h same
had turned so grievously upon them.

"Quick, men, seize the vile Miller!" cried Stutely, who was nigh choking
with laughter as were the rest; whereupon several ran upon the stout
fellow and seizing him, bound his arms behind his back with bowstrings.

"Ha!" cried Robin, when they brought the trembling Miller to him. "Thou
wouldst murder me, wouldst thou? By my faith,"--Here he stopped and stood
glaring upon the Miller grimly. But Robin's anger could not hold, so
first his eyes twinkled, and then in spite of all he broke into a laugh.

Now when they saw their master laugh, the yeomen who stood around could
contain themselves no longer, and a mighty shout of laughter went up
from all. Many could not stand, but rolled upon the ground from pure
merriment.

"What is thy name, good fellow?" said Robin at last to the Miller, who
stood gaping and as though he were in amaze.

"Alas, sir, I am Midge, the Miller's son," said he in a frightened
voice.

"I make my vow," quoth merry Robin, smiting him upon the shoulder, "thou
art the mightiest Midge that e'er mine eyes beheld. Now wilt thou leave
thy dusty mill and come and join my band? By my faith, thou art too
stout a man to spend thy days betwixt the hopper and the till."

"Then truly, if thou dost forgive me for the blows I struck, not knowing
who thou wast, I will join with thee right merrily," said the Miller.

"Then have I gained this day," quoth Robin, "the three stoutest yeomen
in all Nottinghamshire. We will get us away to the greenwood tree, and
there hold a merry feast in honor of our new friends, and mayhap a cup
or two of good sack and canary may mellow the soreness of my poor joints
and bones, though I warrant it will be many a day before I am again the
man I was." So saying, he turned and led the way, the rest following,
and so they entered the forest once more and were lost to sight.

So that night all was ablaze with crackling fires in the woodlands,
for though Robin and those others spoken of, only excepting Midge, the
Miller's son, had many a sore bump and bruise here and there on their
bodies, they were still not so sore in the joints that they could not
enjoy a jolly feast given all in welcome to the new members of the band.
Thus with songs and jesting and laughter that echoed through the deeper
and more silent nooks of the forest, the night passed quickly along, as
such merry times are wont to do, until at last each man sought his couch
and si