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 and no put out a hand to revenge them? Our fathers didna do that, I trow."

"I am no saying ony thing against revenging Hobbie's wrang, puir chield; but we maun take the law wi' us in thae days, Simon," answered the more prudent elder.

"And, besides," said another old man, "I dinna believe there's ane now living that kens the lawful mode of following fray across the Border. Tam o' Whittram kenn'd a' about it, but he died in the hard winter."

"Ay," said a third, "he was at the great gathering when they chased as far as Thirlwall—it was the year after the fight at Philiphaugh."

"Hout!" exclaimed another of these discording counsellors, "there's nae great skill needed; just put a lighted peat on the end of a spear, or hay-fork, or something, and blaw a horn, and cry the gathering-word, and then it's lawful to follow gear into England, and recover it by the strong hand, or to take gear frae some other Englishman, providing ye lift nae