"Cast you the prisoner behind me."40
They had not rade a great way off,
With all the haste that ever could be,
Till they espied the Lord Lieutenant,
With a hundred men in companie.
But when they cam to wan water,45
It now was rumbling like the sea;
Then were they got into a strait,
As great a strait as well could be.
Then out did speak him Caff o' Lin,
And aye the warst fellow was he:50
"Now God be with my wife and bairns,
For fatherless my babes will be.
"My horse is young, he cannot swim;
The water's deep, and will not wade;
My children must be fatherless,55
My wife a widow, whate'er betide."
O then cried out him Little Dickie,
And still the best fellow was he:
"Take you my mare, I'll take your horse,
And Devil drown my mare and thee!"60
Now they have taken the wan water,
Though it was roaring like the sea;
And when they gat to the other side,
I wat they bragged right crousilie.
"Come thro', come thro', now, Lord Lieutenant,
O do come thro', I pray of thee;65
There is an alehouse not far off,
We'll dine you and your companie."
"Awa, awa, now, Little Dickie,
O now let all your taunting be;70
There's not a man in the king's army
That would have tried what's done by thee.