nd whispered
together. Robin strung his bow and slipped an arrow across it.

The crowd became suddenly silent, and this nerved the lad to be himself
once more. He forgot his momentary vexation and aimed carefully. His
arrow flew surely to the target and struck it full in the middle. "A
bull! A bull!" roared Warrenton and Stuteley, together. Robin stepped
back.

"None so bad a shot, master," said the next archer to him, in a quiet
tone. "You have provided yourself now with a truer shaft, I ween?"

It was Will o' th' Green, with stained face and horse-hair beard. His
eyes challenged Robin's in ironical defiance, as he moved to take his
turn. His aim seemed to be made without skill or desire to better
Robin's shot; yet his arrow found resting-place side by side with the
other.

The mob cheered and applauded themselves hoarse; while the markers
scored the points evenly to these first two archers.

These two stood apart, silent amidst the din. Once Will seemed to be
about to speak: then changed his mind. He glanced sidelong at young
Stuteley and Warrenton; then hummed a ballad-tune under his breath.

The contest went on and the first round came to an end. Out of twenty
and three rivals nineteen had scored bulls at this range. The markers
gave the signal to the heralds, and these announced the results with
loud flourishings.

The target was taken down and the range increased. The range of the mark
from the archers for the second round was fixed at forty ells--the same
distance as had chanced before between Robin and Master Will when in the
greenwood together. The outlaw offered to shoot first; but the heralds
requested them to keep in the same order as in the preceding round.

Robin fitted his arrow quietly and with some confidence to his bow, then
sped it unerringly towards the target. "A bull! Another bull to
Locksley!" cried out Warrenton, in stentorian tones, and the fickle mob
took up the cry: "Locksley! A Locksley!" with gusto.

Will aimed with even more unconcern than before. His arrow took the
center fairly and squarely, however; and was in reality a better shot
than Robin's. The shafts were withdrawn; then the other contestants
followed. This round brought down the number of competitors to five. The
markers carried back the target to a distance of five-and-fifty ells;
and truly the painted circles upon it seemed to be now very small.

Robin again took his stand, but with some misgiving. The light was
unce