Chapter XXVII Kinmont Willie
“O have ye not heard of the false Sakelde,
O have ye not heard of the keen Lord Scroope,
How they have taken bold Kinmont Willie
On Haribee to hang him oop?”
The story of this famous freebooter, William Armstrong of Kinmonth, belongs to the time of Queen Elizabeth, when Lord Scroope was Warden of the Western Marches, and Mr Sakelde of Corby Castle was his Deputy.
Kinmont Willie was a descendant of the famous Johnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, and his capture was a violation of the existing truce between Scroope and Buccleuch, the Keeper of Liddesdale. Elizabeth was indignant at Buccleuch’s action in rescuing Willie, and as the Scots at that time were very anxious not to offend her, Buccleuch was sent to England and came before the Queen, who asked him how he dared to undertake such an adventure. “What is it,” answered he, “that a man dare not do?”
“With ten thousand such men,” said Elizabeth, turning to a lord-in-waiting, “our brother of Scotland might shake the firmest throne of Europe.”
The ballad tells of the capture of Kinmont Willie, and how the false Sakelde and his men treacherously seized him.
They bound his legs beneath his horse, and tied his hands behind his back, and with five men on each side to guard him, brought him over Liddel ford and through Carlisle sands to Carlisle castle.
When he arrived there, Willie addressed his captor in these words:
“My hands are tied, but my tongue is free. Who will avow this deed or answer for it to bold Buccleuch?”
“Hold thy tongue, thou rank robber! Never a Scot shall set thee free. Ye shall take farewell of me before ye cross my castle gate,” said Scroope.
“Fear ye not that, my lord,” answers Willie, “for by the faith of my body, never did I yet lodge in a hostelry but that I paid my reckoning before I went.”
Word was sent to Branksome Hall to the Keeper of Liddesdale that Lord Scroope had captured Kinmont Willie, whereupon the Keeper smote the table with his hand till the red wine sprang on high, “A curse on my head,” he cried, “if I be not avenged of Lord Scroope. Is my helmet a widow’s cap, or my lance a twig from a willow-tree, or my fist a lady’s lily hand, that an English lord should appraise me so lightly? Have they taken Kinmont Willie in spite of the truce, and forgotten that the bold Buccleuch is Keeper on the Scottish side? Have they taken Kinmont Willie so fearlessly, and forgotten that the bold Buccleuch can back a steed and wield a weapon? Were there but war between the lands, then would I slight Carlisle Castle though it were built of marble; I would set it on fire and drench it with English blood. But since there is peace and not war, I’ll set the Kinmont free yet never harm English lad or lass!”
So Buccleuch called forty bold Marchmen, all of his own name and kin except one, Sir Gilbert Elliot, Laird of Stobs. They came spur on heel and armour on shoulder, with gloves of green and feathers of blue. Five and five came first with hunting-horns and bugles; five and five more came with Buccleuch like Warden’s men arrayed for battle; five and five came like a gang of masons, carrying long high ladders; and five and five came like broken men, and so they reached Woodhouselee.
When they had crossed to the English side, the first man they met was the false Sakelde.
“Where are ye going, ye keen hunters?” quoth Sakelde.
“We go to hunt an English stag that has trespassed on Scottish ground.”
“Where are ye going, ye martial men?”
“We go to catch a rank robber that has broken faith with the bold Buccleuch.”
“Where are ye going, ye mason lads, with all these long high ladders?”
“We go to harry a corbie’s nest not far from here.”
“Where are ye going, ye broken men?” said false Sakelde.
But Dickie of Dryhope, leader of the broken men, had never a word of learning, and answered nothing.
“Why trespass ye on the English side? Stand! ye raw-footed outlaws!”
Never a word yet said Dickie, but for answer ran his lance clean through the body of the false Sakelde.
On then they went to Carlisle town, crossing the Eden at Staneshaw-bank, nor lost they either horse or man, though the water was high in flood.
When they reached Staneshaw-bank the wind was rising, and the Laird ordered them to leave there their horses for fear they should stamp and neigh. The wind blew loudly enough then, but when they came beneath the castle wall there was wind and rain and flying sleet. On they crept on their knees and held their breath till they placed the ladders against the wall. Buccleuch himself mounted first, took the watchman by the throat and flung him down upon the leads. “Thou hadst gone on the other side,” said he, “had there not been peace between our lands.”
“Sound out the trumpets!” quoth he; “let’s wake up Lord Scroope!” Then loud blew the Warden’s trumpet to the tune of “O wha dare meddle wi’ me?”
To work they went speedily, and cut a hole through the lead, gaining thus the castle hall.
Those inside thought the castle had been taken by King James and all his men, yet it was only twenty Scots and ten that had put a thousand in such a stir. They hammered and banged at the bars until they came to the inner prison, where lay Kinmont Willie.
“Do ye sleep or wake, Kinmont Willie, on the morn when ye shall die?”
“O I sleep lightly and wake often; it’s long since sleep was frightened from me. Give my service to my wife and bairns and all good fellows that enquire after me.”
Red Rowan, the strongest man in Teviotdale, lifted him up. “Stay now, Red Rowan, till I take farewell of Lord Scroope. Farewell, farewell, my good Lord Scroope,” he cried. “I will pay ye for my lodging when first we meet on the Border.”
With shout and cry Red Rowan bore him on his shoulders down the long ladder, the irons clanking at every stride.
“Many a time,” said Kinmont Willie, “have I ridden a horse both wild and unruly, but never have my legs bestrode a rougher beast than Red Rowan. Many a time have I pricked a horse over the furrows, but never since I backed a steed have I worn such cumbrous spurs.”
Scarcely had they won the Staneshaw-bank when all the bells in Carlisle were ringing and Lord Scroope was after them with a thousand men on horse and on foot. But—
“Buccleuch has turn’d to Eden water
Even where it flowed frae bank to brim,
And he has plunged in wi’ a’ his band,
And safely swam them through the stream.
He turn’d him on the other side,
And at Lord Scroope his glove flung he—
‘If ye like na my visit to merry England,
In fair Scotland come visit me!’
All sore astonished stood Lord Scroope,
He stood as still as rock of stane;
He scarcely dared to trew8 his eyes,
When through the water they had gane.
‘He is either himsell a devil frae hell,
Or else his mother a witch maun be;
I wadna have ridden that wan water,
For a’ the gowd9 in Christentie.’”
Notes
8 Trust
9 Gold