Francis James Child

“ For Michal of Windfield he is slain, and my son Jonny they have him tain.'
Up speaks Lord Mengertown and says, I have four and twenty yoke of oxen,
And four and twenty good milk-ky,
And three times as mony sheep,
And I'll gie them a' before my son Jonny die.
I will tak three men unto myself;
The Laird's Jack he shall be ane,
The Laird's Wat another,
For, Hobbie Noble, thow must be ane.
. . . . ”

“ Now they are come to New Castle gile:
Says they, Sleep thou, wakes thou, John o the Side?
Says he, Whiles I wake, but seldom sleep;
Who is there that knows my name so well?
Up speaks the Laird's Jack and says,
. . . .
Here is Jack and Watt and Hobby Noble,
Come this night to set thee free.
Up speaks John of the Side and says,
O hold thy tongue now, billy, and of thy talk now let me be;
For if a' Liddisdale were here this night,
The morn is the day that I must die.
For their is fifty stone of Spanish iron
Laid on me fast wee lock and key,
. . . .
. . . . ”

“ Up speaks the Laird's Watt and says-+--+-
The greatest coward of the companie-+--+-
. . . .
'Now, dear billies, the day is come that we must a' die.'
Up speaks the Laird's Jack and says, Poor cowardly thief,
They will never one die but him that's fee;
. . . .
Set the prisner on behind me.
So they have tain the water by ane and two,
Till they have got safe swumd through.
Be they wan safe a' through,
There were twenty men pursueing them from New Castle town. ”