, but not less skill than the knight, and
showed such a mastery of his weapon as reduced the latter to great
admiration.

They had not fought many minutes by the forest clock, the sun; and had
as yet done each other no worse injury than that the knight had wounded
the forester's jerkin, and the forester had disabled the knight's plume;
when they were interrupted by a voice from a thicket, exclaiming, "Well
fought, girl: well fought. Mass, that had nigh been a shrewd hit. Thou
owest him for that, lass. Marry, stand by, I'll pay him for thee."

The knight turning to the voice, beheld a tall friar issuing from the
thicket, brandishing a ponderous cudgel.

"Who art thou?" said the knight.

"I am the church militant of Sherwood," answered the friar. "Why art
thou in arms against our lady queen?"

"What meanest thou?" said the knight.

"Truly, this," said the friar, "is our liege lady of the forest, against
whom I do apprehend thee in overt act of treason. What sayest thou for
thyself?"

"I say," answered the knight, "that if this be indeed a lady, man never
yet held me so long."

"Spoken," said the friar, "like one who hath done execution. Hast thou
thy stomach full of steel? Wilt thou diversify thy repast with a taste
of my oak-graff? Or wilt thou incline thine heart to our venison which
truly is cooling? Wilt thou fight? or wilt thou dine? or wilt thou fight
and dine? or wilt thou dine and fight? I am for thee, choose as thou
mayest."

"I will dine," said the knight; "for with lady I never fought before,
and with friar I never fought yet, and with neither will I ever fight
knowingly: and if this be the queen of the forest, I will not, being in
her own dominions, be backward to do her homage."

So saying, he kissed the hand of Marian, who was pleased most graciously
to express her approbation.

"Gramercy, sir knight," said the friar, "I laud thee for thy courtesy,
which I deem to be no less than thy valour. Now do thou follow me, while
I follow my nose, which scents the pleasant odour of roast from the
depth of the forest recesses. I will lead thy horse, and do thou lead my
lady."

The knight took Marian's hand, and followed the friar, who walked before
them, singing:

When the wind blows, when the wind blows
From where under buck the dry log glows,
What guide can you follow,
O'er brake and o'er hollow,
So true as a ghostly, ghostly nose?

CHAPTER XVIII

Robin and Richard were