cattered about under the shade of a
huge spreading oak tree, waiting for the roast venison, which sent
a very pleasant odor from the glowing fire of oak wood, and young
Robin was seated on the mossy grass close by the thatched shed
which formed the captain's headquarters, where Maid Marian was busy
spreading the supper for the little party who ate with Robin Hood
himself.

Little John was there, lying down, smiling and contented after a
hard day's hunting, listening to young Robin, who was displaying
the treasures he had brought in that day, and telling his great
companion where he had found them.

There were flowers for Maid Marian, because she was fond of the
purple and yellow loosestrife, and long thick reeds in a bundle.

"You can make me some arrows of those," said Robin; "and I've found
a young yew tree with a bough quite straight. You must cut that
down and dry it to make me a bigger bow. This one is not strong
enough."

"Very well, big one," said Little John, smiling and stretching out
his hand to smooth the boy's curly brown hair. "Anything else for
me to do?"

"Oh yes, lots of things, only I can't think of them yet. Look
here, I found these."

The boy took some round prickly husks out of his pocket.

"Chestnuts--eating ones."

"Yes, I know where you got them," said Little-John, "but they're no
good. Look."

He tore one of the husks open, and laid bare the rich brown nut;
but it was, as he said, good for nothing, there being no hard sweet
kernel within, nothing but soft pithy woolly stuff.

"No good at all," continued the great forester; "but I'll show you
a tree which bears good ones, only the nuts are better if they're
left till they drop out of their husks."

"And then the pigs get them," said Robin.

"Then you must get up before the pigs, and be first. Halloa! What
now?"

For a horn was blown at a distance, and the men under the great oak
tree sprang to their feet, while Robin Hood came out to see what
the signal meant.

Young Robin, who was now quite accustomed to the foresters' ways,
caught up his bow like the rest, and stood looking eagerly in the
direction from which the cheery sounding notes of the horn were
blown.

He had not long to wait, for half a dozen of the merry men in green
came marching towards them with a couple of prisoners, each having
his hands fastened behind him with a bow-string and a broad bandage
tied over his eyes, so that they should not know their way