Page 305 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

At this speech the King’s brows drew together blackly,
and he turned to the Queen. ‘Is this true?’ said he sternly.
‘Yea,’ said the Queen, smiling, ‘the Bishop hath told the
truth; and truly he should know them well, for he and two
of his friars spent three days in merry sport with Robin
Hood in Sherwood Forest. I did little think that the good
Bishop would so betray his friends. But bear in mind that
thou hast pledged thy promise for the safety of these good
yeomen for forty days.’
‘I will keep my promise,’ said the King, in a deep voice
that showed the anger in his heart, ‘but when these forty
days are gone let this outlaw look to himself, for mayhap
things will not go so smoothly with him as he would like.’
Then he turned to his archers, who stood near the Sher-
wood yeomen, listening and wondering at all that passed.
Quoth he, ‘Gilbert, and thou, Tepus, and thou, Hubert, I
have pledged myself that ye shall shoot against these three
fellows. If ye outshoot the knaves I will fill your caps with
silver pennies; if ye fail ye shall lose your prizes that ye have
won so fairly, and they go to them that shoot against you,
man to man. Do your best, lads, and if ye win this bout ye
shall be glad of it to the last days of your life. Go, now, and
get you gone to the butts.’
Then the three archers of the King turned and went back
to their booths, and Robin and his men went to their plac-
es at the mark from which they were to shoot. Then they
strung their bows and made themselves ready, looking over
their quivers of arrows, and picking out the roundest and
the best feathered.

0 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood