Page 324 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

and more away from them, coursing over the ground like
a greyhound. He never slackened his pace, but ran along,
mile after mile, till he had come
nigh to Mackworth, over beyond the Derwent River, nigh
to Derby Town. Here, seeing that he was out of present dan-
ger, he slackened in his running, and at last sat him down
beneath a hedge where the grass was the longest and the
shade the coolest, there to rest and catch his wind. ‘By my
soul, Robin,’ quoth he to himself, ‘that was the narrowest
miss that e’er thou hadst in all thy life. I do say most sol-
emnly that the feather of that wicked shaft tickled mine ear
as it whizzed past. This same running hath given me a most
craving appetite for victuals and drink. Now I pray Saint
Dunstan that he send me speedily some meat and beer.’
It seemed as though Saint Dunstan was like to answer
his prayer, for along the road came plodding a certain cob-
bler, one Quince, of Derby, who had been to take a pair of
shoes to a farmer nigh Kirk Langly, and was now coming
back home again, with a fair boiled capon in his pouch and
a stout pottle of beer by his side, which same the farmer
had given him for joy of such a stout pair of shoon. Good
Quince was an honest fellow, but his wits were somewhat
of the heavy sort, like unbaked dough, so that the only
thing that was in his mind was, ‘Three shillings sixpence
ha’penny for thy shoon, good Quince—three shillings six-
pence ha’penny for thy shoon,’ and this traveled round and
round inside of his head, without another thought getting
into his noddle, as a pea rolls round and round inside an
empty quart pot.