they
were to shoot. Then they strung their bows and made themselves ready,
looking over their quivers of arrows, and picking out the roundest and
the best feathered.

But when the King's archers went to their tents, they told their friends
all that had passed, and how that these four men were the famous Robin
Hood and three of his band, to wit, Little John, Will Scarlet, and Allan
a Dale. The news of this buzzed around among the archers in the booths,
for there was not a man there that had not heard of these great
mid-country yeomen. From the archers the news was taken up by the crowd
that looked on at the shooting, so that at last everybody stood up,
craning their necks to catch sight of the famous outlaws.

Six fresh targets were now set up, one for each man that was to shoot;
whereupon Gilbert and Tepus and Hubert came straightway forth from the
booths. Then Robin Hood and Gilbert of the White Hand tossed a farthing
aloft to see who should lead in the shooting, and the lot fell to
Gilbert's side; thereupon he called upon Hubert of Suffolk to lead.

Hubert took his place, planted his foot firmly, and fitted a fair,
smooth arrow; then, breathing upon his fingertips, he drew the string
slowly and carefully. The arrow sped true, and lodged in the white;
again he shot, and again he hit the clout; a third shaft he sped, but
this time failed of the center, and but struck the black, yet not more
than a finger's-breadth from the white. At this a shout went up, for it
was the best shooting that Hubert had yet done that day.

Merry Robin laughed, and quoth he, "Thou wilt have an ill time bettering
that round, Will, for it is thy turn next. Brace thy thews, lad, and
bring not shame upon Sherwood."

Then Will Scarlet took his place; but, because of overcaution, he
spoiled his target with the very first arrow that he sped, for he hit
the next ring to the black, the second from the center. At this Robin
bit his lips. "Lad, lad," quoth he, "hold not the string so long! Have
I not often told thee what Gaffer Swanthold sayeth, that 'overcaution
spilleth the milk'?" To this Will Scarlet took heed, so the next arrow
he shot lodged fairly in the center ring; again he shot, and again he
smote the center; but, for all that, stout Hubert had outshot him, and
showed the better target. Then all those that looked on clapped their
hands for joy because that Hubert had overcome the stranger.

Quoth the King grimly, to the Queen, "If