Part 35 (1/2)
CHAPTER XXIII
Master Carfax had by this tier to marry his cold bride He found, however, that this was a happiness not yet to be, for rievous state in the Sheriff's household
My lord of Hereford was very wrath with them all, and had sent Monceux back to his native city with much to think upon The Bishop had taken the opportunity of laying for; and his Majesty had told Master Monceux that when he went back to Nottingham it must be to keep the Royal forest free of all evil-doers Otherwise a new Sheriff would be found for Nottingha, was near to his own end, and had become very irritable in consequence of his illness His sons tried his scanty patience sorely with their ardness and their ingratitude So Monceux had none too pleasant a reception at Court, and returned therefrom with a heavy heart
Simeon Carfax was therefore despatched into Sherwood to find the tinker, so that Middlefailed; also Carfax was to secure Robin and the ringleaders at all hazard To this end Master Siiven coreat body of citizens froe reward and freedom thenceforth from all taxes
The news soon came to Robin, and he and his men retired at once into the inner the reen boughs and the like
So Carfax and his fellows searched without avail for near three weeks, only occasionally having evidence of the greenwoodhere and there in the forest
The Sheriff's men laidof venturesome mind, must needs attempt all manner of tricks upon thisa pit with Little John and Much, and hide it up with branches and earth, so that Master Carfax ht stray into it and haply break his neck
At last Carfax bethought hih fallen into one of Will Stuteley's pits, but suddenly stayed hisit He planned instead to pretend to be trapped in the pit that very night; and, having hidden his fellows all round about, he walked out boldly at dusk with but three of the Robin Hood
He walked carelessly up to the hidden pit and with great outcry fell into it, the others with hi off then as if in deadly alaran a loud lament, andWill ca Carfax therein, fell into an ecstasy of delight He railed at Simeon very pleasantly, and made merry at the other's supposed mishap But presently Carfax blew his horn, and shortly Stuteley found the position reversed
After a desperate struggle he was overpowered and carried off, although not without being seen by another of Robin's ht Robin the bad neithin an hour of Will Stuteley's capture
The greenwoodprudence to the winds and sallied forth They pursued and cauard of the eneht Thirteen of Robin's brave felloounded, five of therievously as to die soon afterward of their wounds, and as haham, however--this time in some triumph His men had beaten back the outlaws, and he had secured the lieutenant of the band, a ”desperate villain, next to Robin Hood hireed; and by dint and hard swearing soon wove a noose to fit Will Stuteley's thin neck Monceux, in grave satisfaction, ordered that their prisoner should be hanged and quartered, within a week, in the streets of Nottingha-doers
The Sheriff gave a feast to all the soldiery and doubled the reward upon Robin's head Until _he_ was caught Monceux could but reland was a rieved at the loss of Stuteley, and swore that he would save his little squire or die He went, therefore, to Gaed for the hanging of Stuteley, for she was able to go into Nottinghae's dress
Marian had learned it all ”First, he will be tortured to tell the secret of your hiding-place, dear heart,” she told Robin, in bated breath ”Then he will suffer the full penalty, and will be hanged froalloith three other poor wretches Last of all he is to be quartered, and his body flung to the people”
She burst into weeping, and sobbed so grievously that Robin was hard put to it to keep back his own tears ”Did you learn who these others hts and to satisfy himself that no other friend ith little Will
”They are the three sons of a poor ho lives in the forest They found the body of one of the deer, and, being very hungry, were carrying it fro by, accused the first killed it, and this quarrel canize thereenwood uilty, and will be hanged together with Will”
”I swear that this shall not be,” cried Robin, in heat, ”since no doubt I a the slain deer in their way”
”It was, I believe, the very stag that I did kill,” said Marian, in a troubled voice ”They have been in prison for near a month; and the beast was found without part of the woods,” said Marian ”Shall I not go and give uilty thought in my mind I have known no moment's peace; but, cowardlike, I do not dare to be honest with e, dear 's deer since the day I first did ry every day, prithee, and the beasts are many Also in this season they are very wild and ferocious--'tis like this one was killed in a battle royal between itself and another stag But to make all sure, ill rescue the 's three sons with my Stuteley froer, dear heart, for my sake,” Marian pleaded, and she held hiain
Robin went back to his iven the second place of co on which Stuteley and the others were to be hanged the greenwood ha broke bright and sunny Robin was clothed in a gay scarlet dress and his reen cloth They were armed with broadswords, and each carried a full quiver of new arrows, fashi+oned for the hands of Warrenton