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 inroads of the marchers, when stimulated only by the desire of plunder, were never marked with cruelty, and seldom even with bloodshed, unless in the case of opposition.  They held, that property was common to all who stood in want of it; but they abhorred and avoided the crime of unnecessary homicide.—­Lesley, p. 63.  This was, perhaps, partly owing to the habits of intimacy betwixt the borderers of both kingdoms, notwithstanding their mutual hostility, and reciprocal depredations.  A natural intercourse took place between the English and Scottish marchers, at border meetings, and during the short intervals of peace.  They met frequently at parties of the chace and foot-ball;