"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.
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