29. We crept on knees, and held our breath, Till we placed the ladders against the wa'; And sae ready was Buccleuch himsell

To mount the first before us a'.

30. He has ta'en the watchman by the throat, He flung him down upon the lead

'Had there not been peace between our lands, Upon the other side thou hadst gaed!

31. 'Now sound out, trumpets!' quo' Buccleuch; 'Let's waken Lord Scroope right merrilie!' Then loud the Warden's trumpet blew O wha dare meddle wi' me?

32. Then speedilie to wark we gaed,

And raised the slogan ane and a',
And cut a hole through a sheet of lead,
And so we wan to the castle ha'.

33. They thought King James and a' his men
Had won the house wi' bow and spear;
It was but twenty Scots and ten,
That put a thousand in sic a stear!

34. Wi' coulters, and wi' forehammers,
We gar'd the bars bang merrilie,
Until we came to the inner prison,
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lie.

35. And when we cam to the lower prison,
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lie
'O sleep ye, wake ye, Kinmont Willie,
Upon the morn that thou's to die?'—

36. 'OI sleep saft, and I wake aft;

It's lang since sleeping was fley'd frae me! Gie my service back to my wife and bairns, And a' gude fellows that spier for me.'

37. The Red Rowan has hente him up,
The starkest man in Teviotdale
'Abide, abide now, Red Rowan,

Till of my Lord Scroope I take farewell.

38. 'Farewell, farewell, my gude Lord Scroope! My gude Lord Scroope, farewell!' he cried; I'll pay you for my lodging mail,

When first we meet on the Border side.'

39. Then shoulder high, with shout and cry, We bore him down the ladder lang; At every stride Red Rowan made,

I wot the Kinmont's airns play'd clang!

40. 'O mony a time,' quo' Kinmont Willie,
I have ridden horse baith wild and wood;
But a rougher beast than Red Rowan
I ween my legs have ne'er bestrode.

41. 'And mony a time,' quo' Kinmont Willie, 'I've prick'd a horse out oure the furs;

But since the day I back'd a steed,

I never wore sic cumbrous spurs!'

42. We scarce had won the Staneshaw-bank
When a' the Carlisle bells were rung,
And a thousand men on horse and foot
Cam wi' the keen Lord Scroope along.

43. Buccleuch has turn'd to Eden Water,
Even where it flow'd frae bank to brim,
And he has plunged in wi' a' his band,
And safely swam them through the stream.

44. He turn'd him on the other side,

And at Lord Scroope his glove flung he; 'If ye like na my visit in merry England, In fair Scotland come visit me!'

45. All sore astonish'd stood Lord Scroope,
He stood as still as rock of stane;
He scarcely dared to trew his eyes,

When through the water they had gane.

46. 'He is either himsell a devil frae hell,
Or else his mother a witch maun be;

I wadna have ridden that wan water
For a' the gowd in Christentie.'

HUGHIE THE GRAEME

I. GUDE Lord Scroope's to the hunting gane,
He has ridden o'er moss and muir;
And he has grippit Hughie the Graeme,
For stealing o' the Bishop's mare.

2. 'Now, good Lord Scroope, this may not be! Here hangs a broadsword by my side;

And if that thou canst conquer me,
The matter it may soon be tryed.'-

3. 'I ne'er was afraid of a traitor thief;
Although thy name be Hughie the Graeme,
I'll make thee repent thee of thy deeds,
If God but grant me life and time.'-

4. 'Then do your worst now, good Lord Scroope, And deal your blows as hard as you can! It shall be tried within an hour,

Which of us two is the better man.'

5. But as they were dealing their blows so free, And both so bloody at the time,

Over the moss came ten yeomen so tall,

All for to take brave Hughie the Graeme.

6. Then they hae grippit Hughie the Graeme, And brought him up through Carlisle town:

The lasses and lads stood on the walls, Crying, 'Hughie the Graeme, thou'se ne'er gae down!'

7. Then they hae chosen a jury of men,
The best that were in Carlisle town;
And twelve of them cried out at once,
'Hughie the Graeme, thou must gae down!'

8. Then up bespak him gude Lord Hume
As he sat by the judge's knee;
'Twenty white owsen, my gude lord,

If you'll grant Hughie the Graeme to me.'

9. 'O no, O no, my gude Lord Hume!
For sooth and sae it mauna be;

For, were there but three Graemes of the name,
They suld be hangèd a' for me.'—-

IO. 'Twas up and spake the gude Lady Hume,
As she sat by the judge's knee;

'A peck of white pennies, my gude lord judge,
If you'll grant Hughie the Graeme to me!'-

II. O no, O no, my gude Lady Hume,

For sooth and so it mist na be;

Were he but the one Graeme of the name,
He suld be hangèd high for me.'--

12. 'If I be guilty,' said Hughie the Graeme,
'Of me my friends shall have small talk';