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of twoscore and ten golden pounds.’ And as he spake he
handed those things to Robin, and then turned to Little
John. ‘To thee,’ he said, ‘belongeth the second prize, to wit,
fivescore of the finest harts that run on Dallen Lea. Thou
mayest shoot them whensoever thou dost list.’ Last of all he
turned to stout Hubert. ‘Thou,’ said he, ‘hast held thine own
against the yeomen with whom thou didst shoot, and so
thou hast kept the prize duly thine, to wit, two tuns of good
Rhenish wine. These shall be delivered to thee whensoever
thou dost list.’ Then he called upon the other seven of the
King’s archers who had last shot, and gave each fourscore
silver pennies.
Then up spake Robin, and quoth he, ‘This silver bugle I
keep in honor of this shooting match; but thou, Gilbert, art
the best archer of all the King’s guard, and to thee I freely
give this purse of gold. Take it, man, and would it were ten
times as much, for thou art a right yeoman, good and true.
Furthermore, to each of the ten that last shot I give one of
these golden shafts apiece. Keep them always by you, so that
ye may tell your grandchildren, an ye are ever blessed with
them, that ye are the very stoutest yeomen in all the wide
world.’
At this all shouted aloud, for it pleased them to hear Rob-
in speak so of them.
Then up spake Little John. ‘Good friend Tepus,’ said he,
‘I want not those harts of Dallen Lea that yon stout judge
spoke of but now, for in truth we have enow and more than
enow in our own country. Twoscore and ten I give to thee
for thine own shooting, and five I give to each band for their

10 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood