‘But will ye stay till the day gae down, Until the night come owre the grund, And I’ll be a guide worth ony twa That may in Liddesdale be found. XII ‘Tho’ dark the night as pick[1199] and tar, I’ll guide ye owre yon hills sae hie, And bring ye a’ in safety back, If you will be true and follow me.’ XIII He has guided them owre moss and muir, O’er hill and houp[1200], and mony a down, Til they came to the Foulbogshiel, And there brave Noble he lighted down. XIV Then word is gane to the Land-sergeant, In Askerton where that he lay: ‘The deer that ye hae hunted sae lang Is seen into the Waste this day.’-- XV ‘Then Hobbie Noble is that deer; I wat he carries the style fu’ hie! Aft has he beat your slough-hounds[1201] back, And set yourselves at little eie[1202]. XVI ‘Gar warn the bows of Hartlie-burn, See they sharp their arrows on the wa’! Warn Willeva and Spear Edom, And see the morn they meet me a’. XVII ‘Gar meet me on the Rodric-haugh, And see it be by break o’ day; And we will on to Conscouthart Green, For there, I think, we’ll get our prey.’ XVIII Then Hobbie Noble has dreamit a dream, In the Foulbogshiel where that he lay; He thought his horse was aneath him shot, And he himself got hard away. XIX The cocks could craw, and the day could daw’, And I wat sae even down fell the rain; Had Hobbie na waken’d at that time, In the Foulbogshiel he’d been ta’en or slain. XX ‘Get up, get up, my feiries five, For I wat here makes a fu’ ill day; And the warst clock[1203] of this companie I hope shall cross the Waste this day. XXI Now Hobbie thought the gates were clear, But, ever alas! it was not sae; They were beset wi’ cruel men and keen, That away brave Noble could not gae. XXII ‘Yet follow me, my feiries five, And see of me ye keep good array; And the worst clock of this companie I hope shall cross the Waste this day.’ XXIII There was heaps of men now Hobbie before, And other heaps was him behin’, That had he been wight as Wallace was Away brave Noble he could not win. XXIV Then Hobbie he had but a laddie’s sword, But he did more than a laddie’s deed; Till in the midst of Conscouthart Green, He brake it o’er Jers-a-Wigham’s head. XXV Now they have ta’en brave Hobbie Noble, Wi’ his ain bowstring they band him sae; And I wat his heart was neer sae sair As when his ain five band him on the brae. XXVI They have ta’en him on for West Carlisle; They ask’d him if he kenn’d the way; Whate’er he thought, yet little he said; He knew that gate as well as they. XXVII