It fell about the Martinmas tyde, When our Border steeds get corn and hay, The Captain of Bewcastle bound him to ryde, And he’s ower to Tividale to drive a prey. II The first ae guide that they met wi’, It was high up in Hardhaughswire; The second guide that they met wi’, It was laigh[1221] down in Borthwick water. III ‘What tidings, what tidings, my trusty guide?’-- ‘Nae tidings, nae tidings, I hae to thee; But gin ye’ll gae to the fair Dodhead, Mony a cow’s cauf I’ll let thee see.’ IV And when they cam to the fair Dodhead, Right hastily they clam the peel[1222]; They loosed the kye out, ane and a’, And ranshackled the house right weel. V Now Jamie Telfer’s heart was sair, The tear aye rowing[1223] in his ee; He pled wi’ the Captain to hae his gear, Or else revengèd he wad be. VI The Captain turned him round and leugh; Said--‘Man, there’s naething in thy house, But ae auld sword without a sheath, That hardly now would fell a mouse.’ VII The sun wasna up, but the moon was down, It was the gryming[1224] of a new-fa’n snaw, Jamie Telfer has run ten myles a-foot, Between the Dodhead and the Stobs’s Ha’. VIII And when he cam to the fair tower-yate, He shouted loud, and cried weel hie, Till out bespak auld Gibby Elliot-- ‘Whae’s this that brings the fraye[1225] to me?’-- IX ‘It’s I, Jamie Telfer in the fair Dodhead, And a harried man I think I be! There’s naething left at the fair Dodhead, But a waefu’ wife and bairnies three.’ X ‘Gae seek your succour at Branksome Ha’, For succour ye’se get nane frae me! Gae seek your succour where ye paid black-mail, For, man, ye ne’er paid money to me.’-- XI Jamie has turned him round about, I wat the tear blinded his ee-- ‘I’ll ne’er pay mail to Elliot again, And the fair Dodhead I’ll never see. XII ‘My hounds may a’ rin masterless, My hawks may fly frae tree to tree, My lord may grip my vassal lands, For there again maun I never be!’-- XIII He has turn’d him to the Tiviot-side, E’en as fast as he could drie, Till he cam to the Coultart Cleugh, And there he shouted baith loud and hie. XIV Then up bespak him auld Jock Grieve, ‘Whae’s this that brings the fraye to me?’-- ‘It’s I, Jamie Telfer in the fair Dodhead, A harried man I trow I be. XV ‘There’s naething left in the fair Dodhead, But a greeting wife and bairnies three, And sax poor ca’s[1226] stand in the sta’, A’ routing loud for their minnie[1227].’-- XVI ‘Alack a wae!’ quo’ auld Jock Grieve, ‘Alack! my heart is sair for thee! For I was married on the elder sister, And you on the youngest of a’ the three.’ XVII