O then bespake her youngest son, Sat on the nourice' knee; Says, "Mither dear, gie owre this house, For the reek it smothers me." "I wad gie a' my gowd, my bairn, Sae wad I a' my fee, For ae blast o' the westlin' wind, To blaw the reek frae thee!" O then bespake her daughter dear-- She was baith jimp and sma'-- "O row me in a pair o' sheets, And tow me owre the wa'." They rowed her in a pair o' sheets, And towed her owre the wa'; But on the point o' Gordon's spear She gat a deadly fa'. O bonnie, bonnie was her mouth, And cherry were her cheeks; And clear, clear was her yellow hair, Whereon the red blude dreeps. Then wi' his spear he turned her owre, O gin her face was wan! He said, "You are the first that e'er I wish'd alive again." He turned her owre and owre again, O gin her skin was white! "I might hae spared that bonnie face, To hae been some man's delight. "Busk and boun, my merry men a', For ill dooms I do guess; I canna look on that bonnie face, As it lies on the grass!" "Wha looks to freits, my master deir, It's freits will follow them; Let it ne'er be said that Edom o' Gordon Was dauntit by a dame." But when the lady saw the fire Come flaming owre her head, She wept, and kiss'd her children twain, Says, "Bairns, we been but dead." The Gordon then his bugle blew, And said, "Awa', awa'; The house o' the Rodes is a' in a flame, I hold it time to ga'." O then bespied her ain dear lord, As he came owre the lee; He saw his castle all in a lowe, Sae far as he could see. "Put on, put on, my wichty men, As fast as ye can dri'e; For he that is hindmost of the thrang, Shall ne'er get gude o' me!" Then some they rade, and some they ran, Fu' fast out-owre the bent; But ere the foremost could win up, Baith lady and babes were brent. He wrang his hands, he rent his hair, And wept in teenfu' mood; "Ah, traitors! for this cruel deed, Ye shall weep tears of blude." And after the Gordon he has gane, Sae fast as he might dri'e, And soon i' the Gordon's foul heart's blude, He's wroken his fair ladie. * * * * * KINMONT WILLIE. O have ye na heard o' the fause Sakelde? O have ye na heard o' the keen Lord Scroope? How they hae ta'en bauld Kinmont Willie, On Haribee to hang him up? Had Willie had but twenty men, But twenty men as stout as he, Fause Sakelde had never the Kinmont ta'en, Wi' eight score in his companie. They band his legs beneath the steed, They tied his hands behind his back; They guarded him, fivesome on each side, And they brought him ower the Liddel-rack. They led him thro' the Liddel-rack, And also thro' the Carlisle sands; They brought him on to Carlisle castle, To be at my Lord Scroope's commands. "My hands are tied, but my tongue is free, And wha will dare this deed avow? Or answer by the Border law? Or answer to the bauld Buccleuch?"