Part 36 (1/2)
”That you will never do,” answered Stuteley, with prophecy, in his weak voice ”But unbind my hands, Sheriff, for your soul's sake, and let alloith hin to the executioner; and Stuteley was hustled into the rude cart which was to bear hiallows until his neck had been leashed Then it would be drawn roughly away and the unhappyout over the tail of it into another world
Two fellows had great knives with them ready to cut him down, and quarter his body whilst life was in it, as the cruel sentence had ordained
”Let me, at the least, shrive this man's soul ere it be hurled into eternity,” said the palrew black with rage; and yet he scarcely liked to refuse, for fear it should injure him too much in the eyes of the people ”Perform the duty quickly then, Sir Priest,” he snarled; and then rode back to Carfax ”Watch the palmer narrowly,” he told him, ”and do you secure him afterwards Methinks he is some ally of these rascal outlaws; and, in any case, we shall do no harun to string his beads when Little John cohly thrust the soldiers aside as if they had been so e of the cart ”I pray you, Will, take leave of your true friend here before you die,” cried Little John
The palmer had fallen back at his approach; and stood in some hesitancy
In a moment Monceux sahat happened ”Seize that man!” he shouted to his pikeold plate, who nearly slew Roger, our cook He is of the band--seize hiossip,” Little John answered, with an ugly look; ”I must needs borrow my friend of you for a while”
He had cut Stuteley's bands with two quick strokes of his dagger, and having wrenched a pike fro it to little Will ”Now, by my freedom, here's your prayer answered, comrade,” cried Little John ”I have found you a weapon--do your best with it!”
The soldiers had recovered fro themselves upon the prisoner and his would-be rescuer Robin, from the back of the Sheriff's bowmen, sounded his horn, and instantly all becaht to slip away unnoticed, but was detected by the keen eyes of Carfax Master Simeon rode round with six of his fellows and caused thes
But this shed by the reverse suffered by Monceux and his men Taken in assault at the rear, they had no chance with the greenwood men Robin himself had released the 's three sons, and they had not been slow in ar secret sy the Sheriff heartily forthereen square before the Sheriff's hos Broken heads and cut knees there were in plenty; and lucky the man who escaped with so little as these Carfax won a place of safety for Master Monceux, and fell back sloith hiates had been attained Then the soldiers and pikeh the loopholes in the castle towers, upon townsmen and rioters alike
Half a score ofthat very apprentice who had wrestled on the day of Nottingham Fair with little Stuteley, the tumbler, for Squire o' th' Hall's purse
Robin had an arrow through his hand, and nigh broke the shaft in pulling it out
The greenwood men, well satisfied with the day's work, coe for theates, and all fell back into Sherwood in good style
Stuteley had been rescued, and walked joyfully by the side of his master Next to him was Little John, and near him the 's three sons They had already asked for and obtained permission to take up a free life in the woods of Sherwood
Two of the band had been killed by the murderous arrows of the Sheriff's fellows, and most of the outlaws bore wounds of some sort Yet they were not cast down Sorrow sat upon them for the loss of those two brave hearts, but for their own hurts they cared naught The bodies of their co carried with them into the free and happy woods, and there should find rest
”Tellround for hi to be of service to our Stuteley? He seemed a likeable old rateful”
”I much fear me that Monceux's fellows did capture hie ”But they will scarcely do hi a holy man”
”I have no trust in either of thery with you, Midge, for keeping this news to yourself
The palmer must be recovered from Monceux, and at once I will bethink me upon some plan to this end”
They walked on in silence After a while, ”I ne'er thought, master,”
said Stuteley, brokenly, ”that I should see these woods again--nor meet Little John, either in quarrel or in friendshi+p, nor see any of your dear faces again”
”By my crohich is the hardest part of me,” Little John cried, ”I swear that in future you shall ossip Here's reat friendshi+p between these thich was to last theh of it; but the doubtful fate of the palmer still troubled him sorely If he had known then that bitter truth which he was to learn very shortly he would have ridden back forthwith into Nottingham town, there to end this story at once