[Picture: Book Cover] SONGS OF ACTION BY A. CONAN DOYLE AUTHOR OF ‘MICAH CLARKE’ ‘THE WHITE COMPANY’ ‘RODNEY STONE’ ‘UNCLE BERNAC’ ETC. * * * * * _SEVENTH IMPRESSION_ * * * * * LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. 1916 * * * * * [All rights reserved] CONTENTS THE SONG OF THE BOW 1 CREMONA 4 THE STORMING PARTY 13 THE FRONTIER LINE 18 CORPORAL DICK’S PROMOTION 21 A FORGOTTEN TALE 28 PENNARBY MINE 31 A ROVER CHANTY 35 A BALLAD OF THE RANKS 40 A LAY OF THE LINKS 46 THE DYING WHIP 49 MASTER 61 H.M.S. ‘FOUDROYANT’ 63 THE FARNSHIRE CUP 67 THE GROOM’S STORY 77 WITH THE CHIDDINGFOLDS 88 A HUNTING MORNING 91 THE OLD GRAY FOX 96 ’WARE HOLES 101 THE HOME-COMING OF THE ‘EURYDICE’ 105 THE INNER ROOM 109 THE IRISH COLONEL 114 THE BLIND ARCHER 115 A PARABLE 118 A TRAGEDY 119 THE PASSING 121 THE FRANKLIN’S MAID 131 THE OLD HUNTSMAN 133 THE SONG OF THE BOW What of the bow? The bow was made in England: Of true wood, of yew-wood, The wood of English bows; So men who are free Love the old yew-tree And the land where the yew-tree grows. What of the cord? The cord was made in England: A rough cord, a tough cord, A cord that bowmen love; And so we will sing Of the hempen string And the land where the cord was wove. What of the shaft? The shaft was cut in England: A long shaft, a strong shaft, Barbed and trim and true; So we’ll drink all together To the grey goose-feather And the land where the grey goose flew. What of the mark? Ah, seek it not in England, A bold mark, our old mark Is waiting over-sea. When the strings harp in chorus, And the lion flag is o’er us, It is there that our mark will be. What of the men? The men were bred in England: The bowmen—the yeomen, The lads of dale and fell. Here’s to you—and to you! To the hearts that are true And the land where the true hearts dwell. CREMONA