Hi,

This is the last Hicks/Harmon line version in my collection. It comes from Frank Proffitt of Beech Mountain , NC, who was Nathan and Rena Hick's son-in-law and the source of The Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley." Proffitt learned ballads from both sides of his family. Some of his ballads came from great-aunt Nancy Prather. This is from The Brown Collection of NC Folklore, version A.

A. "The Hunt, or, The Cruel Brothers." Secured from Frank Proffitt of
Sugar Grove, Watauga county, in August, 1924.

1 One day as she sat silently courting
Her brothers says, 'Come over here.
Your courtship shall be shortly ended;
We'll bring him headlong to his grave.'

2 To begin this bloody murder
A-hunting. hunting they must go;
Along with them for to flatter,
Along with them all for to go.

3 They hunted over hills and lonely mountains
And through some valleys were unknown,
Until they came to a patch of briers,
And there they did him kill and thrown.

4 It was late when they returneth,
Their sister ask for the servant man.
'We lost him in the woods a-hunting
And never more could we him find.'

5 One day as she lay silent, weeping,
Her true love come to her bed and stood.
He was poor and swath [1] and ghostly looking,
All wallered over in gores of blood.

6 'What weeps you here, my pretty fair one?
It's only a folly for you to find.
Your brothers being hard and cruel
In such a place you may me find.'

7 She hunted o'er hills and lonely mountains
And through some valleys were unknown
Until she came to a patch of briers.
And there .she found him killed and thrown.

8 His pretty fair cheeks with blood had dyed,
His lips were salt as any brine.
She kissed him over, over, crying,
'Here lies the bosom friend of mine.'

9 Three days and nights she did stay by him,
All down upon her bended knees;
In the midst of all her grief and sorrow
She uttered forth such words as these:

10 'I didn't entending staying by you
Until my heart was broke with woe.
I feel sharp hunger coming on me
Which will cause me back home to go.'

11 It was late when she returneth,
Her brothers ask her where she'd been.
She said: 'You hard-hearted, deceitful villains,
For him alone you both shall swing,'

12 To get shed of this bloody murder
Out on the sea they both did go;
Out on the sea they both went rowing.
And the sea proved both their graves.

1. The editor is unable to guess what meaning was attached to this word

Richie