Page 373 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

Tuck turned to one of the mock friars. ‘Hearest thou our
master?’ quoth he, with a sly wink. ‘Whenever he cometh
across some poor piece of wit he straightway layeth it on the
shoulders of this Gaffer Swanthold—whoever he may be—
so that the poor goodman goeth traveling about with all
the odds and ends and tags and rags of our master’s brain
packed on his back.’ Thus spake Friar Tuck, but in a low
voice so that Robin could not hear him, for he felt somewhat
nettled at Robin’s cutting his talk so short.
In the meantime the mark at which they were to shoot
was set up at sixscore paces distance. It was a garland of
leaves and flowers two spans in width, which same was
hung upon a stake in front of a broad tree trunk. ‘There,’
quoth Robin, ‘yon is a fair mark, lads. Each of you shoot
three arrows thereat; and if any fellow misseth by so much
as one arrow, he shall have a buffet of Will Scarlet’s fist.’
‘Hearken to him!’ quoth Friar Tuck. ‘Why, master, thou
dost bestow buffets from thy strapping nephew as though
they were love taps from some bouncing lass. I warrant
thou art safe to hit the garland thyself, or thou wouldst not
be so free of his cuffing.’
First David of Doncaster shot, and lodged all three of his
arrows within the garland. ‘Well done, David!’ cried Robin,
‘thou hast saved thine ears from a warming this day.’ Next
Midge, the Miller, shot, and he, also, lodged his arrows in
the garland. Then followed Wat, the Tinker, but alas for
him! For one of his shafts missed the mark by the breadth
of two fingers.
‘Come hither, fellow,’ said Will Scarlet, in his soft, gen-

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood