about and close
to the operator old pots, pans, and trenchers, which had been obtained
to be clouted, clasped, and mended. He was, in short, a kind of gipsy
factotum; and when "the house affairs did not call him thence," he would
associate with the stranger, stammering out such incoherent inquiries
as--"Whare been?--What do?--What do?--Mother dead?--Mother dead?--
Yes--yes--yes--true--true--true"--muttering to himself, and repeating
the same monosyllable half-a-dozen times. His sister Helen was
manifestly kind to him, and would not permit any of the company to
insult or ill-use him.

Night arrived, but with it not Duncan or Cuthbert; and it was not till
late on the following evening that they made their appearance, and with
them came silver and gold in abundance: consequently Mungo Clark's
claims were satisfied; and he was informed that, next morning, as they
were all about to decamp, he might pursue his journey homewards; but
about the following dawn, an authoritative voice from the top of the
precipice summoned the whole party to a surrender. One figure stood
prominently forward, looking over the rock; and Donnert Davie, whose
blunderbuss always lay charged beside him, immediately fired, and the
figure came tumbling down headlong, and sunk in the yawning abyss of
boiling water. In a word, the whole party, after a most determined
resistance, were taken prisoners by a military party obtained from
Dumfries; and it being proved against Duncan and Donald Faa that they
had stolen some cattle from Dalswinton Mains, and sold them on the sands
of Dumfries--as also against Donnert Davie, that he had shot the
serjeant who commanded on the occasion--the whole three brothers were
tried, condemned, and sentenced to be executed, _in terrorem_, near the
spot where their depredations had been committed. As there were three
persons to execute, and the famous tree already referred to had three
branches, they appeared to the sheriff to be destined for each other;
and accordingly all the three were hung at the same time on the same
tree, which has ever since retained the appellation of "The Three
Brethren."

Old Donald, his fair daughter, Mungo Clark, Squire Cockburn, and the
rest, were set at liberty; but the gipsies were conveyed by a military
escort across the Borders; and I have been given to understand that the
Squire, who was the young laird of Glenae, after considerable opposition
from the old father, was married to fair Helen Ye