"The deer rins wild on hill and dale, The birds fly wild from tree to tree; But there is neither bread nor kale, To fend my men and me. "Yet I will stay at Otterbourne, Where you shall welcome be; And if ye come not at three days end, A fause lord I'll ca' thee." "Thither will I come," proud Percy said, "By the might of Our Lady!" "There will I bide thee," said the Douglas, "My troth I plight to thee." They lighted high on Otterbourne, Upon the bent sae brown; They lighted high on Otterbourne, And threw their pallions down. And he that had a bonnie boy, Sent out his horse to grass; And he that had not a bonnie boy, His ain servant he was. But up then spake a little page, Before the peep of dawn-- "O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord, For Percy's hard at hand." (_kale_, broth. _fend_, keep, support. _bent_, field. _pallions_, pavilions, tents.) "Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud! Sae loud I hear ye lie: For Percy had not men yestreen To dight my men and me. "But I have dream'd a dreary dream, Beyond the 'Isle of Sky; I saw a dead man win a fight, And I think that man was I." He belted on his guid braid sword, And to the field he ran; But he forgot the helmet good, That should have kept his brain. When Percy wi' the Douglas met, I wat he was fu' fain; They swakked their swords, till sair they swat, And the blood ran down like rain. But Percy with his guid braid sword, That could so sharply wound, Has wounded Douglas on the brow, Till he fell to the ground. Then he called on his little foot-page, And said--"Run speedily, And fetch my ain dear sister's son, Sir Hugh Montgomery. (_swakked_, smote.) "My nephew good," the Douglas said, "What recks the death of ane! Last night I dream'd a dreary dream, And I ken the day's thy ain. "My wound is deep; I fain would sleep; Take thou the vanguard of the three, And hide me by the bracken bush, That grows on yonder lily lea. "O bury me by the bracken bush, Beneath the blooming briar, Let never living mortal ken That ere a kindly Scot lies here." He lifted up that noble lord, Wi' the saut tear in his ee; He hid him in the bracken bush, That his merry-men might not see. The moon was clear, the day drew near, The spears in flinders flew, But mony a gallant Englishman Ere day the Scotsmen slew. The Gordons good, in English blood They steeped their hose and shoon; The Lindsays flew like fire about, Till all the fray was done. (_finders_, fragments.) [Illustration: 0235] The Percy and Montgomery met, That either of other were fain; They swapped swords, and they twa swat, And aye the blood ran down between. "Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy," he said, "Or else I vow I'll lay thee low!"