The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

fellows of his band lay upon the soft sward beneath the greenwood tree where they dwelled. The day was warm and sultry, so that while most of the band were scattered through the forest upon this

irds mingled the cool sound of the gurgling brook that leaped out of the forest shades, and ran fretting amid its rough, gray stones across the sunlit open glade before the trysting tree. And a fair sight was that halfsc

bin Hood sm

Come, busk thee, Little John! Stir those lazy bones of thine, for thou must get thee straightway to our good gossip, the draper Hugh Longshanks of Ancaster. Bid him send us straight

pon my joints than I once had, yet, flesh or no flesh, I doubt not that I could still hold my place and footing upon a narrow bridge against e'

d, for each man knew that Little John spake of a certain fight that happened

ttinghamshire can draw gray goose shaft with my fingers. Nevertheless, a journey to Ancaster may not be ill for thee; so go thou, as I bid, and thou hadst best go this very evening, for since thou hast abided at the Sheriff's many know thy face, and if thou goest in br

kness, studded about with spikes, and fastened with a great padlock. This was the treasure house of the band, and thither Robin Hood went and, unlocking the do

into his bosom, he strapped a girdle about his loins, took a stout pik

For thus it was: at the sight of these two roads, two voices began to alarum within him, the one crying, "There lies the road to the Blue Boar Inn, a can of brown October, and a merry night with sweet companions such as thou mayst find there"; the other, "There lies the way to Ancaster and the duty thou art sent upon." Now the first of these two voices was far the louder, for Little John had grown passing fond of good living through abiding at the Sheriff's house; so, presently, looking up into

ing over hill and dale. Right glad were they to welcome such a merry blade as Little John. Fresh cans of ale were brought, and with jest and song and merry tales the hours slipped away on fleeting wing

his duty for his pleasure, and he paid a great score for it

stout pikestaff in his hand, he set forth upon his jou

l the great Adam o' Lincoln cast him in the ring and broke one of his ribs; but at quarterstaff he had never yet met his match in all the country about. Besides all this, he dearly loved the longbow, and a sly jaunt in the forest w

ted from Nottingham, homeward for Blyth. His way led, all in the dewy morn, past the verge of Sherwood Forest, where the birds were welcoming the lovely day with a great and merry jubilee. Across the Tan

ayhap I may chance to catch a sight of the dainty brown darlings thus early in the morn." For there was nothing he loved better than to look upon a tripping herd of deer, even when he could not tickle their ribs with a clothyard shaft.

rass, hung aloft on quivering wings in the yellow sunlight, pouring forth its song that fell like a falling star from the sky, his luck led him away from the highway, not far from the spot where Arthur a Bland

th here after our own and the good King's dun deer." For by much roving in the forest, Little John had come to look upon all the deer in Sherwood as belonging to Robin Hood and his band as much as to

last Little John trod upon a stick, which snapped under his foot, whereupon, hearing the noise, the Tanner turned quick

st ranging Sherwood's paths? In very sooth thou hast an evil cast of countenance, and I do

y big words -"thou liest in thy teeth. I am no thief, but an honest craftsman. As for my countenanc

ind to crack thy pate for thee. I would have thee know, fellow, that I am, as it were, one of the King's fore

"and unless thou hast many more of thy kind by thee

nto a pit thou wilt have a sorry time getting out of; for I will give thee such a drubbing as ne'er hast

e. Who art thou that talkest so freely of cracking the head of Arthur a Bland? If I do not tan thy hide this day as ne'er I tanned a cal

gels. I do reckon my staff longer than thine, and I wou

ner. "My staff is long enough to knock down a

staff in the middle, and, with fell and

lue Boar, or at least to meet the yeoman on the way, and ease his heart of what he thought of the matter. As thus he strode along in anger, putting together the words he would use to chide Little John, he heard, of a sudden, loud and angry voices, as of men in a rage, passing fell words back and forth from one to the other. At

trusty right-hand man was in some danger of his life. So cautiously he made his way through the thickets whence the voices came,

ound drubbing! It would please me to see him well thumped for having failed in my bidding. I fear me, though, there is but poor chance of my seeing such a pleasant si

Tanner met the blow and turned it aside, and then smote back at Little John, who also turned the blow; and so this mighty battle began. Then up and down and back and forth they trod, the blows falling so thick and fast that, at a distance, one would have thought that half a score of men were fighting. Thus they fought fo

my faith!" quoth he to himself, "never had I thought to see Little John so evenly matched in all my

ve held staff in hand again. As it was, the blow he caught beside the head was so shrewd that it sent him staggering across the little glade, so that, if Little John had had the strength to follow up his vantage, it would have been ill for stout Arthur. But he regained him

hn. "Wouldst thou strike

the Tanner, giving him an

elp! Hold, I say! I yield me!

asked the Tanner grimly,

and more t

that I am the bet

thee!" said Little John, the firs

thank thy patron saint that I am

geled him. "I make my vow, my ribs feel as though every one of them were broken in twain. I tell thee, good f

see thee yield thyself so, hand and foot, to any man in all merry England. I was seeking thee, to chide thee for leaving my bidding undone; but thou hast been paid all I owed thee, full measure, pressed down and overflowing, by this good fellow. Marry, 'a did reach out his arm full length while thou

," spoke up the Tanner boldly,

he fair at Ely last October. The folk there call him Jock o' Nottingham; we call him Will Scathelock. This poor fellow whom thou h

Marry, had I known who thou art, I would never have been so bold as to lift my hand against thee.

been made of glass, "I can help myself, good fellow, without thy aid; and let me tell thee, h

aid, "Wilt thou join my band, good Arthur? For I make my vow

ng his fingers, "and hey for the life I love! Away with tanbark and filthy vats and foul cowhides! I will follow thee to the end

r I will not have thee turn again to either the right hand or the left till thou hast fairly gotten away from Sherwood. There are other inns that t