Still as a mouse lies Bill with his face Low down in the dark sweet gold, While this monster turns round in the leaf-fringed space! Then--taking a good firm hold, As the skipper descending the cabin-stair, Tail-first with a vast slow tread, Solemnly, softly, cometh this Bear Straight down o'er the Bo'sun's head. _Chorus:_ Solemnly--slowly--cometh this Bear, Tail-first o'er the Bo'sun's head. Nearer--nearer--then all Bill's breath Out-bursts in one leap and yell! And this Bear thinks, "Now am I gripped from beneath By a roaring devil from hell!" And madly Bill clutches his brown bow-legs, And madly this Bear doth hale, With his little red eyes fear-mad for the skies And Bill's teeth fast in his tail! _Chorus:_ Small wonder a Bear should quail! To have larded his nose, to have greased his eyes, And be stung at the last in his tail. Pull, Bo'sun! Pull, Bear! In the hot sweet gloom, Pull Bruin, pull Bill, for the skies! Pull--out of their gold with a bombard's boom Come Black Bill's honeyed thighs! Pull! Up! Up! Up! with a scuffle and scramble, To that little blue ring of bliss, This Bear doth go with our Bo'sun in tow Stinging his tail, I wis. _Chorus:_ And this Bear thinks--"Many great bees I know, But there never was Bee like this!" All in the gorgeous death of day We had slipped from our emerald creek, And our _Cloud i' the Sun_ was careening away With the old gay flag at the peak, When, suddenly, out of the purple wood, Breast-high thro' the lilies there danced A tall lean figure, black as a nigger, That shouted and waved and pranced! _Chorus:_ A gold-greased figure, but black as a nigger, Waving his shirt as he pranced! "'Tis Hylas! 'Tis Hylas!" our chaplain flutes, And our skipper he looses a shout! "'Tis Bill! Black Bill, in his old sea-boots! _Stand by to bring her about! Har-r-rd a-starboard!"_ And round we came, With a lurch and a dip and a roll, And a banging boom thro' the rose-red gloom For our old Black Bo'sun's soul! _Chorus:_ Alive! Not dead! Tho' behind his head He'd a seraphin's aureole!