“‘Base cowards,’ he cried, ‘ye shall be hung on the highest gibbets in
Nottingham;’ and snatching a huge cross-bow from the hands of one of
the fugitives, he levelled it at the retreating band and fired. One man
dropped; it was the tall forester in the light blue coat.
“At this, the sheriff’s followers took courage, and with a loud shout,
dashed onwards in pursuit of the outlaws, who had taken up their wounded
companion, and were now full half a mile in advance. Arrows innumerable
fell like hailstones on each party, and many of the Nottingham men fell,
sorely hurt; but the chase continued, and the sheriff seemed still
determined to pursue. For hours did the foresters use their fleetest
speed, turning ever and again to discharge their bows, until they
were well nigh exhausted. They would have stopped and fought, but the
overwhelming numbers that pursued gave them but a poor chance of victory.
In this extremity, a young knight, riding upon a grey charger, and
attended by several armed horsemen, met them upon the road. Surprised
at so unusual a sight, the knight reined up his steed and disposed his
men around him, as if to dispute the road. This bold step had well nigh
proved his ruin. A hundred arrows were pointed at him, and, at a word,
would have pierced through his breast-plate to his heart.
“‘Hold,’ shouted Robin Hood, dropping his bow, ‘’tis Sir Rychard o’ the
Lee! ’Tis the good knight of Wierysdale.’ The knight recognised the
voice, leaped from his horse, and threw himself into the outlaw’s arms. A
few words briefly explained to him the reason of their flight.
“‘To my castle, to my castle,’ he cried; ‘’tis close at hand, and will
defy the sheriff of Nottingham, with ten thousand of his men.’ Then
vaulting into his saddle, he took the wounded forester, Little John,
before him upon his steed, pointed out his fortress to Robin Hood and
galloped away.
“The castle of Wierysdale, surrounded on every side by noble trees,
stood upon a slight eminence in the middle of an extensive valley. The
building itself was of immense strength; it was girded by a lofty stone
wall, six feet in thickness, and two ditches of considerable breadth and
depth encompassed it. Over these were bridges that could be raised or
lowered at pleasure; and a strong iron door was the only way of entrance
to the castle.
“The outlaws increased their speed, and soon reached this promised
refuge. The gates were wide open; they rushed in, and at a word the
draw-bridges were raised, and the portcullis dropped. In a few more
minutes the sheriff, with his followers at his heels, loudly demanded
admittance. ‘Sir knight,’ he cried, ‘if thou dost not deliver up the
outlaws of Sherwood thou shalt be branded as a traitor.’
“‘Away, proud braggart,’ retorted the knight. ‘Dost thou threaten me? By
my good sword thou shalt one day rue thine insolence.’ A flight of arrows
stopped farther parley, and the sheriff was in despair. It was useless,
even with the multitude that he had at his command, to attempt forcing
the castle, and the knight had set his authority at defiance. Burning
with disappointment and rage, he denounced him as a traitor to his king,
and rushing through the mass who crowded behind him, he returned to
Nottingham.
“For twelve days did Robin Hood and his foresters dwell with the good
knight of Wierysdale, feasting upon the most delicate food, such as they
seldom met with in their forest retreats. Little John’s wound quickly
healed, and ere long he winded his bugle-horn as merry as the rest, among
the echoing woods of Barnesdale.
“The defeated sheriff neither forgot nor forgave the treatment that he
had received. He was determined upon being revenged on the rebellious
knight, and set spies round his castle to give him intelligence when he
stirred from it. For a long time they watched in vain; but one summer’s
morning the knight and his lady rode out to amuse themselves in the
delightful sport of falconry. Their steeds bounded gaily along the
meadows, by the banks of a river, and they rode far away from home. A
solitary heron that had been patiently watching for fish in a shallow
part of the stream, frightened at their approach, rose with a shrill
scream, and soared high up in air. The lady checked her palfrey, untied
the jesses that confined a falcon to her wrist, and threw it off. The
bird flew upwards as if shot from a bow, and rapidly ascended higher than
the quarry: fluttering its wing, it hovered for an instant above, and
then shooting downwards, struck the heron with its sharp beak and bore
it to the earth. The lady was delighted, and applying a silver whistle
to her mouth, recalled the well-trained hawk, which flew back again to
her hand, and seemed proud of her caresses. Pleased with the sport, they
galloped over many a verdant plain and flowery mead, and noon was long
past ere they bethought themselves of returning. They were conversing
about Robin Hood and his bold foresters, and wondering that they had
heard nothing more of the sheriff of Nottingham, when they became aware
of six armed horsemen galloping towards them at their utmost speed.
Little imagining their intentions, the knight quietly pursued his course,
when, to his surprise, the men checked their steeds as they approached,
and with drawn swords in their hands surrounded him. In the leader the
unfortunate knight easily recognised the sheriff of Nottingham, and he
guessed his fate. He was fastened with thongs to his saddle, his arms
were tied behind his back, and he was led away captive.
“His lady, aware that resistance was fruitless, turned her horse’s head,
and galloped swiftly from the spot. Full of courage and love for her
gallant husband, she rode on without drawing rein until she reached the
forest of Sherwood, into which she fearlessly entered. A youth was lying
upon the grass under a broad tree. ‘My friend,’ she cried to him, ‘canst
tell me where to find bold Robin Hood?’
“The young man started to his feet, and doffing his cap, replied, ‘I am
one of Robin Hood’s foresters, gracious lady, and will conduct thee to
him;’ and taking the palfrey’s rein in his hand, he led it through the
narrow paths to the spot where the bold outlaw was shading himself from
the summer’s heat beneath a rustic bower.
“‘God save thee, good Robin Hood,’ said the lady as the forester
advanced; ‘grant me thine aid, and that quickly. Thine enemy, the
sheriff, hath bound my dear husband, and led him captive to Nottingham.’
“The outlaw replied by setting his bugle-horn to his lips, and sounding
a shrill blast, it was answered from every side, and seven-score men soon
gathered round him.
“‘Busk ye, my merry men,’ he cried to them. ‘To the rescue of the knight
of Wierysdale. That double villain, the sheriff of Nottingham, hath bound
him. He that will not fight for our good friend is no longer follower of
mine.’
“The men gave a loud shout to prove their readiness, and their captain,
bidding the lady be of good cheer, and await the issue in her castle,
darted through the woods. The foresters followed him in a crowd close
upon his heels; neither hedge nor stream stopped their progress; they
leaped over every obstacle, and in two hours reached the town of
Nottingham. They were just in time. The gaoler was even at the moment
unbarring the gates of the castle to admit the prisoner, and the sheriff
was unfastening the bonds by which he was held to his horse. At the
appearance of the outlaws a loud cry was raised by the astonished
inhabitants, and the sheriff leaped into his saddle. He had but a small
force at hand, quite insufficient to oppose the assailants, and seizing
his prisoner’s bridle rein, he attempted to fly;—’twas too late. An
arrow from the bow of the foremost outlaw pierced his brain, and he fell
headlong from his steed. His attendants were routed, and the knight
of Wierysdale was recaptured. Robin Hood himself cut his bonds with a
dagger, and after raising a loud shout of victory, he and his gallant
foresters retired to Wierysdale, where they received the warm thanks of
the lady of the castle, and after partaking of a glorious feast, they
returned to their wonted abodes in merry Sherwood.