Page 312 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

pleasure.
At this another great shout went up, and many tossed
their caps aloft, and swore among themselves that no bet-
ter fellows ever walked the sod than Robin Hood and his
stout yeomen.
While they so shouted with loud voices, a tall burly yeo-
man of the King’s guard came forward and plucked Robin
by the sleeve. ‘Good master,’ quoth he, ‘I have somewhat to
tell thee in thine ear; a silly thing, God wot, for one stout
yeoman to tell another; but a young peacock of a page, one
Richard Partington, was seeking thee without avail in the
crowd, and, not being able to find thee, told me that he bore
a message to thee from a certain lady that thou wottest of.
This message he bade me tell thee privily, word for word,
and thus it was. Let me see—I trust I have forgot it not—yea,
thus it was: ‘The lion growls. Beware thy head.’ ‘
‘Is it so?’ quoth Robin, starting; for he knew right well
that it was the Queen sent the message, and that she spake
of the King’s wrath. ‘Now, I thank thee, good fellow, for thou
hast done me greater service than thou knowest of this day.’
Then he called his three yeomen together and told them pri-
vately that they had best be jogging, as it was like to be ill
for them so nigh merry London Town. So, without tarrying
longer, they made their way through the crowd until they
had come out from the press. Then, without stopping, they
left London Town and started away northward.

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