st, which he stayed to watch.
He soon saw that the victorious wrestler, who was a stranger to the
village, would be defrauded of his well-earned prize, which consisted
of a white bull, a noble charger gaily caparisoned, a gold ring, a
pipe of wine, and a pair of embroidered gloves. This seemed so wrong
to Sir Richard that he stayed to defend the right, for love of Robin
Hood and of justice, and kept the wrestling ring in awe with his
well-appointed troop of men, so that the stranger was allowed to claim
his prize and carry it off. Sir Richard, anxious not to arouse the
hostility of the villagers, bought the pipe of wine from the winner,
and, setting it abroach, allowed all who would to drink; and so, in a
tumult of cheers and blessings, he rode away to keep his tryst. By
this time, however, it was nearly three in the afternoon, and he
should have been there at twelve. He comforted himself with the
thought that Robin would forgive the delay, for the sake of its cause,
and so rode on comfortably enough at the head of his gallant company.

Robin's Impatience

In the meantime Robin had waited patiently at the trysting tree till
noon, but when the hour passed and Sir Richard had not appeared he
began to grow impatient. "Master, let us dine," said Little John. "I
cannot; I fear Our Lady is angered with me, for she has not sent me my
money," returned the leader; but his follower replied: "The money is
not due till sunset, master, and Our Lady is true, and so is Sir
Richard; have no fear." "Do you three walk up through the willow
plantation to Watling Street, as you did last year, and bring me a
guest," said Robin Hood. "He may be a messenger, a minstrel, a poor
man, but he will come in God's name."

The Monks Approach

Again the three yeomen, Little John, Will Scarlet, and Much the
miller's son, took bow in hand and set out for Watling Street; but
this time they had not long to wait, for they at once saw a little
procession approaching. Two black monks rode at the head; then
followed seven sumpter-mules and a train of fifty-two men, so that the
clerics rode in almost royal state. "Seest thou yon monks?" said
Little John. "I will pledge my soul that they have brought our pay."
"But they are fifty-four, and we are but three," said Scarlet. "Unless
we bring them to dinner we dare not face our master," cried Little
John. "Look well to your bows, your strings and arrows, and have stout
hearts and steady hands. I will take