34. Then Dickie was not a mile off the town, I wat a mile but barely three, Till John Armstrong has o'ertane Dick o' the Kow, Hand for hand on Cannobie lee.
35. 'Abide thee, bide now, Dickie than, The day is come that thou must die.' Dickie looked o'er his left shoulder, 'Johnie, has thou any mo in thy company?
36. 'There is a preacher in our chapell, And a' the lee-lang day teaches he; When day is gane, and night is come, There's never a word I mark but three.
37. 'The first and second's Faith and Conscience, The third is, Johnie, Take head of thee! But what faith and conscience had thou, traitor, When thou took my three kye frae me?
38. 'And when thou had tane my three kye, Thou thought in thy heart thou was no wel sped; But thou sent thy billie Willie o'er the know, And he took three co'erlets off my wife's bed.'
39. Then Johnë lett a spear fa' leugh by his thigh, Thought well to run the innocent through, But the powers above was more than his, He ran but the poor fool's jerkin through.
40. Together they ran or ever they blan; This was Dickie the fool, and hee; Dickie could not win to him with the blade of the sword, But he fel'd him with the plummet under the eye.
41. Now Dickie has fel'd Fair Johnë Armstrong, The prettiest man in the south countrey; 'Gramercie,' then can Dickie say, 'I had twa horse, thou has made me three.'
42. He has tane the laird's jack of his back, The twa-handed sword that hang leugh by his thigh; He has tane the steel cap off his head; 'Johnie, I'le tel my master I met with thee.'
43. When Johnë waken'd out of his dream, I wat a drery man was he; 'Is thou gane now, Dickie, than? The shame gae in thy company!
44. 'Is thou gane now, Dickie, than? The shame go in thy companie! For if I should live this hundred year, I shal never fight with a fool after thee.'
45. Then Dickie comed home to lord and master, Even as fast as he may drie. 'Now, Dickie, I shal neither eat meat nor drink Till high hanged that thou shall be!'
46. 'The shame speed the liars, my lord!' quo' Dickie, 'That was no the promise ye made to me; For I'd never gane to Liddesdale to steal Till that I sought my leave at thee.'
47. 'But what gart thou steal the Laird's Jock's horse? And, limmer, what gart thou steal him?' quo' he; 'For lang might thou in Cumberland dwelt Or the Laird's Jock had stoln ought frae thee.'