the merry adventures of robin hood-第12章

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r　away　the　dusky　line　of　Sherwood's　skirts。　Then　when　he　saw　the　slanting　sunlight　lying　on　field　and　fallow；　shining　redly　here　and　there　on　cot　and　farmhouse；　and　when　he　heard　the　sweet　birds　singing　their　vespers；　and　the　sheep　bleating　upon　the　hillside；　and　beheld　the　swallows　flying　in　the　bright　air；　there　came　a　great　fullness　to　his　heart　so　that　all　things　blurred　to　his　sight　through　salt　tears；　and　he　bowed　his　head　lest　the　folk　should　think　him　unmanly　when　they　saw　the　tears　in　his　eyes。　Thus　he　kept　his　head　bowed　till　they　had　passed　through　the　gate　and　were　outside　the　walls　of　the　town。　　But　when　he　looked　up　again　he　felt　his　heart　leap　within　him　and　then　stand　still　for　pure　joy；　for　he　saw　the　face　of　one　of　his　own　dear　companions　of　merry　Sherwood；　then　glancing　quickly　around　he　saw　well…known　faces　upon　all　sides　of　him；　crowding　closely　upon　the　men…at…arms　who　were　guarding　him。　　Then　of　a　sudden　the　blood　sprang　to　his　cheeks；　for　he　saw　for　a　moment　his　own　good　master　in　the　press　and；　seeing　him；　knew　that　Robin　Hood　and　all　his　band　were　there。　Yet　betwixt　him　and　them　was　a　line　of　men…at…arms。

〃Now；　stand　back！〃　cried　the　Sheriff　in　a　mighty　voice；　for　the　crowd　pressed　around　on　all　sides。　　〃What　mean　ye；　varlets；　that　ye　push　upon　us　so？　Stand　back；　I　say！〃

Then　came　a　bustle　and　a　noise；　and　one　strove　to　push　between　the　men…at…arms　so　as　to　reach　the　cart；　and　Stutely　saw　that　it　was　Little　John　that　made　all　that　stir。

〃Now　stand　thou　back！〃　cried　one　of　the　men…at…arms　whom　Little　John　pushed　with　his　elbows。

〃Now　stand　thou　back　thine　own　self；〃　quoth　Little　John；　and　straightway　smote　the　man　a　buffet　beside　his　head　that　felled　him　as　a　butcher　fells　an　ox；　and　then　he　leaped　to　the　cart　where　Stutely　sat。

〃I　pray　thee　take　leave　of　thy　friends　ere　thou　diest；　Will；〃　quoth　he；　〃or　maybe　I　will　die　with　thee　if　thou　must　die；　for　I　could　never　have　better　company。〃　　Then　with　one　stroke　he　cut　the　bonds　that　bound　the　other's　arms　and　legs；　and　Stutely　leaped　straightway　from　the　cart。

〃Now　as　I　live；〃　cried　the　Sheriff；　〃yon　varlet　I　know　right　well　is　a　sturdy　rebel！　　Take　him；　I　bid　you　all；　and　let　him　not　go！〃

So　saying；　he　spurred　his　horse　upon　Little　John；　and　rising　in　his　stirrups　smote　with　might　and　main；　but　Little　John　ducked　quickly　underneath　the　horse's　belly　and　the　blow　whistled　harmlessly　over　his　head。

〃Nay；　good　Sir　Sheriff；〃　cried　he；　leaping　up　again　when　the　blow　had　passed；　〃I　must　e'en　borrow　thy　most　worshipful　sword。〃　Thereupon　he　twitched　the　weapon　deftly　from　out　the　Sheriff's　hand；　〃Here；　Stutely；〃　he　cried；　〃the　Sheriff　hath　lent　thee　his　sword！　Back　to　back　with　me；　man；　and　defend　thyself；　for　help　is　nigh！〃

〃Down　with　them！〃　bellowed　the　Sheriff　in　a　voice　like　an　angry　bull；　and　he　spurred　his　horse　upon　the　two　who　now　stood　back　to　back；　forgetting　in　his　rage　that　he　had　no　weapon　with　which　to　defend　himself。

〃Stand　back；　Sheriff！〃　cried　Little　John；　and　even　as　he　spoke；　a　bugle　horn　sounded　shrilly　and　a　clothyard　shaft　whistled　within　an　inch　of　the　Sheriff's　head。　　Then　came　a　swaying　hither　and　thither；　and　oaths；　cries；　and　groans；　and　clashing　of　steel；　and　swords　flashed　in　the　setting　sun；　and　a　score　of　arrows　whistled　through　the　air。　And　some　cried；　〃Help；　help！〃　and　some；　〃A　rescue；　a　rescue！〃

〃Treason！〃　cried　the　Sheriff　in　a　loud　voice。　　〃Bear　back！　Bear　back！　　Else　we　be　all　dead　men！〃　　Thereupon　he　reined　his　horse　backward　through　the　thickest　of　the　crowd。

Now　Robin　Hood　and　his　band　might　have　slain　half　of　the　Sheriff's　men　had　they　desired　to　do　so；　but　they　let　them　push　out　of　the　press　and　get　them　gone；　only　sending　a　bunch　of　arrows　after　them　to　hurry　them　in　their　flight。

〃Oh　stay！〃　shouted　Will　Stutely　after　the　Sheriff。　　〃Thou　wilt　never　catch　bold　Robin　Hood　if　thou　dost　not　stand　to　meet　him　face　to　face。〃　But　the　Sheriff；　bowing　along　his　horse's　back；　made　no　answer　but　only　spurred　the　faster。

Then　Will　Stutely　turned　to　Little　John　and　looked　him　in　the　face　till　the　tears　ran　down　from　his　eyes　and　he　wept　aloud；　and　kissing　his　friend's　cheeks；　〃O　Little　John！〃　quoth　he；　〃mine　own　true　friend；　and　he　that　I　love　better　than　man　or　woman　in　all　the　world　beside！　Little　did　I　reckon　to　see　thy　face　this　day；　or　to　meet　thee　this　side　Paradise。〃　　Little　John　could　make　no　answer；　but　wept　also。

Then　Robin　Hood　gathered　his　band　together　in　a　close　rank；　with　Will　Stutely　in　the　midst；　and　thus　they　moved　slowly　away　toward　Sherwood；　and　were　gone；　as　a　storm　cloud　moves　away　from　the　spot　where　a　tempest　has　swept　the　land。　But　they　left　ten　of　the　Sheriff's　men　lying　along　the　ground　wounded　some　more；　some　lessyet　no　one　knew　who　smote　them　down。

Thus　the　Sheriff　of　Nottingham　tried　thrice　to　take　Robin　Hood　and　failed　each　time；　and　the　last　time　he　was　frightened；　for　he　felt　how　near　he　had　come　to　losing　his　life；　so　he　said；　〃These　men　fear　neither　God　nor　man；　nor　king　nor　king's　officers。　I　would　sooner　lose　mine　office　than　my　life；　so　I　will　trouble　them　no　more。〃　　So　he　kept　close　within　his　castle　for　many　a　day　and　dared　not　show　his　face　outside　of　his　own　household；　and　all　the　time　he　was　gloomy　and　would　speak　to　no　one；　for　he　was　ashamed　of　what　had　happened　that　day。



Robin　Hood　Turns　Butcher

NOW　AFTER　all　these　things　had　happened；　and　it　became　known　to　Robin　Hood　how　the　Sheriff　had　tried　three　times　to　make　him　captive；　he　said　to　himself；　〃If　I　have　the　chance；　I　will　make　our　worshipful　Sheriff　pay　right　well　for　that　which　he　hath　done　to　me。　　Maybe　I　may　bring　him　some　time　into　Sherwood　Forest　and　have　him　to　a　right　merry　feast　with　us。〃　For　when　Robin　Hood　caught　a　baron　or　a　squire；　or　a　fat　abbot　or　bishop；　he　brought　them　to　the　greenwood　tree　and　feasted　them　before　he　lightened　their　purses。

But　in　the　meantime　Robin　Hood　and　his　band　lived　quietly　in　Sherwood　Forest；　without　showing　their　faces　abroad；　for　Robin　knew　that　it　would　not　be　wise　for　him　to　be　seen　in　the　neighborhood　of　Nottingham；　those　in　authority　being　very　wroth　with　him。　　But　though　they　did　not　go　abroad；　they　lived　a　merry　life　within　the　woodlands；　spending　the　days　in　shooting　at　garlands　hung　upon　a　willow　wand　at　the　end　of　the　glade；　the　leafy　aisles　ringing　with　merry　jests　and　laughter：　for　whoever　missed　the　garland　was　given　a　sound　buffet；　which；　if　delivered　by　Little　John；　never　failed　to　topple　over　the　unfortunate　yeoman。　Then　they　had　bouts　of　wrestling　and　of　cudgel　play；　so　that　every　day　they　gained　in　skill　and　strength。

Thus　they　dwelled　for　nearly　a　year；　and　in　that　time　Robin　Hood　often　turned　over　in　his　mind　many　means　of　making　an　even　score　with　the　Sheriff。　　At　last　he　began　to　fret　at　his　confinement；　so　one　day　he　took　up　his　stout　cudgel　and　set　forth　to　seek　adventure；　strolling　blithely　along　until　he　came　to　the　edge　of　Sherwood。　　There；　as　he　rambled　along　the　sunlit　road；　he　met　a　lusty　young　butcher　driving　a　fine　mare　and　riding　in　a　stout　new　cart；　all　hung　about　with　meat。　Merrily　whistled　the　Butcher　as　he　jogged　along；　for　he　was　going　to　the　market；　and　the　day　was　fresh　and　sweet；　making　his　heart　blithe　within　him。

〃Good　morrow　to　thee；　jolly　fellow；〃　quoth　Robin；　〃thou　seemest　happy　this　merry　morn。〃

〃Ay；　that　am　I；〃　quoth　the　jolly　Butcher；　〃and　why　should　I　not　be　so？　Am　I　not　hale　in　wind　and　limb？　　Have　I　not　the　bonniest　lass　in　all　Nottinghamshire？　　And　lastly；　am　I　not　to　be　married　to　her　on　Thursday　next　in　sweet　Locksley　Town？〃

〃Ha；〃　said　Robin；　〃comest　thou　from　Locksley　Town？　　Well　do　I　know　that　fair　place　for　miles　about；　and　well　do　I　know　each　hedgerow　and　gentle　pebbly　stream；　and　even　all　the　bright　little　fishes　therein；　for　there　I　was　born　and　bred。　　Now；　where　goest　thou　with　thy　meat；　my　fair　friend？〃

〃I　go　to　the　market　at　Nottingham　Town　to　sell　my　beef　and　my　mutton；〃　answered　the　Butcher。　　〃But　who　art　thou　that　comest　from　Locksley　Town？〃

〃A　yeoman　am　I；　and　men　do　call　me　Robin　Hood。〃

〃Now；　by　Our　Lady's　grace；〃　cried　the　Butcher；　〃well　do　I　know　thy　name；　and　many　a　time　have　I　heard　thy　deeds　both　sung　and　spoken　of。　But　Heaven　forbid　that　thou　sho