“我要走了，比利，老伙计。嘘,小伙子!不要制造噪音。有波什击败所有的创造，一个炸弹的pitch away。我已经把纸条系在你的项圈上了，你必须回到我的孩子们那里去，你必须在天亮之前回去警告他们。”向地图上标出的战壕前进的命令来了;我知道那些铜帽犯了错误，我知道，我也告诉了他们。我知道如果我照他们说的做，我就会掉进陷阱，我试着解释，但答案像手枪一样响了起来:“走。”接着，我想起了我指挥的孩子们——我总是称他们为“我的孩子们”——他们是我自己招募的人，是我乡下的孩子;我经历了许多战斗的考验，知道他们的悲欢离合，我像父亲一样爱他们，比父亲的骄傲更爱他们。 To march my Boys to a shambles as soon as the dawn of day; To see them helplessly slaughtered, if all that I guessed was true; My Boys that trusted me blindly, I thought and I tried to pray, And then I arose and I muttered: "It's either them or it's you." I rose and I donned my rain-coat; I buckled my helmet tight. I remember you watched me, Billy, as I took my cane in my hand; I vaulted over the sandbags into the pitchy night, Into the pitted valley that served us as No Man's Land. I strode out over the hollow of hate and havoc and death, From the heights the guns were angry, with a vengeful snarling of steel; And once in a moment of stillness I heard hard panting breath, And I turned . . . it was you, old rascal, following hard on my heel. I fancy I cursed you, Billy; but not so much as I ought! And so we went forward together, till we came to the valley rim, And then a star-shell sputtered . . . it was even worse than I thought, For the trench they told me to move in was packed with Boche to the brim. They saw me too, and they got me; they peppered me till I fell; And there I scribbled my message with my life-blood ebbing away; "Now, Billy, you fat old duffer, you've got to get back like hell; And get them to cancel that order before it's the dawn of day. "Billy, old boy, I love you, I kiss your shiny black nose; Now, home there. . . . Hurry, you devil, or I'll cut you to ribands. . . . See . . ." Poor brute! he's off! and I'm dying. . . . I go as a soldier goes. I'm happy. My Boys, God bless 'em! . . . It had to be them or me.