In the city of Peking, with its ancient walls of brick, And ite streets for mud and filth afer renowned, We have been besieged for weeks by a beastly Chinese tic And the buildings all around us burned to ground, Chorus: Tramp, tramp, tramp, the troops Cheer up, comrades, they wil come, And beneath our various flags we shall breathe fresh air again, In the Freeland of our own be-Joved home, Here are diplomats galore representing foreign Powe And they cause the T-engli Yanén auxioas cure, They will neither march straight home, nor reside mid fruit and flowers At the Yamen, though they"ve been invited there.
Chorus.
From all nations have we come on a peaceful mission bent, Be it preaching, Customs, banking, or what China Warted not our help, so she stupidly has sent, For the Boxers to exterminate the lot, Chorus.
They have poured in shot and shell, with an aim so far from ta That most of us still live to tell the tal, Six-pound shot and shrapnel fierce, walls and barracks have passed through, every wild attack they always fail.
Chorus. yo 40) brave marines who have borne fatigue and pai And have seen some scores of captives fall in death, And we feel' it certain sure that no enemy can gain, Our strong fortress while these men have vital br-ath.
Chorus.
We have rice and corn and wheat, store of grain for weeks to come, Pony-steak and stew we find not bad to eat. Why weed we at all to count on Imperial favous' crumb, Belt water-melons, squashes, or fresh meat?
Chorus.
We've a cannon old and tried from a tin-shop sored by chance, Which we fire on the enemy with glee. When they first did hear it roar, bow it made them hop and dance, For our Bet: is a wonder for to sec.
Char:
We've been kept in best of cheer by the faithful ladies fair, Who have worked with might and main to help the men, Of the wounded and the sick they have taken best of care, And have made a million sandbags, lacking ten.
Chorus.
News from Tientsin cheers our hearts that our troops are on the way, Three and thirty thousand men of valour tried, Sein joyful hope we wait, sure th t they will bring the day Of relief to us amd de: th to Chinese pride.
Chorus: Tramp, tramp, tramp, the troops.
are marching, Cueer up comrades, they will come, And beneath our various flags we shall breathe fresh air again, In the Freeland of our own' beloved home.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.