The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
try a throw with him. "Come one, come all!" quoth he. "Here stand I,
William of the Scar, against any man. If there is none in Derbyshire to
come against me, come all who will, from Nottingham, Stafford, or York,
and if I do not make them one and all root the ground with their noses
like swine in the forests, call me no more brave William the wrestler."
At this all laughed; but above all the laughter a loud voice was heard
to cry out, "Sin' thou talkest so big, here cometh one from
Nottinghamshire to try a fall with thee, fellow"; and straightway a tall
youth with a tough quarterstaff in his hand came pushing his way through
the crowd and at last leaped lightly over the rope into the ring. He was
not as heavy as stout William, but he was taller and broader in the
shoulders, and all his joints were well knit. Sir Richard looked upon
him keenly, then, turning to one of the judges, he said, "Knowest thou
who this youth is? Methinks I have seen him before."
"Nay," said the judge, "he is a stranger to me."
Meantime, without a word, the young man, laying aside his quarterstaff,
began to take off his jerkin and body clothing until he presently stood
with naked arms and body; and a comely sight he was when so bared to the
view, for his muscles were cut round and smooth and sharp like
swift-running water.
And now each man spat upon his hands and, clapping them upon his knees,
squatted down, watching the other keenly, so as to take the vantage of
him in the grip. Then like a flash they leaped together, and a great
shout went up, for William had gotten the better hold of the two. For a
short time they strained and struggled and writhed, and then stout
William gave his most cunning trip and throw, but the stranger met it
with greater skill than his, and so the trip came to nought. Then, of a
sudden, with a twist and a wrench, the stranger loosed himself, and he
of the scar found himself locked in a pair of arms that fairly made his
ribs crack. So, with heavy, hot breathing, they stood for a while
straining, their bodies all glistening with sweat, and great drops of
sweat trickling down their faces. But the stranger's hug was so close
that at last stout William's muscles softened under his grip, and he
gave a sob. Then the youth put forth all his strength and gave a sudden
trip with his heel and a cast over his right hip, and down stout William
went, with a sickening thud, and lay as though he would never move hand
nor foot again.
But now no shout went up for the stranger, but an angry murmur was heard
among the crowd, so easily had he won the match. Then one of the judges,
a kinsman to William of the Scar, rose with trembling lip and baleful
look. Quoth he, "If thou hath slain that man it will go ill with thee,
let me tell thee, fellow." But the stranger answered boldly, "He took
his chance with me as I took mine with him. No law can touch me to harm
me, even if I slew him, so that it was fairly done in the wrestling
ring."
"That we shall see," said the judge, scowling upon the youth, while once
more an angry murmur ran around the crowd; for, as I have said, the men
of Denby were proud of stout William of the Scar.
Then up spoke Sir Richard gently. "Nay," said he, "the youth is right;
if the other dieth, he dieth in the wrestling ring, where he took his
chance, and was cast fairly enow."
But in the meantime three men had come forward and lifted stout William
from the ground and found that he was not dead, though badly shaken by
his heavy fall. Then the chief judge rose and said, "Young man, the
prize is duly thine. Here is the red-gold ring, and here the gloves, and
yonder stands the pipe of wine to do with whatsoever thou dost list."
At this, the youth, who had donned his clothes and taken up his staff
again, bowed without a word, then, taking the gloves and the ring, and
thrusting the one into his girdle and slipping the other upon his thumb,
he turned and, leaping lightly over the ropes again, made his way
through the crowd, and was gone.
"Now, I wonder who yon youth may be," said the judge, turning to Sir
Richard, "he seemeth like a stout Saxon from his red cheeks and fair
hair. This William of ours is a stout man, too, and never have I seen
him cast in the ring before, albeit he hath not yet striven with such
great wrestlers as Thomas of Cornwall, Diccon of York, and young David
of Doncaster. Hath he not a firm foot in the ring, thinkest thou, Sir
Richard?"
"Ay, truly, and yet this youth threw him fairly, and with wondrous ease.
I much wonder who he can be." Thus said Sir Richard in a thoughtful
voice.
For a time the Knight stood talking to those about him, but at last he
arose and made ready to depart, so he called his men about him and,
tightening the girths of his saddle, he mounted his horse once more.
Meanwhile the young stranger had made his way through the crowd, but, as
he passed, he heard all around him such words muttered as "Look at the
cockerel!" "Behold how he plumeth himself!" "I dare swear he cast good
William unfairly!" "Yea, truly, saw ye not birdlime upon his hands?"
"It would be well to cut his cock's comb!" To all this the stranger
paid no heed, but strode proudly about as though he heard it not. So he
walked slowly across the green to where the booth stood wherein was
dancing, and standing at the door he looked in on the sport. As he stood
thus, a stone struck his arm of a sudden with a sharp jar, and, turning,
he saw that an angry crowd of men had followed him from the wrestling
ring. Then, when they saw him turn so, a great hooting and yelling
arose from all, so that the folk came running out from the dancing booth
to see what was to do. At last a tall, broad-shouldered, burly
blacksmith strode forward from the crowd swinging a mighty blackthorn
club in his hand.
"Wouldst thou come here to our fair town of Denby, thou Jack in the Box,
to overcome a good honest lad with vile, juggling tricks?" growled he in
a deep voice like the bellow of an angry bull. "Take that, then!" And
of a sudden he struck a blow at the youth that might have felled an ox.
But the other turned the blow deftly aside, and gave back another so
terrible that the Denby man went down with a groan, as though he had
been smitten by lightning. When they saw their leader fall, the crowd
gave another angry shout; but the stranger placed his back against the
tent near which he stood, swinging his terrible staff, and so fell had
been the blow that he struck the stout smith that none dared to come
within the measure of his cudgel, so the press crowded back, like a pack
of dogs from a bear at bay. But now some coward hand from behind threw a
sharp jagged stone that smote the stranger on the crown, so that he
staggered back, and the red blood gushed from the cut and ran down his
face and over his jerkin. Then, seeing him dazed with this vile blow,
the crowd rushed upon him, so that they overbore him and he fell beneath
their feet.
Now it might have gone ill with the youth, even to the losing of his
young life, had not Sir Richard come to this fair; for of a sudden,
shouts were heard, and steel flashed in the air, and blows were given
with the flat of swords, while through the midst of the crowd Sir
Richard of the Lea came spurring on his white horse. Then the crowd,
seeing the steel-clad knight and the armed men, melted away like snow on
the warm hearth, leaving the young man all bloody and dusty upon the
ground.
Finding himself free, the youth arose and, wiping the blood from his
face, looked up. Quoth he, "Sir Richard of the Lea, mayhap thou hast
saved my life this day."
"Who art thou that knowest Sir Richard of the Lea so well?" quoth the
Knight. "Methinks I have seen thy face before, young man."
"Yea, thou hast," said the youth, "for men call me David of Doncaster."
"Ha!" said Sir Richard, "I wonder that I knew thee not, David; but thy
beard hath grown longer, and thou thyself art more set in manhood since
this day twelvemonth. Come hither into the tent, David, and wash the
blood from thy face. And thou, Ralph, bring him straightway a clean
jerkin. Now I am sorry for thee, yet I am right glad that I have had a
chance to pay a part of my debt of kindness to thy good master Robin
Hood, for it might have gone ill with thee had I not come, young man."
So saying, the Knight led David into the tent, and there the youth
washed the blood from his face and put on the clean jerkin.
In the meantime a whisper had gone around from those that stood nearest
that this was none other than the great David of Doncaster, the best
wrestler in all the mid-country, who only last spring had cast stout
Adam o' Lincoln in the ring at Selby, in Yorkshire, and now held the
mid-country champion belt. Thus it happened that when young David came
forth from the tent along with Sir Richard, the blood all washed from
his face, and his soiled jerkin changed for a clean one, no sounds of
anger were heard, but all pressed forward to see the young man, feeling
proud that one of the great wrestlers of England should have entered the
ring at Denby fair. For thus fickle is a mass of men.
Then Sir Richard called aloud, "Friends, this is David of Doncaster; so
think it no shame that your Denby man was cast by such a wrestler. He
beareth you no ill will for what hath passed, but let it be a warning to
you how ye treat strangers henceforth. Had ye slain him it would have
been an ill day for you, for Robin Hood would have harried your town as
the kestrel harries the dovecote. I have bought the pipe of wine from
him, and now I give it freely to you to drink as ye list. But never
hereafterward fall upon a man for being a stout yeoman."
At this all shouted amain; but in truth they thought more of the wine
than of the Knight's words. Then Sir Richard, with David beside him and
his men-at-arms around, turned about and left the fair.
But in after days, when the men that saw that wrestling bout were bent
with age, they would shake their heads when they heard of any stalwart
game, and say, "Ay, ay; but thou shouldst have seen the great David of
Doncaster cast stout William of the Scar at Denby fair."
Robin Hood stood in the merry greenwood with Little John and most of his
stout yeomen around him, awaiting Sir Richard's coming. At last a glint
of steel was seen through the brown forest leaves, and forth from the
covert into the open rode Sir Richard at the head of his men. He came
straight forward to Robin Hood and leaping from off his horse, clasped
the yeoman in his arms.
"Why, how now," said Robin, after a time, holding Sir Richard off and
looking at him from top to toe, "methinks thou art a gayer bird than
when I saw thee last."
"Yes, thanks to thee, Robin," said the Knight, laying his hand upon the
yeoman's shoulder. "But for thee I would have been wandering in misery
in a far country by this time. But I have kept my word, Robin, and have
brought back the money that thou didst lend me, and which I have doubled
four times over again, and so become rich once more. Along with this
money I have brought a little gift to thee and thy brave men from my
dear lady and myself." Then, turning to his men, he called aloud,
"Bring forth the pack horses."
But Robin stopped him. "Nay, Sir Richard," said he, "think it not bold
of me to cross thy bidding, but we of Sherwood do no business till after
we have eaten and drunk." Whereupon, taking Sir Richard by the hand, he
led him to the seat beneath the greenwood tree, while others of the
chief men of the band came and seated themselves around. Then quoth
Robin, "How cometh it that I saw young David of Doncaster with thee and
thy men, Sir Knight?"
Then straightway the Knight told all about his stay at Denby and of the