ares. The gathering presented the appearance of a rural fair. No
one could have suspected that so much bad feeling was hidden under such a
fair exterior, and ready to burst forth in a moment with volcanic fury.
Yet such was the case. A dispute arose betwixt the two wardens about one
Farnsteen, a notorious English freebooter, against whom a bill had been
"filed" by a Scottish complainer. Foster declared that he had fled from
justice, and could not be found. Carmichael regarded this statement as a
pretext to avoid making compensation for the felony. He bade Foster "play
fair." The English warden was indignant. Raising himself in the saddle,
and stretching his arm in the direction of Carmichael, he told him to
match himself with his equals!

"Carmichael bade them speik out plainlie,
And cloke no cause for ill nor good;
The other, answering him as vainlie,
Began to reckon kin and blood:

He raise, and raxed him where he stood,
And bade him match with him his marrows;
Then Tindaill heard them reason rude,
And they loot off a flight of arrows."

The cry was raised, "To it, Tynedale," and immediately the merry meeting
was turned into a Donnybrook fair, where hard blows were given and
received. The Scots at first had the worst of the encounter, and would
have been completely routed had it not been for two circumstances. The men
of Tynedale, conscious of their superior strength, began to rifle the
"merchant packs," and thus fell into disorder. At this juncture a band of
citizens of Jedburgh, armed with fire-arms, unexpectedly, but most
opportunely, appeared on the scene, and in a short time the skirmish ended
in a complete victory for the Scots. Sir John Heron was slain, and Sir
John Foster and many other Englishmen of rank taken prisoner.

"But after they had turned backs,
Yet Tindaill men they turn'd again,
And had not been the merchant packs,
There had been mae of Scotland slain.

But, Jesu! if the folks were fain
To put the bussing on their thies;
And so they fled, wi' a' their main,
Down ower the brae, like clogged bees."

The prisoners were sent to Dalkeith, where for a short time they were
detained in custody by the Earl of Morton. He ultimately dismissed them
with presents of falcons, which gave rise to a saying on the Borders that
for once the Regent had lost by his bargain, as he had given live hawks
for dead herons,--alluding to the death of Sir John Her