Page 284 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

Corn Engrosser should suspect something. So they trav-
eled along till they reached a hill just on the outskirts of
Sherwood. Here the lean man checked his lean horse into a
walk, for the road was steep, and he wished to save his nag’s
strength, having far to go ere he reached Newark. Then he
turned in his saddle and spake to Robin again, for the first
time since they had left the cross. ‘Here is thy greatest dan-
ger, friend,’ said he, ‘for here we are nighest to that vile thief
Robin Hood, and the place where he dwells. Beyond this
we come again to the open honest country, and so are more
safe in our journeying.’
‘Alas!’ quoth Robin, ‘I would that I had as little money by
me as thou hast, for this day I fear that Robin Hood will get
every groat of my wealth.’
Then the other looked at Robin and winked cunningly.
Quoth he, ‘I tell thee, friend, that I have nigh as much by me
as thou hast, but it is hidden so that never a knave in Sher-
wood could find it.’
‘Thou dost surely jest,’ quoth Robin. ‘How could one hide
so much as two hundred pounds upon his person?’
‘Now, as thou art so honest a fellow, and, withal, so much
younger than I am, I will tell thee that which I have told to
no man in all the world before, and thus thou mayst learn
never again to do such a foolish thing as to trust to beggar’s
garb to guard thee against Robin Hood. Seest thou these
clogs upon my feet?’
‘Yea,’ quoth Robin, laughing, ‘truly, they are large enough
for any man to see, even were his sight as foggy as that of
Peter Patter, who never could see when it was time to go to