midnight
`` Throw thy cord over the buttress , there , '' cried one of the nobles ; `` give the noose mouth enough to tell its own tale , and I will answer for it bringing out his . '' The man proceeded forward to a buttress of the castle completely exposed to the eyes of Marjory , by the gleams that flared from the torches ; and she saw him deliberately go through the operation of making the projection available for the purpose of a gallows , by binding the cord to it , and suspending a running noose , which seemed to gape in grim gesture for its victim . The moment the rope was suspended , James pointed to it , and asked the warder to proceed and answer his questions . The terrified man cast a wild eye on the relentless crowd around him , and then on the engine of death that dangled before him , and , with faltering tongue , told the king that Cockburn had gone on a midnight raid against Adam Scott of Tushielaw , who , some time before , had made an assault on Henderland , and carried off twenty head of cattle , besides wounding several of Cockburn 's men ; he stated , farther , that there had been many raids of late in Liddesdale ; but that his master had had , until Tushielaw roused him , scarcely any share in these struggles , preferring the society of his lady , the fairest and the kindest woman of the Borders , to the pleasures of rieving . This statement was received as evidence against Cockburn . All these transactions had been narrowly watched by Marjory , who was now more and more satisfied that the doom of her husband was sealed , if he made his appearance before the king in the humour he now exhibited . She saw them bind the warder with ropes until their trial was over , that he might remain in pledge for the truth of his statements ; and the heads again held counsel on the next step they should take in the unexpected event of the `` traitor , '' as they called him , not being found at home , notwithstanding of their attempted surprise by a night visit .