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 72 BALLADS

Upon the morn that thou's to die? '
 * O sleep ye, wake ye, Kinmont Willie,

'O I sleep saft, and I wake aft;

It's lang since sleeping was fleyed frae me ! Gie my service back to my wife and bairns,

And a' gude fellows that spier for me.'

Then Red Rowan has hente him up,

The starkest man in Teviotdale : 'Abide, abide now, Red Rowan,

Till of my Lord Scroope I take farewell.

Farewell, farewell, my gude Lord Scroope !

My gude Lord Scroope, farewell ! ' he cried; 'I'll pay you for my lodging maill,

When first we meet on the Border side.'

Then shoulder high with shout and cry We bore him down the ladder lang;

At every stride Red Rowan made,

I wot the Kinmont's aims played clang.

'O mony a time,' quo' Kinmont Willie, 'I have ridden horse baith wild and wood;

But a rougher beast than Red Rowan I ween my legs have ne'er bestrode.

And mony a time,' quo' Kinmont Willie, 'I've pricked a horse out oure the furs;

But since the day I backed a steed, I never wore sic cumbrous spurs ! '

We scarce had won the Staneshaw-Bank When a' the Carlisle bells were rung,

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