he day-time, they refresh themselves and
their horses in lurking holes they had pitched upon before, till they
arrive in the dark at those places they have a design upon. As soon as
they have seized upon the booty, they, in like manner, return home in
the night, through blind ways, and fetching many a compass. The more
skilful any captain is to pass through those wild deserts, crooked
turnings, and deep precipices, in the thickest mists and darkness,
his reputation is the greater, and he is looked upon as a man of an
excellent head.--And they are so very cunning, that they seldom have
their booty taken from them, unless sometimes, when, by the help of
blood-hounds following them exactly upon the tract, they may chance to
fall into the hands of their adversaries. When being taken, they have
so much persuasive eloquence, and so many smooth insinuating words at
command, that if they do not move their judges, nay, and even their
adversaries (notwithstanding the severity of their natures), to have
mercy, yet they incite them to admiration and compassion."--_Camden's
Britannia._ The reader is requested to compare this curious account,
given by Lesley, with the ballad, called _Hobble Noble_[35].

[Footnote 35: The following tradition is also illustrative of Lesley's
account. Veitch of Dawyk, a man of great strength and bravery who
flourished in the 16th century, was upon bad terms with a neighbouring
proprietor, Tweedie of Drummelziar. By some accident, a flock of
Dawyk's sheep had strayed over into Drummelziar's grounds, at the time
when _Dickie of the Den_, a Liddesdale outlaw, was making his rounds
in Tweeddale. Seeing this flock of sheep; he drove them off without
ceremony. Next morning, Veitch, perceiving his loss, summoned his
servants and retainers, laid a blood-hound upon the traces of the
robber, by whom they were guided for many miles, till, on the banks of
Liddel, he staid upon a very large hay-stack. The pursuers were a good
deal surprised at the obstinate pause of the blood-hound, till Dawyk
pulled down some of the hay, and discovered a large excavation,
containing the robbers and their spoil. He instantly flew upon Dickie,
and was about to poniard him, when the marauder, with the address
noticed by Lesley, protested that he would never have touched a
_cloot_ (hoof) of them, had he not taken them for Drummelziar's
property. This dexterous appeal to Veitch's passions saved the life of
the freebooter.]

The inroad