Canto I. br br XXVIII. br br The day had fled, the moon arose, br Night straight began with evening's close-- br A night whose calm and silvery sheen br Befitted well the wild yapeen.1 br Within the circle of the camp br Blazed the clear fire, while measured tramp br Of dancing warriors shook the ground, br To song and time-sticks' throbbing sound. br There twice two hundred feet advanced, br There twice a hundred malkas2 glanced br Bright in the moon, that silvered o'er br The arms that all those malkas bore. br Wild the device, and strange the sign br That stared in many a snowy line br From beaming face and heaving breast, br And limbs that seldom paused to rest; br Whilst all the rib-like lines laid on, br Made each man seem a skeleton. br Nodded the feathers from the red br And netted band that bound each head, br And hoarsely rustling leaves of trees br Shook round dark ankles in the breeze. br The singers with their time-sticks rang br The cadence of the song they sang; br And every face and limb below, br And tree above them, caught the glow br That spread from camp-fire's rising blaze, br Lighting the yapeen's wond'rous maze br Of feet and ankles in the dance br With fitful gleam or twinkling glance. br br XXIX br br Conspicuous 'mid the dancing crowd, br Whose ranks alternate swayed and bowed, br Shone Mamba, tricked with wild design, br And symbol traced in waving line. br No limbs more active wore the green br At yon great Ghim-boboke3 yapeen; br And no two arms more graceful there br In circling motion cleft the air br Than his--and his the eagle-eye br Inspiring all the minstrelsy. br The young and old in groups around br Drank in the sight, the joy, the sound; br And Mamba's form throughout the dance br Attraced every wondering glance.