‘I’ll gie thee ten punds for the gude horse, Weil tauld on thy cloak lap they shall be; And I’ll gie thee ane o’ the best milk kye, To maintain thy wife and children three.’-- LVIII ‘The shame speed the liars, my lord!’ quo’ Dickie; ‘Trow ye aye to make a fule o’ me! I’ll either hae twenty punds for the gude horse, Or he’s gae to Mortan Fair wi’ me.’-- LIX He’s gi’en him twenty punds for the gude horse, Baith in goud and gude monie; He’s gi’en him ane o’ his milk kye, To maintain his wife and children three. LX Then Dickie lap a loup[1256] fu’ hie, And I wat a loud laugh laughèd he: ‘I wish the neck o’ the third horse was broken, If ony of the twa were better than he!’ LXI Then Dickie’s come hame to his wife again; Judge ye how the puir fule had sped! He has gi’en her twa score English punds, For the three auld co’erlets ta’en aff her bed. LXII ‘And tak thee these twa as gude kye, I trow, as a’ thy three might be; And yet here is a white-footed nag, I trow he’ll carry baith thee and me. LXIII ‘But I may nae langer in Cumberland bide; The Armstrangs they would hang me hie.’-- So Dickie’s ta’en leave at lord and master, And at Burgh under Stanmuir dwells Dickie. FOOTNOTES: [1239] ryding = raiding. [1240] lither = _here an adverb_, vilely. [1241] aiblins = perchance. [1242] know = knop of the hill. [1243] Hairibee = the place of execution at Carlisle. [1244] breek thie = thigh-pocket of his breeches. [1245] dree = last, endure. [1246] plain = complain. [1247] batts = beating. [1248] grit = great i. e. his heart swelled so. [1249] dought to = could. [1250] mends = amends. [1251] tied wi’ St Mary’s knot = hamstrung. [1252] jack = short coat of mail. [1253] laigh = low. [1254] blan = checked, stopped. [1255] plummet = pommel. [1256] lap a loup = leapt a leap. _143. Hughie the Graeme_ I Gude Lord Scroope’s to the hunting gane, He has ridden o’er moss and muir; And he has grippit Hughie the Graeme, For stealing o’ the Bishop’s mare. II ‘Now, good Lord Scroope, this may not be! Here hangs a broadsword by my side; And if that thou canst conquer me, The matter it may soon be tryed.’-- III ‘I ne’er was afraid of a traitor thief; Although thy name be Hughie the Graeme, I’ll make thee repent thee of thy deeds, If God but grant me life and time.’-- IV ‘Then do your worst now, good Lord Scroope, And deal your blows as hard as you can! It shall be tried within an hour, Which of us two is the better man.’-- V But as they were dealing their blows so free, And both so bloody at the time, Over the moss came ten yeomen so tall, All for to take brave Hughie the Graeme. VI