Page 351 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

bade the rangers to take them away till he had done his eat-
ing 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 straight-
way, 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 ex-
pect of me if I ever have the good luck to lay hands upon
them.’ So saying, he mounted his horse, as did his men-at-
arms likewise, and all together they set forth for the belt of
woodlands he had spoken of, the poor youths walking in
their midst guarded by the rangers. So they came at last to
the spot, and here nooses were fastened around the necks of
the three, and the ends of the cords flung over the branch of
a great oak tree that stood there. Then the three youths fell
upon their knees and loudly besought mercy of the Sher-
iff; but the Sheriff of Nottingham laughed scornfully. ‘Now,’
quoth he, ‘I would that I had a priest here to shrive you; but,
as none is nigh, you must e’en travel your road with all your
sins packed upon your backs, and trust to Saint Peter to let
you in through the gates of Paradise like three peddlers into
the town.’
In the meantime, while all this had been going forward,
an old man had drawn near and stood leaning on his staff,
looking on. His hair and beard were all curly and white,
and across his back was a bow of yew that looked much too

0 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood