Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times
No more was said in regard to the sounding of the horn; and the merry
jest again went on, around the green table where their viands were
spread. The torch, stuck in a hole in the ground, shed its light upon
the various faces in the circle and upon the sylvan repast; and a song
from one of the foresters cheered the minutes, till, at length, again
the horn hastened much nearer, and Robin again gave his accustomed
reply. In about three minutes more the forms of a man on horseback and
another on foot by his side, were seen coming through the trees, while
the eyes of the whole party round the torch were turned towards them.
"Why, who is this?" exclaimed the Earl; "my good yeoman, Tom Blawket,
as I live! He has found his old lord out, even in Sherwood."
The eyes of Blawket had not been idle as he came up; and though the
Earl was no longer habited as the high noble of a splendid and
ostentatious age, the faithful servant singled him out instantly.
Springing from his horse, he kissed his master's hand with affectionate
reverence, while a tear stood in his eye; but he could utter nothing
except, "Oh, my lord!"
"Well, Blawket," replied the Earl, laying his hand on the yeoman's
shoulder, "I am glad to see thee, my good friend, though thy coming may
be somewhat dangerous."
"I come not without cause, my lord," said Blawket, "and sad cause too,
and I must give my message hastily, for there is no time to lose. Your
nephew, sir, has been arrested on suspicion of treason, being seen
conversing with three masked men in the forest. He dared not say that
one of them was yourself, my lord, because a price has been set upon
your head; and the first word of your being near would send half the
nobles of the court hunting you through Sherwood."
"Let them come!" said Robin Hood, calmly; "we would entertain them
well."
"He refused to answer their questions," continued Blawket, "and has
gained some four and twenty hours--that is, till to-morrow at the hour
of two or three, when they will be put to him again, he, in the
meantime, remaining a close prisoner. He therefore prays you, my lord,
to provide for your own safety with all speed, leaving this part of the
forest, and betaking yourself to a distance from Nottingham."
"Where is the Prince?" demanded the old Earl.
"He is gone to Derby, as I hear," replied the yeoman, "to put down some
rough-handed clowns amongst the mountains there, who will not believe
that the great Earl of Leicester is dead."
"These are bad tidings, indeed," said Robin Hood; "we cannot storm
Nottingham Castle, I fear, and set him free."
"Bad tidings, indeed," repeated the Earl; "and I know not well whether
to go at once to the King's court and justify poor Hugh, or----"
"Nay, nay, my lord," cried Robin Hood, "that will not do. I have always
found it best when one of sound discretion, whom we love, beseeches us
for his sake to do this or that, not to aim at more than he requires,
thinking that we can better his advice, but simply to perform his
bidding if we can. Otherwise, not knowing all the secret causes of his
desire, we often break his purpose while we seek to mend it. He asks
you to go, my lord; 'twere better to do so far. I will remain: nay, go
nearer still to Nottingham, this very night; and the castle walls will
be thicker and stronger than they ever have been yet, if I hear not all
that takes place within them. Nay, more--should danger threaten the
good young lord, we will find means to give him help. Although, as the
old song goes, 'The castle walls are strong and high,' yet there are
means of leaping over them, if one have but a good will.--Fear not, my
lord--fear not! All that your nephew asks is to be enabled, by your
absence in some place of safety, to acknowledge whom it was he met in
the forest here, without danger to yourself. Was it not so, Tom?"
"Exactly so," replied the yeoman, "and he seemed no way cast down. But
the King's people are eager enough after him, that is clear, for I
found that they dogged me nearly to Lambley Haggard, which made me so
long, otherwise I should have been down two hours ago, for I was forced
to ride on, and then come back again. I found one of them still waiting
near the Mere; but, as he was teasing a pretty boy who seemed to have
lost his way, I picked a quarrel with the vermin, and so belaboured him
that he will dog no honest man again for some weeks to come, even if he
can contrive to drag his bones back to Nottingham to-night."
"Well done, yeoman--well done, Tom!" cried several voices; and the old
Earl, who had been buried in thought while his servant spoke, now
turned to his forest companion, saying, "Send a quick messenger to the
Prince, Robin. It is with him that Hugh's safety rests. It seems
that I ought to go hence, and therefore I will do so at once; but,
Blawket--you speed back to Lord Hugh, and tell him, that if need be, I
am willing, at a moment's notice, to surrender myself into the Prince's
hand--ay, or the King's, though that, I know, were death--for the few
days of my old life are worth nought compared with the long high course
before him. Speed you back, Blawket, at once, while I will mount and
away! Robin, let me have one of your men with me. Come, Morton of the
Moor, you shall show me the way."
A few words more passed between Robin and the Earl, ere the old
nobleman departed; but, as soon as he was gone, the bold forester
turned to Blawket, who was already on his horse's back, exclaiming,
"Stay, Tom, a moment! Who was this boy you spoke of?--Where have you
left him?"
"I know not, the boy," answered Blawket, "and I left him with one of
your people, upon assurance of safety and of freedom to come and go,
for he was weary and seemed terrified."
"He is with Harry of Mansfield," joined in Yockley, who had accompanied
the yeoman thither, "and we both promised that we would let him go when
he liked, for it was of being kept he seemed most afraid. But he asked
for you, Robin, and so Harry is bringing him along down the vert course
and by the roe lane."
"We must on, and meet them," said Robin Hood. "Go you back, good
Blawket, speedily, and should anything new happen, come again to the
second mere. You, Yockley, go on to the lodge as fast as your legs can
carry you, and bring up the people there to the Royal-hart Pond. Lead
on the horses,--I will afoot."
Thus saying, he walked on, with his arms folded on his broad chest and
his eyes bent upon the ground. His countenance was seldom, if ever,
gloomy, for serenity was one of its peculiar characteristics. Sometimes
it was grave indeed, and very often thoughtful, but the wrinkled frown
had no place there, and even when the quick burst of anger crossed it,
it showed itself only in the lightning of the eye and the expansion of
the nostril. His face was now anxious, however, and as he walked along,
his lips, as was very frequent with him, gave unwitting utterance to
that which was passing in his heart.
"We must not let him perish," he said. "I doubt this King--he is too
weak to be honest. 'Tis strange how near the fool and the rogue are
akin. Wisdom and goodness,--ay, wisdom and goodness,--they are brother
and sister; the one somewhat gentler than the other, but of the same
blood."
The pace of a thoughtful man is generally slow, but it was not so with
Robin Hood upon the present occasion; for while he thus meditated, and
murmured broken sentences to himself, he strode on at a rapid rate,
till, at the distance of about a mile from the spot where he had been
seated with the Earl, the sound of voices speaking met his ear, and
pausing, he turned to one of those behind him, saying, "You must ride
to Derby, Dickon; seek out the Prince, say you bring him a message from
the Lord Hugh de Monthermer, and, when you see him, add that if he
would save a friend's life, he must to Nottingham with all speed. Take
one of the horses as far as Beeston--it will carry you well so far; but
you must use speed. So, knock up the merry miller, and bid him, for
love of Robin Hood, to lend you his black mare to Derby. Away, with
you, good Dickon, and when in Derby, tell good Margery Green,
of the Setting Sun, to send me what tidings she has had out of
Cumberland,--Here, bring forward the torch!--Now, boy, what do you want
with me?"
These last words were addressed to a slight youth, dressed in a page's
habit, but not such as we represent--upon the stage or in pictures--as
the garb of a page of the middle ages. The upper garment which he wore
was one of the loose cassocks then very generally is use, of a rich
purple cloth, descending considerably below the knee, and somewhat
longer indeed than the ordinary petticoat of the English peasant girl
of the time. From underneath this, appeared a small foot, covered with
long-toed riding boots; and a green hood with a trimming of grey
squirrel fur, clasped round the neck with a gilt fermail or buckle, was
brought far over the forehead, concealing the greater part of the face.
Over the right shoulder was slung a belt, holding a long dagger,
underneath which appeared a wallet or pouch of velvet trimmed with fur.
To judge from his size and general appearance, the boy might be some
fourteen years of age, and apparently not of a very strong and hardy
make. Ere he answered, he shaded his eyes with his hand, somewhat
dazzled it seemed by the light of the torch, and Robin had to ask him
again, "What want you with me, my good lad?"
"I would speak with you alone," said the boy--"I would speak with you
alone, and immediately; for the matter is of life and death."
Robin Hood took the torch from the man that held it, and bade the rest
stand back. Then, fixing his eyes with a calm, searching gaze upon the
part of the youth's countenance which was visible under the hood, he
waited in silence to hear what the boy had to say. The page hesitated
for a moment, and then murmured, "The Lord Hugh de Monthermer----"
"Oh, we know about him!" cried Robin Hood. "Stale news, young
gentleman, if that be all!"
The boy, who had seemed at first abashed and uncertain, now lifted his
head with an angry toss, as if offended, replying boldly, "You are rash
and hasty. Hear before you answer, Sir Forester. The news is not stale,
though you think yourself so wise. You know that the Lord Hugh is in
prison, for you have had his man with you; but you know not that he is
condemned to death, and that his head will be struck off in the
castle-yard, to-morrow, at daybreak. Do you know that?"
"No, by the Blessed Virgin!" replied Robin Hood, "I do not know it; and
I say that it shall not be, if I have power to help it!"
"Ay, there is the question," cried the boy. "Have you the power?"
"Of that anon," replied Robin Hood; "first show me that the tidings are
true."
"There," said the page, "read that, if thou canst read. If not, I will
for thee;" and he held out an open letter to the Outlaw, who took it
eagerly from his hand, and gazed at it by the light of the torch.
The writing consisted of two parts, traced by different hands, the
latter being evidently an answer to the former, scrawled down in haste
at the bottom of the paper. The first was to the following effect:--
"To, my noble and well-beloved Lord the Earl of Mortimer, greeting.
These from the humblest and most devoted of his servants, Richard de
Ashby.
"If the time given, my good lord, till three to-morrow, be permitted to
run on, the game will escape us, for I doubt not the Prince is already
informed; and be you sure that he will set off with all speed, and if
he arrive in time, will save the criminal. I therefore send you up a
man who is ready to swear that he heard the criminal say to the monk,
as they passed through the gates together, that out of De Montfort's