Page 335 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

of the King’s and the Sheriffs men.’ Having so spoken, Sir
Richard bent his head in thought, and Robin felt his heart
sink within him like that of the fox that hears the hounds at
his heels and finds his den blocked with earth so that there
is no hiding for him. But presently Sir Richard spoke again,
saying, ‘One thing thou canst do, Robin, and one only. Go
back to London and throw thyself upon the mercy of our
good Queen Eleanor. Come with me straightway to my cas-
tle. Doff these clothes and put on such as my retainers wear.
Then I will hie me to London Town with a troop of men be-
hind me, and thou shalt mingle with them, and thus will
I bring thee to where thou mayst see and speak with the
Queen. Thy only hope is to get to Sherwood, for there none
can reach thee, and thou wilt never get to Sherwood but in
this way.’
So Robin went with Sir Richard of the Lea, and did as
he said, for he saw the wisdom of that which the knight ad-
vised, and that this was his only chance of safety.
Queen Eleanor walked in her royal garden, amid the
roses that bloomed sweetly, and with her walked six of her
ladies-in-waiting, chattering blithely together. Of a sudden
a man leaped up to the top of the wall from the other side,
and then, hanging for a moment, dropped lightly upon the
grass within. All the ladies-in-waiting shrieked at the sud-
denness of his coming, but the man ran to the Queen and
kneeled at her feet, and she saw that it was Robin Hood.
‘Why, how now, Robin!’ cried she, ‘dost thou dare to
come into the very jaws of the raging lion? Alas, poor fel-
low! Thou art lost indeed if the King finds thee here. Dost

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood