The Tower of St. Maur
"And must they slay me, father dear,
And my seven brothers tall ? "
"Gin that's the blast of Armour, laddie,
I fear they'll slay us all."
"And will they slay my mother, then.
That looks so bonny and small?"
"Come back, come back, thou little lad
To the masons at the wall."
The flood runs high and still more high.
And washes stone from stone—
"In another hour," say the masons,
"Our work is all undone."
The flood runs high and still more high.
And the bugle rings anear;
The masons looking o'er the wall
Are blue and stark with fear.
There's one that's neither stark nor wan
But never he looked so well ;
"Shall I gang to the devil, St. Maur?" he cries
"Or say, shall I gang to yoursel'?"
He's set the child high in the air
Upon his shoulder bone;
"Shall I leave them all for Armour,
Or shall I take but one?"
Never an answer spake St. Maur,
And never a word he said:
There was not one o' the mason-men
Looked half so wan and dead.
The gipsy's ta'en the frighted child
And set him in the wall:
"There's a bonny game to play, little man,
The bonniest game of all.
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