"
"Whisht! haud your tongues, daft callants," said an old man, "ye dinna
ken what ye speak about. What! wad ye raise war atween two pacificated
countries?"
"And what signifies deaving us wi' tales about our fathers," retorted
the young; man, "if we're to sit and see our friends' houses burnt ower
their heads, and no put out hand to revenge them? Our fathers did not do
that, I trow?"
"I am no saying onything 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 a fray across the Border.
Tam o' Whittram kend 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 of 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
hayfork, or siclike, 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 mair than's been lifted frae you.
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