The first strong dore that they came at,
They loosed it without a key;
The next chain'd dore that they cam at,
They gar'd it a' in flinders flee.
The pris'ner now, upo' his back,85
The Laird's Jock's gotten up fu' hie;
And down the stair, him, irons and a',
Wi' nae sma' speed and joy brings he.
"Now, Jock, I wat," quo' Hobie Noble,
"Part o' the weight ye may lay on me;"90
"I wat weel no!" quo' the Laird's Jock,
"I count him lighter than a flee."
Sae out at the gates they a' are gane,
The pris'ner's set on horseback hie;
And now wi' speed they've tane the gate,95
While ilk ane jokes fu' wantonlie.
"O Jock, sae winsomely's ye ride,
Wi' baith your feet upo' ae side!
Sae weel's ye're harness'd, and sae trig,
In troth ye sit like ony bride!"100
The night, tho' wat, they didna mind,
But hied them on fu' mirrilie,
Until they cam to Cholerford brae,
Where the water ran like mountains hie.
But when they came to Cholerford,105
There they met with an auld man;
Says—"Honest man, will the water ride?
Tell us in haste, if that ye can."
"I wat weel no," quo' the good auld man;
"Here I hae liv'd this threty yeirs and three,110
And I ne'er yet saw the Tyne sae big,
Nor rinning ance sae like a sea."
Then up and spake the Laird's saft Wat,
The greatest coward in the company—
"Now halt, now halt, we needna try't;115
The day is com'd we a' maun die!"