"Ha!" roared the leader of the band in
a great big voice of joy, "have we then caught thee at last, thou blue-
clad knave? Now, blessed be the name of Saint Hubert, for we are
fourscore pounds richer this minute than we were before, for the good
Bishop of Hereford hath promised that much to the band that shall bring
thee to him. Oho! thou cunning rascal! thou wouldst look so innocent,
forsooth! We know thee, thou old fox. But off thou goest with us to
have thy brush clipped forthwith." At these words the poor Cobbler gazed
all around him with his great blue eyes as round as those of a dead
fish, while his mouth gaped as though he had swallowed all his words and
so lost his speech.
Robin also gaped and stared in a wondering way, just as the Cobbler
would have done in his place. "Alack-a-daisy, me," quoth he. "I know
not whether I be sitting here or in No-man's-land! What meaneth all this
stir i' th' pot, dear good gentlemen? Surely this is a sweet, honest
fellow."
"'Honest fellow,' sayst thou, clown?" quoth one of the men "Why, I tell
thee that this is that same rogue that men call Robin Hood.
Pages:
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428