Part 36 (1/2)

”Then,” quoth the King, breaking in on the Sheriffs speech, ”what have I to fear in er in this But o with us, Sir Sheriff”

”Nay,” quoth the Sheriff hastily, ”Heaven forbid!”

But now seven habits such as Black Friars ere brought, and the King and those about hi a purse with a hundred golden pounds in it beneath his robes, they all went forth and ht to the door for thes, and so they set forth upon their way Onward they traveled, laughing and jesting, until they passed through the open country; between bare harvest fields whence the harvest had been gathered hoan to thicken as they went farther along, till they came within the heavy shade of the forest itself They traveled in the forest for several ht, until they had come to that part of the road that lay nearest to Newstead Abbey

”By the holy Saint Martin,” quoth the King, ”I would that I had a better head for rereat need Here have we co to drink with us Noould give half a hundred pounds for somewhat to quenchso spoken, than out from the covert at the roadside stepped a tall felloith yellow beard and hair and a pair ofhis hand upon the King's bridle rein, ”it were an unchristian thing to not give fitting answer to so fair a bargain We keep an inn hereabouts, and for fifty pounds ill not only give thee a good draught of wine, but will give thee as noble a feast as ever thou didst tickle thy gullet withal”

So saying, he put his fingers to his lips and blew a shrill whistle

Then straightway the bushes and branches on either side of the road swayed and crackled, and threescore broad-shouldered yeoreen burst out of the covert

”Ho, fellow,” quoth the King, ”who art thou, thou naughty rogue?

Hast thou no regard for such holy men as we are?”

”Not a whit,” quoth merry Robin Hood, for the felloas he, ”for in sooth all the holiness belonging to rich friars, such as ye are, one could drop into a thioodould never feel it with the tip of her finger As for my name, it is Robin Hood, and thou mayst have heard it before”

”Now out upon thee!” quoth King Richard ”Thou art a bold and naughty fellow and a lawless one withal, as I have often heard tell Now, prythee, let me, and these brethren of mine, travel forward in peace and quietness”

”It may not be,” said Robin, ”for it would look but ill of us to let such holy men travel onith empty stomachs But I doubt not that thou hast a fat purse to pay thy score at our inn since thou offerest freely so ht of wine Show me thy purse, reverend brother, or I may perchance have to strip thy robes from thee to search for itsternly ”Here is my purse, but lay not thy lawless hands upon our person”

”Hut, tut,” quothof England, to talk so to me? Here, Will, take this purse and see what there is within”

Will Scarlet took the purse and counted out the money Then Robin bade him keep fifty pounds for themselves, and put fifty back into the purse

This he handed to the King ”Here, brother,” quoth he, ”take this half of thy money, and thank Saint Martin, on whom thou didst call before, that thou hast fallen into the hands of such gentle rogues that they will not strip thee bare, as they ht do But wilt thou not put back thy cowl? For I would fain see thy face”

”Nay,” said the King, drawing back, ”I may not put back my cowl, for we seven have vowed that ill not show our faces for four and twenty hours”

”Then keep them covered in peace,” said Robin, ”and far be it from me to make you break your vows”

So he called seven of his yeomen and bade the their faces toward the depths of the woodlands, they journeyed onward until they careenwood tree

Little John, with threescore yeo to wait along the roads and bring a rich guest to Sherwood glade, if such ht be his luck, for many with fat purses s were going on in Nottinghaone, Friar Tuck and twoscore or reat tree, and when Robin and the others came they leaped to their feet toRichard, when he had gotten down fro about hiRichard hiuard”

”These are not all of my fellows,” said Robin proudly, ”for threescore ht-handRichard, I tell thee, brother, there is not a man of us all but would pour out our blood like water for hi; but we yeos which are so like our own”

But now Friar Tuck caood den, brothers,” said he ”I ahty place

Truly, ues of outlaould stand but an ill chance were it not for the prayers of Holy Tuck, who laboreth so hard for their well-being” Here he winked one eye slyly and stuck his tongue into his cheek

”Who art thou,in a serious voice, albeit he smiled beneath his cowl

At this Friar Tuck looked all around with a slow gaze ”Look you now,”

quoth he, ”never let ain that I am no patient man

Here is a knave of a friar calleth me a mad priest, and yet I smite him not My name is Friar Tuck, fellow--the holy Friar Tuck”