"Sae we drave oor ain kye hame, my lady," he said, "and aiblins some orra anes that was na oor ain. For-bye we raikit a' the plenishing oot o' the ha' o' Hardriding, and a bonny burden o' tapestries, and plaids, and gear we hae, to show for our ride."*

     * "We drove our own cattle home, and perhaps some others
     that were not ours. And we took all the goods out of the
     hall at Hardriding, and a pretty load of tapestries, and
     rugs, and other things we have to show for our ride."

Then he called to some of his men, who came into the hall, and cast down great piles of all sorts of spoil and booty, silver plate, and silken hangings, and a heap of rugs, and carpets, and plaids, such as Randal had never seen before, for the English were much richer than the Scotch.

Randal threw himself on the pile of rugs and began to roll on it.

"Oh, mother," he cried suddenly, jumping up and looking with wide-open eyes, "there 's something living in the heap! Perhaps it's a doggie, or a rabbit, or a kitten."

Then Randal tugged at the cloths, and then they all heard a little shrill cry.

"Why, it's a bairn!" said Lady Ker, who had sat very grave all the time, pleased to have done the English some harm; for they had killed her husband, and were all her deadly foes. "It's a bairn!" she cried, and pulled out of the great heap of cloaks and rugs a little beautiful child, in its white nightdress, with its yellow curls all tangled over its blue eyes.

Then Lady Ker and the old nurse could not make too much of the pretty English child that had come here in such a wonderful way.

How did it get mixed up with all the spoil? and how had it been carried so far on horseback without b