The sun was low down in the west, and shining through and under the
great oak and beech trees, so that everything seemed to be turned
to orange and gold.
It was the outlaws' supper time, the sun being their clock in the
forest; and the men were gathering together to enjoy their second
great meal of the day, the other being breakfast, after having
which they always separated to go hunting through the woods to
bring in the provisions for the next day.
Robin Hood's men, then, were scattered about under the shade of a
huge spreading oak tree, waiting for the roast venison, which sent
a very pleasant odor from the glowing fire of oak wood, and young
Robin was seated on the mossy grass close by the thatched shed
which formed the captain's headquarters, where Maid Marian was busy
spreading the supper for the little party who ate with Robin Hood
himself.
Little John was there, lying down, smiling and contented after a
hard day's hunting, listening to young Robin, who was displaying
the treasures he had brought in that day, and telling his great
companion where he had found them.
There were flowers for Maid Marian, because she was fond of the
purple and yellow loosestrife, and long thick reeds in a bundle.
"You can make me some arrows of those," said Robin; "and I've found
a young yew tree with a bough quite straight. You must cut that
down and dry it to make me a bigger bow. This one is not strong
enough."
"Very well, big one," said Little John, smiling and stretching out
his hand to smooth the boy's curly brown hair. "Anything else for
me to do?"
"Oh yes, lots of things, only I can't think of them yet. Look
here, I found these."
The boy took some round prickly husks out of his pocket.
"Chestnuts--eating ones."
"Yes, I know where you got them," said Little-John, "but they're no
good. Look."
He tore one of the husks open, and laid bare the rich brown nut;
but it was, as he said, good for nothing, there being no hard sweet
kernel within, nothing but soft pithy woolly stuff.
"No good at all," continued the great forester; "but I'll show you
a tree which bears good ones, only the nuts are better if they're
left till they drop out of their husks."
"And then the pigs get them," said Robin.
"Then you must get up before the pigs, and be first. Halloa! What
now?"
For a horn was blown at a distance, and the men under the great oak
tree sprang to their feet, while Robin Hood came out to see what
the signal meant.
Young Robin, who was now quite accustomed to the foresters' ways,
caught up his bow like the rest, and stood looking eagerly in the
direction from which the cheery sounding notes of the horn were
blown.
He had not long to wait, for half a dozen of the merry men in green
came marching towards them with a couple of prisoners, each having
his hands fastened behind him with a bow-string and a broad bandage
tied over his eyes, so that they should not know their way again to
the outlaws' stronghold.
"Prisoners!" said young Robin.
"Poor men, too," grumbled Little John.
"Then you'll give them their supper and send them away to-morrow
morning," said young Robin.
"I suppose so," said Little John, "but I don't know what made our
fellows bring them in."
"Let's go and see," said young Robin.
Little John followed as the boy marched off, bow in hand, to where
Robin Hood was standing, waiting to hear what his men had to say
about the prisoners they had brought in. And as they drew near the
boy saw that one was, a homely poor-looking man with round
shoulders, the other, well dressed in sad-colored clothes, and thin
and bent. But the boy could see little more for the broad bandage,
which nearly covered the prisoner's face and was tied tightly
behind over his long, gray hair, while his gray beard hung down low.
Young Robin looked pityingly at this prisoner, and a longing came
over him to loosen the thong which tied his hands tightly behind
him, and take off the bandage so that he could breathe freely, but
just then Robin Hood cried:
"Well, my lads, whom have we here?"
The bowed down gray-haired prisoner rose erect at this, and cried:
"Is that Robin Hood who speaks?"
Before the outlaw could answer; he was stopped by a cry: from the
boy, who threw down his bow and darted to the prisoner's side.
"Father!" he cried; and he leaped up, as active now as one of the
deer of the forest, to fling his arms about the prisoner's neck.
But only for a moment.
The next he had dropped to the ground, to look fiercely round at
the astonished men, as he drew the dagger which hung from his belt.
[Illustration: Robin looked fiercely round at the astonished men,
as he drew the dagger which hung from his belt.]
"Who dared do this?" he cried, as he reached up to tear the bandage
from the face bending over him, and then darted round to begin
sawing at the thong which held his father's hands.
Little John took a step or two forward to help the boy, but Robin
Hood held up his hand to keep him back, and a dead silence fell
upon the great group of foresters who had pressed forward, and who
eagerly watched the scene before them in the soft, amber sunshine
which came slanting through the trees. The task was hard, but the
little fellow worked well, and many moments had not elapsed before
the prisoner's hands were free, and as if seeing no one but the
little forester before him in green, and quite regardless of all
around, he dropped upon his knees, clasped the boy to his breast,
and softly whispered the words:
"Thank God!"
Young Robin's arms were tightly round his father's neck by this
time, and he was kissing the care-worn face again and again.
"They didn't know who you were, father; they didn't know who you
were," cried the boy passionately, as if asking his father's pardon
for the outrage committed upon him.
"No, Rob," said the Sheriff, in a choking voice; "they did not know
who I was. But you know your poor old father again."
"Know you again!" cried the boy, hanging back, and looking at his
father wonderingly. "Why, yes; but what a long time you have been
before you came to fetch me."
"Yes, yes, my boy; a long, long year of misery and sorrow; but I
have found you now, at last."
"Oh! I am glad," cried the boy, struggling free, and catching his
father's hand to lead him towards where Robin Hood and Marian were
standing, wet-eyed, looking on.
"This is my father," cried the boy proudly. "This is Robin Hood,
the captain, father," he continued, and the Sheriff bowed gravely;
"and this is Maid Marian, who has been so good to me."
The Sheriff bowed slowly 'and gravely, as if to the greatest lady
in the land, and then the boy dragged at his father's hand.
"And this is old Little John, father," he cried. "I say, isn't he
big!"
The Sheriff bowed again, and the great outlaw's face wore such a
comic expression of puzzlement that Robin Hood laughed aloud, and
completed his great follower's confusion.
"He has been so good to me, father," cried young Robin. "I can
shoot with bow and arrow now, and sound my horn. Hark!"
The boy clapped his horn to his lips and blew a few cheery notes
which ran echoing down the forest glades, and the men assembled
gave a hearty cheer.
"You're welcome to the woodlands, Master Sheriff," said Robin Hood,
advancing now with extended hand. "Do not take this as the
outlaw's hand, nor extend yours as the Sheriff; but let it be the
grasp of two Englishmen, one of whom receives a guest."
"I thank you, sir," said the Sheriff slowly. "I can give you
nothing but thanks, for after a year of sorrow I find my child is
after all alive and well."
"And I hope not worse than when accident brought him into our
hands. What do you say? Do you find him changed?"
"Bigger and stronger," said the Sheriff, drawing the boy closer to
him, while the little fellow clung to his hand.
"Our woodland life; and I warrant you, Master Sheriff, that he is
none the worse, for he is the truest, most gracious little fellow I
ever met. Here, Little Namesake, speak out, and let your father
know you have been a good boy ever since you came here to stay."
Young Robin was silent, and looked from one to the other in a
curiously abashed fashion.
"Well, boy, why don't you speak?" cried Robin Hood merrily. "I
want Master Sheriff to hear that we have not spoiled you. Come,
tell him. You have always been a good boy, haven't you?"
Young Robin hung his head.
"No," he said slowly, with his brow wrinkled up, his head hanging
and one foot scraping softly at the mossy grass. "No, not always."
Little John burst into a tremendous roar of laughter, and began to
stamp about, with the result that young Robin made a dash at him
and tried vainly to climb up and clap his hand over the great
fellow's lips.
"Don't--don't tell," cried the boy.
"Ran at me--only yesterday," cried Little John--"and began to
thrash me in a passion."
"Don't tell tales out of school, Little John," cried Robin Hood,
laughing. "There, Rob, you must forgive him; we're none
of-us-perfect. Master Sheriff, and if your little fellow had been
quite so, I don't think that we should all, to a man here, have
loved him half so well. But come, after his confession, I think
you will grant one thing, and that is, that in spite of his having
spent a year in the outlaws' camp, he is as honest as the day."
"Nothing could make my boy Robin tell a lie," said the Sheriff
proudly. "But, sir, I have come humbly to you now. Glad even to
be your prisoner, so that I might once more see my child."
"My prisoner if you had come amongst us with your posse of armed
men, sir," said Robin Hood proudly. "As it is, Master Sheriff, you
come here alone with your guide, and I bid you welcome to our
greenwood home. Fate made me what I am, the Sheriff's enemy, but
the gentle visitor's friend. Come, Rob, my boy, show your father
where he can take away the travel stains, and then bring him to our
humble board."
It was the next day that was to be young Robin's last with the
outlaws in the merry greenwood, and all were gathered together to
bid him farewell, and see him safely with his father on the road;
but not as the Sheriff had come, wearily and on foot, for half a
dozen of the best mules were forthcoming, and the guests were to
ride back on their journey home.
Who does not know how hard it is to say good-bye? Young Robin did
not till the time had come.
He awoke that morning joyful and eager to start, for it was to go
back home in company with the father whom he loved; but when the
time came he had to learn how tightly so many of his little
heartstrings had taken hold of the life under the greenwood tree.
Everything about him had grown dear, and there was almost a mule
load of treasures and pets of his own collecting that could not be
left behind.
And when they had been carefully packed in panniers by Little John
and one of the men, there was the task of bidding them all
good-bye, and then those two words grew harder every time.
But he spoke out manfully and well, in spite of a choking
sensation, till nearly the last.
"For I'm coming back again," he said, "and you'll take care of my
pet fawn for me, Little John, and always remember to feed it well.
And don't forget the dog and that dormouse we couldn't find, so
that I can have it when I come back, and--"
_Croak_!
What was that?
It was a peculiar sound made up in the air by Little John, and that
did it, for when young Robin looked up in astonishment, it was to
see the great fellow's face all puckered up, and--yes, there were
two great tears rolling down his cheeks as he caught the boy in his
arms and kissed him.
And so it was that when young Robin ran to bid Maid Marian
good-bye, he could no longer hold it back. As he clasped his arms
about her neck, and kissed her passionately again and again, the
sobs came fast, but the word _Good-bye_ would not come at all, and
when they rode away, the boy dared not look back for fear the men
should see his red and swollen eyes. So he only waved his hat, and
kept waving it to the last.
But he was to see some of his friends again, for about a year after
the Sheriff of Nottingham had the strangest visitors of his
life-time at his house, and young Robin enjoyed the task of
welcoming them, for as one old history says, Robin Hood was
forgiven and restored by the King to his rightful possessions, and
then it was that he was gladly welcomed by the Sheriff, who said he
was honored by the visit of the nobleman and his lady.
But it was nothing to young Robin then that his old friend was an
earl, and his lady a countess; they were still Robin Hood and Maid
Marian to him, and big Little John, their follower, his old friend
and companion, full of memories of his year's happy life in the
Merry Greenwood.