His
men were too busy defending themselves to take heed of their master's
plight, for every arrow shot at a dog was caught and held in the
creature's mouth.

Robin's men were not used to fight with dogs, and felt they were
getting beaten. At last Little John bade the friar call off his dogs,
and as he did not do so at once he let fly some arrows, which this time
left half a dozen dead on the ground.

"Hold, hold, my good fellow," said the friar, "till your master and I
can come to a bargain," and when the bargain was made this was how it
ran. That the friar was to forswear Fountains Abbey and join Robin
Hood, and that he should be paid a golden noble every Sunday throughout
the year, besides a change of clothes on each holy day.

This Friar had kept Fountains Dale
Seven long years or more,
There was neither Knight, nor Lord, nor Earl
Could make him yield before.

But now he became one of the most famous members of Robin Hood's men
under the name of Friar Tuck.

PART IX.

HOW ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN FELL OUT.

One Whitsunday morning, when the sun was shining and the birds singing,
Robin Hood called to Little John to come with him into Nottingham to
hear Mass. As was their custom, they took their bows, and on the way
Little John proposed that they should shoot a match with a penny for a
wager.

Robin, who held that he himself shot better than any man living,
laughed in scorn, and told Little John that he should have three tries
to his master's one, which John without more ado accepted.

But Robin soon repented both of his offer and his scorn, for Little
John speedily won five shillings, whereat Robin became angry and smote
Little John with his hand.

Little John was not the man to bear being treated so, and he told Robin
roundly that he would never more own him for master, and straightway
turned back into the wood.

At this Robin was ashamed of what he had done, but his pride would not
suffer him to say so, and he continued his way to Nottingham, and
entered the Church of St. Mary, not without secret fears, for the
Sheriff of the town was ever his enemy. However, there he was and
there he meant to stay.

He knelt down before the great cross in the sight of all the people,
but none knew him save one monk only, and he stole out of church and
ran to the Sheriff, and bade him come quickly and take his foe.

The Sheriff was not slow to do the monk's bidding, and, calling his men
to fo