ackward stroke,
An ackward stroke surely struck he;
He struck him now under the left breast,
Then down to the ground as dead fell he.

44.
'Arise, arise, O bully Bewick,
Arise, and speak three words to me!
Whether this be thy deadly wound,
Or God and good surgeons will mend thee.'

45.
'O horse, O horse, O bully Grahame,
And pray do get thee far from me!
Thy sword is sharp, it hath wounded my heart,
And so no further can I gae.

46.
'O horse, O horse, O bully Grahame,
And get thee far from me with speed!
And get thee out of this country quite!
That none may know who's done the deed.'

47.
'O if this be true, my bully dear,
The words that thou dost tell to me,
The vow I made, and the vow I'll keep;
I swear I'll be the first to die.'

48.
Then he stuck his sword in a moudie-hill,
Where he lap thirty good foot and three;
First he bequeathed his soul to God,
And upon his own sword-point lap he.

49.
Now Grahame he was the first that died,
And then came Robin Bewick to see;
'Arise, arise, O son,' he said,
'For I see thou's won the victory.

50.
'Arise, arise, O son,' he said,
'For I see thou's won the victory;'
'Father, could ye not drunk your wine at home,
And letten me and my brother be?

51.
'Nay, dig a grave both low and wide,
And in it us two pray bury;
But bury my bully Grahame on the sun-side,
For I'm sure he's won the victory.'

52.
Now we'll leave talking of these two brethren,
In Carlisle town where they lie slain,
And talk of these two good old men,
Where they were making a pitiful moan.

53.
With that bespoke now Robin Bewick;
'O man, was I not much to blame?
I have lost one of the liveliest lads
That ever was bred unto my name.'

54.
With that bespoke my good lord Grahame;
'O man, I have lost the better block;
I have lost my comfort and my joy,
I have lost my key, I have lost my lock.

55.
'Had I gone through all Ladderdale,
And forty horse had set on me,
Had Christy Grahame been at my back,
So well as he would guarded me.'

56.
I have no more of my song to sing,
But two or three words to you I'll name;
But 'twill be talk'd in Carlisle town
That these two old men were all the blame.

[Annotations:
5.2: 'bully,' = billie, brother. See page 75.
24.2: 'belive,' soon.