Page 303 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

two in the white and one in the black ring next to it; but
stout Clifton had gone down and Hubert of Suffolk had tak-
en the third place, for, while both those two good yeomen
had lodged two in the white, Clifton had lost one shot upon
the fourth ring, and Hubert came in with one in the third.
All the archers around Gilbert’s booth shouted for joy till
their throats were hoarse, tossing their caps aloft, and shak-
ing hands with one another.
In the midst of all the noise and hubbub five men came
walking across the lawn toward the King’s pavilion. The first
was Richard Partington, and was known to most folk there,
but the others were strange to everybody. Beside young
Partington walked a yeoman clad in blue, and behind came
three others, two in Lincoln green and one in scarlet. This
last yeoman carried three stout bows of yew tree, two fanci-
fully inlaid with silver and one with gold. While these five
men came walking across the meadow, a messenger came
running from the King’s booth and summoned Gilbert and
Tepus and Hubert to go with him. And now the shouting
quickly ceased, for all saw that something unwonted was
toward, so the folk stood up in their places and leaned for-
ward to see what was the ado.
When Partington and the others came before the spot
where the King and Queen sat, the four yeomen bent their
knees and doffed their caps unto her. King Henry leaned
far forward and stared at them closely, but the Bishop of
Hereford, when he saw their faces, started as though stung
by a wasp. He opened his mouth as though about to speak,
but, looking up, he saw the Queen gazing at him with a

0 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood