In Honour Of Those Fallen

A Friend of mine sent this to me. (Clive) I have to say it struck a chord. It seems so appropriate to post it on one of the Red Ensign Blogs.

In hounour of the four Mounties killed.

Constables Peter Schiemann, Brock Myrol, Anthony Gordon and Leo
Johnston.

Clancy of the Mounted Police.
by Robert Service.

Clancy of the Mounted Police.
by Robert Service.

In the little Crimson Manual it's written plain and clear

That who would wear the scarlet coat, shall say good-bye to fear;

Shall be a guardian of the right, a sleuth hound on the trail

In the little Crimson Manual there is no such word as "fail"

Shall follow on though heavens fall, or hell's top turrets freeze,

Half round the world, if need there be, on bleeding hands and knees.

It's duty, duty, first and last, the Crimson Manual saith;

The Scarlet Rider makes reply "It's duty -- to the death."

And so they sweep the solitudes, free men from all the earth;

And so they sentinel the woods, the wilds that know their worth;

And so they scour the startled plains and mock at hurt and pain,

And read their Crimson Manual and find their duty plain.

Knights of the lists of unrenown, born of the frontier's need,

Disdainful of the spoken word, exultant in the deed;

Unconscious heroes of the waste, proud players of the game,

Props of the power behind the throne, upholders of the name;

For thus the Great White Chief hath said, "In all my lands be peace,"

And to maintain his word he gave his West the Scarlet Police.