Volume Ii Part 72 (1/2)

Though saddle an' munt again, harness an' dunt again, I'll ne'er when I hunt again strike higher game.”

”Is this young Wat Scott? an' wad ye rax his craig, When our daughter is fey for a man?

Gae, gaur the loun marry our muckle-mou'd Meg Or we'll ne'er get the jaud aff our han'!”

”Od! hear our gudewife, she wad fain save your life; Wat Scott, will ye marry or hang?”

But Meg's muckle mou set young Wat's heart agrue.

Wat swore to the woodie he'd gang.

Ne'er saddle nor munt again, harness nor dunt again, Wat ne'er shall hunt again, ne'er see his hame.

Syne muckle-mou'd Meg pressed in close to his side, An' blinkit fu' sleely and kind, But aye as Wat glowered at his braw proffered bride, He shook like a leaf in the wind.

”A bride or a gallows, a rope or a wife!”

The morning dawned sunny and clear-- Wat boldly strode forward to part wi' his life, Till he saw Meggy shedding a tear; Then saddle an' munt again, harness an' dunt again, Fain wad Wat hunt again, fain wad be hame.

Meg's tear touched his bosom, the gibbet frowned high, An' slowly Wat strode to his doom; He gae a glance round wi' a tear in his eye, Meg shone like a star through the gloom.

She rushed to his arms, they were wed on the spot, An' lo'ed ither muckle and lang; Nae bauld border laird had a wife like Wat Scott; 'Twas better to marry than hang.

So saddle an' munt again, harness an' dunt again, Elibank hunt again, Wat's snug at hame.

James Ballantine [1808-1877]

GLENLOGIE

Threescore o' n.o.bles rade to the king's ha', But bonnie Glenlogie's the flower o' them a', Wi' his milk-white steed and his bonnie black e'e, ”Glenlogie, dear mither, Glenlogie for me!”

”O haud your tongue, dochter, ye'll get better than he”; ”O say na sae, mither, for that canna be; Though Doumlie is richer, and greater than he.

Yet if I maun tak' him, I'll certainly dee.

”Where will I get a bonnie boy, to win hose and shoon, Will gae to Glenlogie, and come again soon?”

”O here am I, a bonnie boy, to win hose and shoon, Will gae to Glenlogie and come again soon.”

When he gaed to Glenlogie, 'twas ”Wash and go dine”; 'Twas ”Wash ye, my pretty boy, wash and go dine.”

”O 'twas ne'er my father's fas.h.i.+on, and it ne'er shall be mine To gar a lady's errand wait till I dine.

”But there is, Glenlogie, a letter for thee.”

The first line that he read, a low smile ga'e he; The next line that he read, the tear blindit his e'e: But the last line he read, he gart the table flee.

”Gar saddle the black horse, gar saddle the brown; Gar saddle the swiftest steed e'er rade frae a town”; But lang ere the horse was brought round to the green, O bonnie Glenlogie was two mile his lane.

When he cam' to Glenfeldy's door, sma' mirth was there; Bonnie Jean's mither was tearing her hair; ”Ye're welcome, Glenlogie, ye're welcome,” said she, ”Ye're welcome, Glenlogie, your Jeanie to see.”

Pale and wan was she, when Glenlogie gaed ben, But red rosy grew she whene'er he sat down; She turned awa' her head, but the smile was in her e'e, ”O binna feared, mither, I'll maybe no dee.”

Unknown

LOCHINVAR From ”Marmion”

O, young Lochinvar is come out of the west, Through all the wide Border his steed was the best; And, save his good broadsword, he weapon had none, He rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone.

So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, There never was knight like the young Lochinvar.