Lurched blindly， eaten out with flame，

    Back to the land from where she came，

    A skimming horror， an eyeless shame.

    And Hawk stood upon his quarter-deck，

    And saw the sky and saw the wreck¹¹.

    Below， a butt¹² for sailors' jeers¹³，

    White as the sky when a white squall nears，

    Huddled¹⁴ the crowd of the prisoners.

    Over the bridge of the tottering¹⁵ plank，

    Where the sea shook and the gulf¹⁶ yawned blank，

    They shrieked¹⁸ and struggled and dropped and sank，

    Pinioned¹⁹ arms and hands bound fast.

    One girl alone was left at last.

    Sir Henry Gaunt was a mighty²⁰ lord.

    He sat in state at the Council board；

    The governors were as nought²¹ to him.

    From one rim²² to the other rim

    Of his great plantations²³， flung out wide

    Like a purple cloak， was a full month's ride.

    Life and death in his white hands lay，

    And his only daughter stood at bay，

    Trapped like a hare in the toils²⁴ that day.

    He sat at wine in his gold and his lace，

    And far away， in a bloody²⁵ place，

    Hawk came near， and she covered her face.

    He rode in the fields， and the hunt was brave，

    And far away his daughter gave

    A shriek¹⁷ that the seas cried out to hear，

    And he could not see and he could not save.

    Her white soul withered²⁶ in the mire²⁷

    As paper shrivels up in fire，

    And Hawk laughed， and he kissed her mouth，

    And her body he took for his desire.

    The Growing of the Hemp.

    Sir Henry stood in the manor²⁸ room，

    And his eyes were hard gems²⁹ in the gloom.

    And he said， "Go dig me furrows³⁰ five

    Where the green marsh creeps like a thing alive ——

    There at its edge， where the rushes thrive."

    And where the furrows rent the ground，

    He sowed the seed of hemp around.

    And the blacks shrink back and are sore afraid

    At the furrows five that rib⁵ the glade³¹，

    And the voodoo work of the master's spade.

    For a cold wind blows from the marshland near，

    And white things move， and the night grows drear，

    And they chatter³² and crouch³³ and are sick with fear.

    But down by the marsh， where the gray slaves glean³⁴，

    The hemp sprouts³⁵ up， and the earth is seen

    Veiled with a tenuous³⁶ mist of green.

    And Hawk still scourges³⁷ the Caribbees，

    And many men kneel at his knees.

    Sir Henry sits in his house alone，

    And his eyes are hard and dull like stone.

    And the waves beat， and the winds roar，

    And all things are as they were before.

    And the days pass， and the weeks pass，

    And nothing changes but the grass.

    But down where the fireflies are like eyes，

    And the damps shudder³⁸， and the mists rise，

    The hemp-stalks stand up toward the skies.

    And down from the poop of the pirate ship

    A body falls， and the great sharks grip.

    Innocent， lovely， go in grace！

    At last there is peace upon your face.

    And Hawk laughs loud as the corpse³⁹ is thrown，

    "The hemp that shall hang me is not grown！"

    Sir Henry's face is iron to mark，

    And he gazes ever in the dark.

    And the days pass， and the weeks pass，

    And the world is as it always was.

    But down by the marsh the sickles⁴⁰ beam，

    Glitter on glitter， gleam on gleam，

    And the hemp falls down by the stagnant⁴¹ stream.

    And Hawk beats up from the Caribbees，

    Swooping⁴² to pounce⁴³ in the Northern seas.

    Sir Henry sits sunk deep in his chair，

    And white as his hand is grown his hair.

    And the days pass， and the weeks pass，

    And the sands roll from the hour-glass.

    But down by the marsh in the blazing sun

    The hemp is smoothed and twisted and spun⁴⁴，

    The rope made， and the work done.

    The Using of the Hemp.

    Captain Hawk scourged clean the seas

    （Black is the gap below the plank）

    From the Great North Bank to the Caribbees

    （Down by the marsh the hemp grows rank）。

    He sailed in the broad Atlantic track，

    And the ships that saw him came not back.

    And once again， where the wide tides ran，

    He stooped to harry⁴⁵ a merchantman.

    He bade her stop. Ten guns spake true

    From her hidden ports， and a hidden crew，

    Lacking his great ship through and through.

    Dazed and dumb with the sudden death，

    He scarce had time to draw a breath

    Before the grappling-irons bit deep，

    And the boarders slew⁴⁶ his crew like sheep.

    Hawk stood up straight， his breast to the steel；

    His cutlass made a bloody wheel.

    His cutlass made a wheel of flame.

    They shrank before him as he came.

    And the bodies fell in a choking crowd，

    And still he thundered out aloud，

    "The hemp that shall hang me is not grown！"

    They fled at last. He was left alone.

    Before his foe⁴⁷ Sir Henry stood.

    "The hemp is grown， and my word made good！"

    And the cutlass clanged with a hissing⁴⁸ whir

    On the lashing⁴⁹ blade of the rapier.

    Hawk roared and charged like a maddened buck⁵⁰.

    As the cobra strikes， Sir Henry struck，

    Pouring his life in a single thrust，

    And the cutlass shivered to sparks and dust.

    Sir Henry stood on the blood-stained deck，

    And set his foot on his foe's neck.

    Then from the hatch， where the rent decks slope，

    Where the dead roll and the wounded grope，

    He dragged the serpent of the rope.

    The sky was blue， and the sea was still，

    The waves lapped softly， hill on hill，

    And between one wave and another wave

    The doomed⁵¹ man's cries were little and shrill⁵².

    The sea was blue， and the sky was calm；

    The air dripped with a golden balm.

    Like a wind-blown fruit between sea and sun，

    A black thing writhed⁵³ at a yard-arm.

    Slowly then， and awesomely⁵⁵，

    The ship sank， and the gallows-tree，

    And there was nought between sea and sun ——

    Nought but the sun and the sky and the sea.

    But down by the marsh where the fever breeds，

    Only the water chuckles⁵⁶ and pleads；

    For the hemp clings fast to a dead man's throat，

    And blind Fate gathers back her seeds.

    Poor Devil！

    Well， I was tired of life； the silly folk，

    The tiresome⁵⁷ noises， all the common things

    I loved once， crushed me with an iron yoke⁵⁸.

    I longed for the cool quiet and the dark，

    Under the common sod where louts and kings

    Lie down， serene⁵⁹， unheeding， careless， stark⁶⁰，

    Never to rise or move or feel again，

    Filled with the ecstasy⁶¹ of being dead. . . .

    I put the shining pistol to my head

    And pulled the trigger hard —— I felt no pain，

    No pain at all； the pistol had missed fire

    I thought； then， looking at the floor， I saw

    My huddled body lying there —— and awe⁵⁴

    Swept over me. I trembled —— and looked up.

    About me was —— not that， my heart's desire，

    That small and dark abode⁶² of death and peace ——

    But all from which I sought a vain release！

    The sky， the people and the staring sun

    Glared at me as before. I was undone⁶³.

    My last state ten times worse than was my first.

    Helpless I stood， befooled， betrayed， accursed，

    Fettered⁶⁴ to Life forever， horribly；

    Caught in the meshes⁶⁵ of Eternity⁶⁶，

    No further doors to break or bars to burst！