Tharfor thair host but mair abaid Buskit, and evin anent thaim raid, And on othir half the watter of Wer Gert stent thair palyheownys, als neir As that befor stentit war thai. 515 Aucht dayis on bath halffis swa thai lay, That Inglis men durst nocht assale The Scottys men with playne battale, For strinth of erd that thai had ther. Thar wes ilk day justyng of wer, 520 And scrymmyng maid full apertly, And men tane on ather party. And thai that tane war on a day On ane othir changit war thai. Bot othir dedis nane war done, 525 That gretly is apone till mone; Quhill it fell, on the nynt day, The lord Dowglas had spyit a way, How that he mycht about thame ryd, And cum apon the ferrest syd. 530 And at evyn him purvayit he, And tuk with him a gude menyhe, Fyve hundreth on hors, wicht and hardy; And in the nycht, all prevely, For-out noyis so fer he raid, 535 Quhill that he neir enveremyt had Thar host, and on the ferrer syd Toward thame slely can he ryd, And half the men that with hym war He gert in hand have suerdis bar; 540 And bad thaim hew rapys in twa, That thai the pailyhownys mycht ma To fall on thaim that in thaim war. Than suld the laiff, that forouth ar, Stab doune with speres sturdely. 545 And, quhen thai herd his horne, in hy To the wattir hald doun the way. Quhen this wes said that I here say, Toward thair fais fast thai raid, That on that syd no wachis had. 550 And as thai neir war approchand, Ane Inglis man, that lay bekand Hym by a fyre, said to his feir, “I wat nocht quhat may tyd us heir, “Bot a richt gret growyng me tais; 555 “I dred me sair for the blak Dowglas.” And he, that herd him, said, ‘Perfay, ‘Thou sall haf caus, gif that I may!’ [527: E _sevynd_. H _nynth_.] [533: C _wes richt hardy_ (S). H as E.] [544: E _folowit thar_.]