Richard - Re the tune in Handy Man...: the verse tune does sound a bit like Cob-a-Coaling at the start!.

The chorus after the double bars could be sung as is, ending on a dominant harmony. But if the last 6 bars are shifted up 1 step modally (ie move a note in a space to the line above, and a note on a line to the space above - don't add any accidentals), then the tune is almost exactly as you hear now. So it could have been a transcribing error for the last 6 bars.

Below I give the original tune, a version with the last 6 bars shifted modally and for comparison I've set the same words to a version of the tune as usually heard these days (unless you like to continue the last away up into the stratosphere!).

Mick

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X:1
T:Robber's Retreat
B:Goodenough: The Handy Man Afloat And Ashore, 1901
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:F
C|F> G A/B/|c A c|B G c| (A/G/)F C/C/|
w:We come from yon-der moun-tains, our pis-tols are load_ ed For to
(F> G) A/B/| c A c| B G E|F2 E/F/|
w:rob_ and to plun-der it is our in-tent As we
G G (F/G/)| A A G/A/| B B A/B/|c c A/B/|
w:roam through the_ val-leys where the li-lies and the ro-ses And the
c c c| A A c| B G E| F2||
w:beau-ti-ful cash-mere lies droop-ing its head.
E/F/| G2 F/G/|A2 G/A/| (A/G/) A B| c2 e/c/|
w:Then a-way, then a-way, then a-way__ a-way. To the
B B B/A/| G G B/B/|A F D| E2||
w:caves in yon-der moun-tains in the rob-bers re-treat.

X:2
T:Robber's Retreat (modified chorus)
N: MCP modified chorus
B:Goodenough: The Handy Man Afloat And Ashore, 1901
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:F
C|F> G A/B/|c A c|B G c| (A/G/)F C/C/|
w:We come from yon-der moun-tains, our pis-tols are load_ ed For to
(F> G) A/B/| c A c| B G E|F2 E/F/|
w:rob_ and to plun-der it is our in-tent As we
G G (F/G/)| A A G/A/| B B A/B/|c c A/B/|
w:roam through the_ val-leys where the li-lies and the ro-ses And the
c c c| A A c| B G E| F2||
w:beau-ti-ful cash-mere lies droop-ing its head.
E/F/| G2 F/G/|A2 G/A/| (B/A/) B c| d2 f/d/|
w:Then a-way, then a-way, then a-way__ a-way. To the
c c c/B/| A A c/c/|B G E| F2||
w:caves in yon-der moun-tains in the rob-bers re-treat.

X:3
T:Robber's Retreat (more or less as heard these days)
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:F
(A/B/)|c c f/f/|A A c|(c/B/) G B| (B/A/) HF B/c/|
w:We_ come from yon-der moun-tains, our pis_ tols are load_ ed For to
c c f|A A c|(c/B/) G E| F2 E/F/|
w:rob_ and to plun-der it is our in-tent As we
G G> G| F/G/ HA G/A/| (B/B/) B c/B/|(A/B/) Hc A/B/|
w:roam through the val_ leys where the li-lies and the_ ro_ ses And the
c c f| A A c| (c/B/) G E| F2||
w:beau-ti-ful cash-mere lies droop_ ing its head.
E/F/| G2 F/G/|A2 G/A/| (B/A/ B/c/ d/e/| f2) f/d/|
w:Then a-way, then a-way, then a-way_____. To the
c c c/B/| A A c/c/|(c/B/) G E| F2||
w:caves in yon-der moun-tains in the rob_ bers re-treat.