sired
me to ask money from those men. I said, not particularly; but they stood
on the list. "So, I see," said the landlord, "but had your master been
here himself, he did _not dare to ask money from them_, _either as rent_,
_or feu duty_.--_He knows that it is as good as if it were in his
pocket_. _They will pay when their own time comes_, _but do not like to
pay at a set time with the rest of the Barony_; _and still less to be
craved_."

"I accordingly returned without their money, and reported progress. I
found that the landlord was right; my master said with a smile, that it
was unnecessary to send to them, after the previous notice from the Baron
Officer; it was enough if I had received the money, if offered.--Their
rent and feu duty was brought to the office in a few weeks. I need
scarcely add, those persons all belonged to the tribe.

"Another instance of their licentious, independent spirit, occurs to me.
The family of Niddry always gave a decent, annual remuneration to a Baron
Baillie, for the purpose of keeping good order within their Barony of
Town Yetholm. The person whom I remember first in possession of that
office, was an old man called Doctor Walker, from his being also the
village surgeon; and from him I had the following anecdote:--

"Between Yetholm and the border farms in Northumberland, there were
formerly, as in most border situations, some uncultivated lands called
the _Plea lands_, or _Debateable lands_, the pasturage of which was
generally eaten up by the Sorners and vagabonds on both sides of the
marches.

"Many years ago, Lord Tankerville and some other of the English
borderers, made their request to Sir David Bennet, and the late Mr.
Wauchope of Niddry, that they would accompany them at a _riding_ of the
Plea lands, who readily complied with their request. They were induced
to this, as they understood that the Gypsies had taken offence, on the
supposition that they might be circumscribed in the pasture for their
shelties and asses, which they had held a long time, partly by stealth,
and partly by violence.

"Both threats and entreaties were employed to keep them away; and, at
last, Sir David obtained a promise from some of the heads of the gang,
that none of them should show their faces on the occasion.

"They, however, got upon the hills at a little distance, whence they
could see every thing that passed. At first they were very quiet. But
when they saw the English Court Book