Part 18

“Maybe grand-father would know,” said Fred. “Let’s ask him.”

They found their grand-father writing in the next room. They did not wish to disturb him. They turned to leave the room.

But grand-father looked up just then. He smiled, and laid down his pen.

“Did you want something?” he asked. “We wanted to ask you a question,” said Alice. “We want to know why people say, ‘Don’t give up the ship.’”

“We thought maybe there is a story to it,” said Fred.

“Yes, there is,” said their grandfather. “And I know a little rhyme that tells the story.”

“Could you say it to us?” asked Alice.

“Yes, if I can think of it. Let me see. How does it begin?”

Grandfather leaned his head back in the chair. He shut his eyes for a moment. He was trying to remember.

“Oh, now I remember it!” he said.

Then he said to them these little verses:—

GRANDFATHER’S RHYME.

When I was but a boy, I heard the people tell How gallant Captain Law-rence So bravely fought and fell.

The ships lay close together, I heard the people say, And many guns were roaring Upon that battle day.

A grape-shot struck the captain, He laid him down to die: They say the smoke of powder Made dark the sea and sky.

The sailors heard a whisper Upon the captain’s lip: The last command of Law-rence Was, “Don’t give up the ship.”

And ever since that battle The people like to tell How gallant Captain Lawrence So bravely fought and fell.

When disappointment happens, And fear your heart annoys, Be brave, like Captain Lawrence— And don’t give up, my boys!

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER.

Everybody in the United States has heard the song about the star-span-gled banner. Nearly everybody has sung it. It was written by Francis Scott Key.

Key was a young lawyer. In the War of 1812 he fought with the American army. The British landed soldiers in Mary-land. At Bla-dens-burg they fought and beat the Americans. Key was in this battle on the American side.

After the battle the British army took Washington, and burned the public buildings. Key had a friend who was taken prisoner by the British. He was on one of the British ships. Key went to the ships with a flag of truce. A flag of truce is a white flag. It is carried in war when one side sends a message to the other.

When Key got to the British ships, they were sailing to Bal-ti-more. They were going to try to take Bal-ti-more. The British com-mand-er would not let Key go back. He was afraid that he would let the Americans know where the ships were going.

Key was kept a kind of prisoner while the ships attacked Bal-ti-more. The ships tried to take the city by firing at it from the water. The British army tried to take the city on the land side.

The ships did their worst firing at night. They tried to take the little fort near the city.

Key could see the battle. He watched the little fort. He was afraid that the men in it would give up. He was afraid that the fort would be broken down by the cannon balls.

The British fired bomb-shells and rockets at the fort. When these burst, they made a light. By this light Key could see that the little fort was still standing. He could see the flag still waving over it. He tells this in his song in these words:—

“And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”