The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
no time may be lost in sending for him at this hour, if we would save
the lives of thy three sons. Tell me, hast thou any clothes hereabouts
that I may put on in place of these of Lincoln green? Marry, if our
stout Sheriff catcheth me without disguise, I am like to be run up more
quickly than thy sons, let me tell thee, dame."
Then the old woman told him that she had in the house some of the
clothes of her good husband, who had died only two years before. These
she brought to Little John, who, doffing his garb of Lincoln green, put
them on in its stead. Then, making a wig and false beard of uncarded
wool, he covered his own brown hair and beard, and, putting on a great,
tall hat that had belonged to the old peasant, he took his staff in one
hand and his bow in the other, and set forth with all speed to where the
Sheriff had taken up his inn.
A mile or more from Nottingham Town, and not far from the southern
borders of Sherwood Forest, stood the cosy inn bearing the sign of the
King's Head. Here was a great bustle and stir on this bright morning,
for the Sheriff and a score of his men had come to stop there and await
Guy of Gisbourne's return from the forest. Great hiss and fuss of
cooking was going on in the kitchen, and great rapping and tapping of
wine kegs and beer barrels was going on in the cellar. The Sheriff sat
within, feasting merrily of the best the place afforded, and the
Sheriff's men sat upon the bench before the door, quaffing ale, or lay
beneath the shade of the broad-spreading oak trees, talking and jesting
and laughing. All around stood the horses of the band, with a great
noise of stamping feet and a great switching of tails. To this inn came
the King's rangers, driving the widow's three sons before them. The
hands of the three youths were tied tightly behind their backs, and a
cord from neck to neck fastened them all together. So they were marched
to the room where the Sheriff sat at meat, and stood trembling before
him as he scowled sternly upon them.
"So," quoth he, in a great, loud, angry voice, "ye have been poaching
upon the King's deer, have you? Now I will make short work of you this
day, for I will hang up all three of you as a farmer would hang up three
crows to scare others of the kind from the field. Our fair county of
Nottingham hath been too long a breeding place for such naughty knaves
as ye are. I have put up with these things for many years, but now I
will stamp them out once for all, and with you I will begin."
Then one of the poor fellows opened his mouth to speak, but the Sheriff
roared at him in a loud voice to be silent, and bade the rangers to take
them away till he had done his eating and could attend to the matters
concerning them. So the three poor youths were marched outside, where
they stood with bowed heads and despairing hearts, till after a while
the Sheriff came forth. Then he called his men about him, and quoth he,
"These three villains shall be hanged straightway, but not here, lest
they breed ill luck to this goodly inn. We will take them over yonder to
that belt of woodlands, for I would fain hang them upon the very trees
of Sherwood itself, to show those vile outlaws therein what they may
expect of me if I ever have the good luck to lay hands upon them." So
saying, he mounted his horse, as did his men-at-arms likewise, and all
together they set forth for the belt of woodlands he had spoken of, the
poor youths walking in their midst guarded by the rangers. So they came
at last to the spot, and here nooses were fastened around the necks of
the three, and the ends of the cords flung over the branch of a great
oak tree that stood there. Then the three youths fell upon their knees
and loudly besought mercy of the Sheriff; but the Sheriff of Nottingham
laughed scornfully. "Now," quoth he, "I would that I had a priest here
to shrive you; but, as none is nigh, you must e'en travel your road with
all your sins packed upon your backs, and trust to Saint Peter to let
you in through the gates of Paradise like three peddlers into the town."
In the meantime, while all this had been going forward, an old man had
drawn near and stood leaning on his staff, looking on. His hair and
beard were all curly and white, and across his back was a bow of yew
that looked much too strong for him to draw. As the Sheriff looked
around ere he ordered his men to string the three youths up to the oak
tree, his eyes fell upon this strange old man. Then his worship
beckoned to him, saying, "Come hither, father, I have a few words to say
to thee." So Little John, for it was none other than he, came forward,
and the Sheriff looked upon him, thinking that there was something
strangely familiar in the face before him. "How, now," said he,
"methinks I have seen thee before. What may thy name be, father?"
"Please Your Worship," said Little John, in a cracked voice like that of
an old man, "my name is Giles Hobble, at Your Worship's service."
"Giles Hobble, Giles Hobble," muttered the Sheriff to himself, turning
over the names that he had in his mind to try to find one to fit to
this. "I remember not thy name," said he at last, "but it matters not.
Hast thou a mind to earn sixpence this bright morn?"
"Ay, marry," quoth Little John, "for money is not so plenty with me that
I should cast sixpence away an I could earn it by an honest turn. What
is it Your Worship would have me do?"
"Why, this," said the Sheriff. "Here are three men that need hanging as
badly as any e'er I saw. If thou wilt string them up I will pay thee
twopence apiece for them. I like not that my men-at-arms should turn
hangmen. Wilt thou try thy hand?"
"In sooth," said Little John, still in the old man's voice, "I ha' never
done such a thing before; but an a sixpence is to be earned so easily I
might as well ha' it as anybody. But, Your Worship, are these naughty
fellows shrived?"
"Nay," said the Sheriff, laughing, "never a whit; but thou mayst turn
thy hand to that also if thou art so minded. But hasten, I prythee, for
I would get back to mine inn betimes."
So Little John came to where the three youths stood trembling, and,
putting his face to the first fellow's cheek as though he were listening
to him, he whispered softly into his ear, "Stand still, brother, when
thou feelest thy bonds cut, but when thou seest me throw my woolen wig
and beard from my head and face, cast the noose from thy neck and run
for the woodlands." Then he slyly cut the cord that bound the youth's
hands; who, upon his part, stood still as though he were yet bound. Then
he went to the second fellow, and spoke to him in the same way, and also
cut his bonds. This he did to the third likewise, but all so slyly that
the Sheriff, who sat upon his horse laughing, wotted not what was being
done, nor his men either.
Then Little John turned to the Sheriff. "Please Your Worship," said he,
"will you give me leave to string my bow? For I would fain help these
fellows along the way, when they are swinging, with an arrow beneath the
ribs."
"With all my heart," said the Sheriff, "only, as I said before, make
thou haste in thy doings."
Little John put the tip of his bow to his instep, and strung the weapon
so deftly that all wondered to see an old man so strong. Next he drew a
good smooth arrow from his quiver and fitted it to the string; then,
looking all around to see that the way was clear behind him, he suddenly
cast away the wool from his head and face, shouting in a mighty voice,
"Run!" Quick as a flash the three youths flung the nooses from their
necks and sped across the open to the woodlands as the arrow speeds from
the bow. Little John also flew toward the covert like a greyhound,
while the Sheriff and his men gazed after him all bewildered with the
sudden doing. But ere the yeoman had gone far the Sheriff roused
himself. "After him!" he roared in a mighty voice; for he knew now who
it was with whom he had been talking, and wondered that he had not known
him before.
Little John heard the Sheriff's words, and seeing that he could not hope
to reach the woodlands before they would be upon him, he stopped and
turned suddenly, holding his bow as though he were about to shoot.
"Stand back!" cried he fiercely. "The first man that cometh a foot
forward, or toucheth finger to bowstring, dieth!"
At these words the Sheriff's men stood as still as stocks, for they knew
right well that Little John would be as good as his word, and that to
disobey him meant death. In vain the Sheriff roared at them, calling
them cowards, and urging them forward in a body; they would not budge an
inch, but stood and watched Little John as he moved slowly away toward
the forest, keeping his gaze fixed upon them. But when the Sheriff saw
his enemy thus slipping betwixt his fingers he grew mad with his rage,
so that his head swam and he knew not what he did. Then of a sudden he
turned his horse's head, and plunging his spurs into its sides he gave a
great shout, and, rising in his stirrups, came down upon Little John
like the wind. Then Little John raised his deadly bow and drew the gray
goose feather to his cheek. But alas for him! For, ere he could loose
the shaft, the good bow that had served him so long, split in his hands,
and the arrow fell harmless at his feet. Seeing what had happened, the
Sheriff's men raised a shout, and, following their master, came rushing
down upon Little John. But the Sheriff was ahead of the others, and so
caught up with the yeoman before he reached the shelter of the
woodlands, then leaning forward he struck a mighty blow. Little John
ducked and the Sheriff's sword turned in his hand, but the flat of the
blade struck the other upon the head and smote him down, stunned and
senseless.
"Now, I am right glad," said the Sheriff, when the men came up and found
that Little John was not dead, "that I have not slain this man in my
haste! I would rather lose five hundred pounds than have him die thus
instead of hanging, as such a vile thief should do. Go, get some water
from yonder fountain, William, and pour it over his head."
The man did as he was bidden, and presently Little John opened his eyes
and looked around him, all dazed and bewildered with the stun of the
blow. Then they tied his hands behind him, and lifting him up set him
upon the back of one of the horses, with his face to its tail and his
feet strapped beneath its belly. So they took him back to the King's
Head Inn, laughing and rejoicing as they went along. But in the meantime
the widow's three sons had gotten safely away, and were hidden in the
woodlands.
Once more the Sheriff of Nottingham sat within the King's Head Inn. His
heart rejoiced within him, for he had at last done that which he had
sought to do for years, taken Little John prisoner. Quoth he to himself,
"This time tomorrow the rogue shall hang upon the gallows tree in front
of the great gate of Nottingham Town, and thus shall I make my long
score with him even." So saying, he took a deep draught of Canary. But
it seemed as if the Sheriff had swallowed a thought with his wine, for
he shook his head and put the cup down hastily. "Now," he muttered to
himself, "I would not for a thousand pounds have this fellow slip
through my fingers; yet, should his master escape that foul Guy of
Gisbourne, there is no knowing what he may do, for he is the cunningest
knave in all the world--this same Robin Hood. Belike I had better not
wait until tomorrow to hang the fellow." So saying, he pushed his chair
back hastily, and going forth from the inn called his men together.
Quoth he, "I will wait no longer for the hanging of this rogue, but it
shall be done forthwith, and that from the very tree whence he saved
those three young villains by stepping betwixt them and the law. So get