These shall be delivered to thee whensoever thou dost
list." Then he called upon the other seven of the King's archers who had
last shot, and gave each fourscore silver pennies.
Then up spake Robin, and quoth he, "This silver bugle I keep in honor of
this shooting match; but thou, Gilbert, art the best archer of all the
King's guard, and to thee I freely give this purse of gold. Take it,
man, and would it were ten times as much, for thou art a right yeoman,
good and true. Furthermore, to each of the ten that last shot I give
one of these golden shafts apiece. Keep them always by you, so that ye
may tell your grandchildren, an ye are ever blessed with them, that ye
are the very stoutest yeomen in all the wide world."
At this all shouted aloud, for it pleased them to hear Robin speak so of
them.
Then up spake Little John. "Good friend Tepus," said he, "I want not
those harts of Dallen Lea that yon stout judge spoke of but now, for in
truth we have enow and more than enow in our own country. Twoscore and
ten I give to thee for thine own shooting, and five I give to each band
for their pleasure.
Pages:
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406