"Hawks and hounds they may seek me,45
As I trow well they be;
For I hae killed the young Col'nel,
And thy ae brother was he."
"If ye hae killed the young Col'nel,
O dule and wae is me;50
But I care the less for the young Col'nel,
If thy ain body be free.
"Come in, come in, my dear Johnstone,
Come in and take a sleep;
And I will go to my casement,55
And carefully I will thee keep."
He had not weel been in her bower door,
No not for half an hour,
When four-and-twenty belted knights
Came riding to the bower.60
"Well may you sit and see, Lady,
Well may you sit and say;
Did you not see a bloody squire
Come riding by this way?"
"What colour were his hawks?" she says,65
"What colour were his hounds?
What colour was the gallant steed
That bore him from the bounds?"
"Bloody, bloody were his hawks,
And bloody were his hounds;70
But milk-white was the gallant steed
That bore him from the bounds."
"Yes, bloody, bloody were his hawks,
And bloody were his hounds;
And milk-white was the gallant steed75
That bore him from the bounds.
"Light down, light down now, gentlemen,
And take some bread and wine;
And the steed be swift that he rides on,
He's past the brig o' Lyne."80