_Ever the more, ever the more, We heard the winds and the waves roar! But he sailed on, sailed on before._ On Monday, at noon of the third fierce day A-board our _Golden Hynde_ he came, With a trail of blood, marking his way On the salt wet decks as he walked half-lame. For a rusty nail thro' his foot had pierced. "Come, master-surgeon, mend it for me; Though I would it were changed for the nails that amerced The dying thief upon Calvary." The surgeon bathed and bound his foot, And the master entreated him sore to stay; But roughly he pulled on his great sea-boot With--"The wind is rising and I must away!" I know not why so little a thing, When into his pinnace we helped him down, Should make our eyelids prick and sting As the salt spray were into them blown, But he called as he went--"Keep watch and steer By my lanthorn at night!" Then he waved his hand With a kinglier watch-word, "We are as near To heaven, my lads, by sea as by land!" _Ever the more, ever the more, We heard the gathering tempest roar! But he sailed on, sailed on before._ Three hundred leagues on our homeward road, We strove to signal him, swooping nigh, That he would ease his decks of their load Of nettings and fights and artillery. And dark and dark that night 'gan fall, And high the muttering breakers swelled, Till that strange fire which seamen call "Castor and Pollux," we beheld, An evil sign of peril and death, Burning pale on the high main-mast; But calm with the might of Gennesareth Our Admirall's voice went ringing past, Clear thro' the thunders, far and clear, Mighty to counsel, clear to command, Joyfully ringing, "We are as near To heaven, my lads, by sea as by land!" _Ever the more, ever the more, We heard the rising hurricane roar! But he sailed on, sailed on before._ And over us fled the fleet of the stars, And, ever in front of us, far or nigh, The lanthorn on his cross-tree spars Dipped to the Pit or soared to the Sky! 'Twould sweep to the lights of Charles's Wain, As the hills of the deep 'ud mount and flee. Then swoop down vanishing cliffs again To the thundering gulfs of the Ocean-sea. We saw it shine as it swooped from the height, With ruining breakers on every hand, Then--a cry came out of the black mid-night, _As near to heaven by sea as by land!_ And the light was out! Like a wind-blown spark; All in a moment! And we--and we-- Prayed for his soul as we swept thro' the dark: For he was a Knight of the Ocean-sea. _Over our fleets for evermore The winds 'ull triumph and the waves roar! But he sails on, sails on before!_