Border Raids and Reivers Part 10

Thus encouraged by the warden and the King, it is not to be wondered at that Kinmont should have thrown himself with great enthusiasm into the work of hara.s.sing and plundering all who came within his power.

But his name might have remained in comparative obscurity, notwithstanding his depredations, had it not been for an extraordinary incident which occurred, and for which he was in no way directly responsible.

The dramatist has said that some men are born great, and that others have greatness thrust upon them. We are not prepared to say that only the latter part of the statement applies to the subject of our sketch, for, despite his evil-doing, Kinmont was a man of much natural ability--ability amounting almost to genius. But that he had "greatness thrust upon him"

will be readily conceded. His name will always remain a.s.sociated with one of the most thrilling incidents in Border history. The circ.u.mstance which made him famous was this. He had been present at Dayholm, near Kershopefoot, on the occasion of a day of truce, in the month of March, in the year 1596. The business which called them together having been finished, he was returning home, accompanied by a few of his friends, along the banks of the Liddle, when he was suddenly attacked by a body of two hundred English Borderers, led by Salkeld, the deputy of Lord Scrope, the warden of the East March, chased for some miles, captured, tied to the body of his horse and thus carried in triumph to Carlisle castle.

They band his legs beneath the steed, They tied his hands behind his back; They guarded him, fivesome on each side, And they brought him ower the Liddel-rack.

They led him thro' the Liddel-rack, And also through the Carlisle sands; They brought him to Carlisle castell, To be at my Lord Scrope's commands.

This proceeding was clearly in direct violation of Border law, which guaranteed freedom from molestation to all who might be present at a warden court, or day of truce, betwixt sunrise on the one day and sunrise on the next. We can easily understand the overmastering desire of the warden's deputy to lay Kinmont "by the heels," as he had long been notorious for his depredations on the English Border, but it is inc.u.mbent on the representatives of the law that they should honour it in their own persons, and, however many crimes might be laid to the charge of the famous freebooter, he was justly ent.i.tled to enjoy the freedom, which a wise legal provision had secured, even to the greatest offenders. The excuse given by Scrope for this manifest breach of Border law is an exceedingly lame one. He says:--"How Kinmont was taken will appear by the attestations of his takers, which, if true, 'it is held that Kinmont did thereby break the a.s.surance that daye taken, and for his offences ought to be delivered to the officer against whom he offended, to be punished according to discretion.' Another reason for detaining him is his notorious enmity to this office, and the many outrages lately done by his followers. He appertains not to Buccleuch, but dwells out of his office, and was also taken beyond the limits of his charge, so Buccleuch makes the matter a mere pretext to defer justice, 'and do further indignities.'"[94]

That Kinmont had broken the a.s.surance taken at the warden court is an a.s.sertion in support of which neither has "takers," nor Scrope give a scintilla of proof. Had such a thing really happened, there surely would have been no difficulty in establishing the fact; but this is not done, or even attempted to be done, by those whose interest it was to prove the accusation up to the hilt. The other reasons adduced for this unwarrantable proceeding will not bear serious consideration. That Kinmont bore no goodwill to Scrope or those a.s.sociated with him in his office, may be taken for granted; and that he and his friends and a.s.sociates had been guilty of many outrages on the English Border, goes without saying. But a slight examination of the excuses will be sufficient to show that they are mere subterfuges. The point in dispute is carefully left out of view by the English warden. No doubt Kinmont richly deserved to suffer the utmost penalty of the law on the ground of his misdemeanours; but he had been present at the warden court, where he would never have gone had he not felt sure that he was amply protected from arrest by the law to which we have referred. It may be said that nearly every man present on that occasion, irrespective of nationality, might have been apprehended on the same general grounds. To use an expressive Scottish phrase--"they were all tarred with the same stick." It was therefore a direct violation, not only of the spirit, but of the letter of Border law, for Salkeld to take Kinmont prisoner. Scrope was clearly in the wrong--a fact of which he himself seems dimly conscious--as he displayed an amount of temper and irritability in dealing with the case which seemed to indicate that he felt the weakness of his position. On the other hand, the "rank reiver,"

who had been thus suddenly and unceremoniously "clapped in jail," accepted the situation with a singular amount of philosophical indifference. He felt sure that the deed would not go unavenged, that his friends, and he had many of them, would leave no stone unturned in order to effect his release. The balladist finely represents him as saying--

My hands are tied, but my tongue is free, And whae will dare this deed avow?

Or answer by the Border law?

Or answer to the bold Buccleuch?

"Now haud thy tongue, thou rank reiver!

There's never a Scot shall set thee free; Before ye cross my castle yate, I vow ye shall take farewell o' me."

"Fear na ye that, my lord," quo' Willie; "By the faith o' my body, Lord Scroope," he said, "I never yet lodged in hostelrie, But I paid my lawing before I gaed."

An account of what had happened was speedily conveyed to Branxholme, where the Bold Buccleuch was residing. When he heard what had occurred he was highly indignant. The picture drawn by the balladist is graphic in the extreme. For intense realism it has rarely ever been surpa.s.sed--

He has ta'en the table wi' his hand, He garr'd the red wine spring on hie-- "Now Christ's curse on my head," he said, But avenged on Lord Scroope I'll be!

"O is my basnet a widow's curch?

Or my lance a wand o' the willow-tree?

Or my arm a ladye's lilye hand, That an English lord should lightly me!

"And have they ta'en him, Kinmont Willie, Against the truce of Border tide?

And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch Is Keeper here on the Scottish side?

"And have they e'en ta'en him, Kinmont Willie, Withouten either dread or fear?

And forgotten that the bold Buccleuch Can back a steed, or shake a spear?

"O were there war between the lands, As well I wot that there is none, I would slight Carlisle castell high, Though it were builded of marble stone.

"I would set that castell in a low, And sloken it with English blood!

There's never a man in c.u.mberland, Should ken where Carlisle castell stood.

"But since nae war's between the lands, And there is peace, and peace should be; I'll neither harm English lad or la.s.s, And yet the Kinmont freed shall be!"

Before resorting to extreme measures Buccleuch did everything in his power to bring about an amicable settlement of the case. He first of all applied to Salkeld for redress; but Salkeld could only refer him to Lord Scrope, who declared that Kinmont was such a notorious malefactor that he could not release him without the express command of Queen Elizabeth. Buccleuch then brought the matter under the consideration of James, who made an application through an amba.s.sador, for Kinmont's release; but this also proved unavailing.

It looked as if the imprisoned freebooter was likely to pay his "lodging mail" in a very unpleasant fashion. The English government seemed determined to detain him until such times as they could conveniently put a period to his career by hanging him on Haribee hill. But Buccleuch, while anxious to effect his purpose, if possible by const.i.tutional means, was determined that Kinmont should be rescued, whatever might be the method he was under the necessity of adopting. To accomplish his purpose he was prepared to "set the castle in a low, and sloken it with English blood."

This threat was regarded as a mere piece of bravado. The castle was strongly garrisoned and well fortified. It was in the centre of a populous and hostile city, and under the command of Scrope, who was regarded as one of the bravest soldiers in England. The Bold Buccleuch, however, was not easily daunted. He had a strong arm and a brave heart, and he knew that he could summon to his aid a small band of followers as brave and resolute as himself. On a dark tempestuous night, two hundred of his bravest followers met him at the tower of Morton, a fortalice in the Debatable land, on the water of Sark, some ten miles or so from Carlisle. Their plans had been carefully considered and determined upon a day or two before, when they had met at a horse race near Langholm. The Armstrongs, of course, were ready to adventure their lives in such a laudable undertaking, and the Graemes, to whom Will of Kinmont was related by marriage, were also forward with promises of a.s.sistance. They were all well mounted--

With spur on heel, and splent on spauld, And gleuves of green, and feathers blue--

and carried with them scaling ladders and crowbars, hand-picks and axes, prepared to take the castle by storm. The rain had been falling heavily, and the Esk and the Eden were in roaring flood, but boldly plunging through their turbid waters they soon came within sight of the "Corbie's Nest" which they had come to "herry," and--

The first o' men that we met wi', Whae sould it be but fause Sakelde?

"Where be ye gaun, ye hunters keen?"

Quo' fause Sakelde; "Come tell to me?"

"We go to hunt an English stag, Has trespa.s.s'd on the Scots countrie."

"Where be ye gaun, ye marshall men?"

Quo' fause Sakelde; "Come tell me true!"

"We go to catch a rank reiver, Has broken faith wi' the bauld Buccleuch."

But the troublesome questions of the "fause Sakelde" were speedily cut short by the lance of d.i.c.kie of Dryhope, who led the band--

Then nevir a word had d.i.c.kie to say, Sae he thrust the lance through his fause bodie.

The way was now clear for the advance upon the castle. Everything seemed favourable to the success of their hazardous undertaking. The heavens were black as pitch, the thunder rolled loud and long, and the rain descended in torrents--

"But 'twas wind and weet, and fire and sleet, When we came beneath the castle wa'."

When Buccleuch and his men reached the castle they were dismayed to find that the ladders they had brought with them were too short; but finding a postern they undermined it, and soon made a breach big enough for a soldier to pa.s.s through. "In this way a dozen stout fellows pa.s.sed into the outer court (Buccleuch himself being fifth man who entered,) disarmed and bound the watch, wrenched open the postern from the inside, and thus admitting their companions, were masters of the place. Twenty-four troopers now rushed to the castle jail, Buccleuch meantime keeping the postern, forced the door of the chamber where Kinmont was confined, carried him off in his irons, and sounding their trumpet, the signal agreed on, were answered by loud shouts and the trumpet of Buccleuch, whose troopers filled the base court. All was now terror and confusion, both in town and castle. The alarum-bell rang and was answered by his brazen brethren of the cathedral and the town house; the beacon blazed upon the top of the great tower; and its red, uncertain glare on the black sky and the shadowy forms and glancing armour of the Borderers, rather increased the terror and their numbers. None could see their enemy to tell their real strength."[95]

The suddenness of the attack and the terrific noise made by Buccleuch and his troopers as they laid siege to the castle, created confusion and dismay amongst the defenders of the stronghold. Lord Scrope, with commendable prudence, kept close within his chamber. He was convinced, as he afterwards declared, that there were at least five hundred Scots in possession of the castle.

Kinmont, as he was borne triumphantly forth on the broad shoulders of Red Rowan, shouted a l.u.s.ty "good night," to his bewildered lordship.

Then Red Rowan has hente him up The starkest man in Teviotdale-- "Abide, abide now, Red Rowan, Till of my Lord Scroope I take farewell."

"Farewell, farewell, my gude Lord Scroope!

My gude Lord Scroope, farewell he cried-- I'll pay you for my lodging maill, When first we meet on the Border side."

Then shoulder high, with shout and cry, We bore him down the ladder lang; At every stride Red Rowan made, I wot the Kinmont aims play'd clang!

"O mony a time" quo' Kinmont Willie, "I've p.r.i.c.k'd a horse out oure the furs; But since the day I back'd a steed, I never wore sic c.u.mbrous spurs!"

Having now successfully accomplished their purpose, Buccleuch and his men moved off towards the place where they had left their horses, and in a short time they were safely back on Scottish soil--

Buccleuch has turn'd to Eden Water, Even where it flow'd frae bank to brim, And he has plunged in wi' a' his band, And safely swam them through the stream.

He turn'd them on the other side, And at Lord Scroope his glove flung he-- "If ye like na my visit in merry England, In fair Scotland come visit me."

A cottage on the roadside between Longtown and Langholm, which stands close to the Scotch d.y.k.e, is still pointed out as the residence of the smith who was employed, on this occasion, to knock off Kinmont Willie's irons. It is said that when Buccleuch arrived he found the door locked, the family in bed, and the knight of the hammer so sound a sleeper, that he was only wakened by the Lord Warden thrusting his long spear through the window, and nearly spitting both Vulcan and his lady.

The rescue of Kinmont Willie--a most notable feat from whatever point of view it may be regarded--made Buccleuch one of the most popular heroes of the age. It was declared on all hands that nothing like it had been accomplished since the days of Sir William Wallace.