They band his legs beneath the steed, They tied his hands behind his' back; They guarded him, five some 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 to Carlisle castle, To be at my Lord Scroope's commands. (_band,_ bound.) "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?" "Now haud thy tongue, thou rank reiver! There's never a Scot shall set thee free: Before ye cross my castle yate, I trow ye shall take farewell o' me." "Fear na ye that, my lord," quo' Willy: "By the faith o' my body, Lord Scroope," he said, "I never yet lodged in a hostelry, But I paid my lawing before I gaed." Now word is gane to the bauld Keeper, In Branksome Ha' where that he lay, That Lord Scroope has ta'en the Kinmont Willy, Between the hours of night and day. He has ta'en the table wi' his hand, He gar'd the red wine spring on high-- "Now Christ's curse on my head," he said, "But avenged of Lord Scroope I'll be! "O is my basnet a widow's curch? Or my lance a wand of the willow-tree? Or my arm a lady's lily hand, That an English lord should lightly me! (_reiver_, robber. _yate_, gate. _lawing,_ reckoning. _basnet_, helmet. _curch_, kerchief.) "And have they ta en him, Kinmont Willy, Against the truce of Border tide, And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch Is keeper there on the Scottish side? "And have they e en ta en him, Kinmont Willy, Withouten either dread or fear, And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch Can back a steed, or shake a spear? "O were there war between the lands, As well I wot that there is none, I would slight Carlisle castle high, Though it were builded of marble stone. "I would set that castle in a low, And sloken it with English blood! There's never a man in Cumberland, Should ken where Carlisle castle stood. "But since nae war's between the lands, And there is peace, and peace should be; I'll neither harm English lad or lass, And yet the Kinmont freed shall be!" He has call'd him forty Marchmen bauld, I trow they were of his ain name, Except Sir Gilbert Elliot, call'd The Laird of Stobs, I mean the same. (_slight_, i.e., make little of. _sloken_, slake.) He has call'd him forty Marchmen bauld, Were kinsmen to the bauld Buccleuch; With spur on heel, and splent on spauld, And gloves of green, and feathers blue. There were five and five before them a', Wi' hunting-horns and bugles bright: And five and five came wi' Buccleuch, Like warden's men, array'd for fight. And five and five, like a mason-gang, That carried the ladders lang and high; And five and five, like broken men;