When the last bullock was killed and devoured, it
was the lady's custom to place on the table a dish, which, on being
uncovered, was found to contain a pair of clean spurs; a hint to the
riders, that they must shift for their next meal. Upon one occasion,
when the village herd was driving out the cattle to pasture, the old
laird heard him call loudly _to drive out Harden's cow_. "_Harden's
cow!_" echoed the affronted chief--"Is it come to that pass? by my
faith they shall sune say Harden's _kye_ (cows)." Accordingly, he
sounded his bugle, mounted his horse, set out with his followers,
and returned next day with "_a bow of kye, and a bussen'd_ (brindled)
_bull_." On his return with this gallant prey, he passed a very large
hay-stack. It occurred to the provident laird, that this would be
extremely convenient to fodder his new stock of cattle; but as no
means of transporting it occurred, he was fain to take leave of it
with this apostrophe, now proverbial: "By my soul, had ye but four
feet, ye should not stand lang there." In short, as Froissard says of
a similar class of feudal robbers, nothing came amiss to them, that
was not _too heavy, or too hot_. The same mode of house-keeping
characterized most border families on both sides. An MS. quoted in
_History of Cumberland_, p. 466, concerning the Graemes of Netherby,
and others of that clan, runs thus: "They were all stark moss-troopers
and arrant thieves: both to England and Scotland outlawed: yet
sometimes connived at, because they gave intelligence forth of
Scotland, and would raise 400 horse at any time, upon a raid of the
English into Scotland.
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