ind blew up from Pernambuco,
(Yeo heave ho! the _Laughing Sally_!
Hi yeo, heave away!)
A wind blew out of the east-sou'-east
And boomed at the break of day. 5

The _Laughing Sally_ sped for her life,
And a speedy craft was she.
The black flag flew at her top to tell
How she took toll of the sea.

The wind blew up from Pernambuco; 10
And in the breast of the blast
Came the King's black ship like a hound let slip
On the trail of the _Sally_ at last.

For a day and a night, a night and a day;
Over the blue, blue round, 15
Went on the chase of the pirate quarry,
The hunt of the tireless hound.

"Land on the port bow!" came the cry;
And the _Sally_ raced for shore,
Till she reached the bar at the river-mouth 20
Where the shallow breakers roar.

She passed the bar by a secret channel
With clear tide under her keel,--
For he knew the shoals like an open book,
The captain at the wheel. 25

She passed the bar, she sped like a ghost,
Till her sails were hid from view
By the tall, liana'd, unsunned boughs
O'erbrooding the dark bayou.

At moonrise up to the river-mouth 30
Came the King's black ship of war,
The red cross flapped in wrath at her peak,
But she could not cross the bar.

And while she lay in the run of the seas,
By the grimmest whim of chance, 35
Out of the bay to the north came forth
Two battle-ships of France.

On the English ship the twain bore down
Like wolves that range by night;
And the breakers' roar was heard no more 40
In the thunder of the fight.

The crash of the broadsides rolled and stormed
To the _Sally_ hid from view
Under the tall liana'd boughs
Of the moonless dark bayou. 45

A boat ran out for news of the fight,
And this was the word she brought--
"The King's ship fights the ships of France
As the King's ships all have fought!"

Then muttered the mate, "I'm a man of Devon!" 50
And the captain thundered then--
"There's English rope that bides for our necks,
But we all be Englishmen!"

The _Sally_