Page 183 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

Friar’s sword belt was loose albeit he knew it not; so when
Robin stood on dry land and the Friar leaped from his back,
the yeoman gripped hold of the sword so that blade, sheath,
and strap came away from the holy man, leaving him with-
out a weapon.
‘Now then,’ quoth merry Robin, panting as he spake and
wiping the sweat from his brow, ‘I have thee, fellow. This
time that same saint of whom thou didst speak but now
hath delivered two swords into my hand and hath stripped
thine away from thee. Now if thou dost not carry me back,
and that speedily, I swear I will prick thy skin till it is as full
of holes as a slashed doublet.’
The good Friar said not a word for a while, but he looked
at Robin with a grim look. ‘Now,’ said he at last, ‘I did think
that thy wits were of the heavy sort and knew not that thou
wert so cunning. Truly, thou hast me upon the hip. Give me
my sword, and I promise not to draw it against thee save in
self-defense; also, I promise to do thy bidding and take thee
upon my back and carry thee.’
So jolly Robin gave him his sword again, which the Friar
buckled to his side, and this time looked to it that it was
more secure in its fastenings; then tucking up his robes
once more, he took Robin Hood upon his back and without
a word stepped into the water, and so waded on in silence
while Robin sat laughing upon his back. At last he reached
the middle of the ford where the water was deepest. Here he
stopped for a moment, and then, with a sudden lift of his
hand and heave of his shoulders, fairly shot Robin over his
head as though he were a sack of grain.

1 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood