st bushes he came to, and
galloped away, hardly stopping till he reached Nottingham town.

There the first question the Sheriff asked was, not what had become
of the pack mules and the consignment of cloth, but where was
Robin, and the false servant said that he had fought hard to save
him in the fight, but fought in vain, and that the poor boy was
dead.

And then months passed and a year had gone by, and people looked
solemn and said that it seemed as if the Sheriff would never hold
up his head again. But they thought that he should have gathered
together a number of fighting men and gone and punished Robin Hood
and his outlaws for carrying off that valuable set of loads of
cloth.

But Robin's father cared nothing for the cloth or the mules; he
could only think of the bright happy little fellow whom he loved so
well, and whom he wept for in secret at night when there was no one
near to see.

Robin's aunt when she came and tried to comfort him used to shake
her head and wipe her eyes. She said little, only thought a great
deal, and she came over again and again to try and comfort her dead
sister's husband; but it made no difference, for the Sheriff was a
sadly altered man.

Then all at once there was a change, and it was at a time when
Robin's aunt was over to Nottingham.

For one day a man came to the Sheriff's house and wanted him. But
the Sheriff would not see him, for he took no interest in anything
now, and told his servant that the man must send word what his
business was.

The servant went out, and came back directly.

"He says, sir, that he was taken prisoner by Robin Hood's men a
week ago, and that he has just come from the camp under the
greenwood tree, and has brought you news, master."

The Sheriff started up, trembling, and told his servant to bring
the strange man in.

It was no beaten and wounded ruffian, but a hale and hearty fellow,
who looked bright and happy, and before he could speak and tell his
news the Sheriff began to question him.

"You have come from the outlaws' camp?" he said with his voice
trembling.

"Yes, Master Sheriff."

"They took you prisoner, and beat and robbed you?"

"Oh! no, Master Sheriff; they took me before Robin Hood, and he
asked me what I was doing there, and whether I was not afraid to
cross his forest, and I up and told him plainly that I wasn't.
Then he said how was that when I must have heard what a terrible
robber he was."

"Yes, yes," cried th