it would have been an ill day for
anyone that he saw with a joyous or a merry look upon his face. Then he
and his Queen and all the court left the place, but the King's heart was
brimming full of wrath.

After the King had gone, all the yeomen of the archer guard came
crowding around Robin, and Little John, and Will, and Allan, to snatch a
look at these famous fellows from the mid-country; and with them came
many that had been onlookers at the sport, for the same purpose. Thus
it happened presently that the yeomen, to whom Gilbert stood talking,
were all surrounded by a crowd of people that formed a ring about them.

After a while the three judges that had the giving away of the prizes
came forward, and the chief of them all spake to Robin and said,
"According to agreement, the first prize belongeth rightly to thee; so
here I give thee the silver bugle, here the quiver of ten golden arrows,
and here a purse of twoscore and ten golden pounds." And as he spake he
handed those things to Robin, and then turned to Little John. "To
thee," he said, "belongeth the second prize, to wit, fivescore of the
finest harts that run on Dallen Lea. Thou mayest shoot them whensoever
thou dost list." Last of all he turned to stout Hubert. "Thou," said
he, "hast held thine own against the yeomen with whom thou didst shoot,
and so thou hast kept the prize duly thine, to wit, two tuns of good
Rhenish wine. These shall be delivered to thee whensoever thou dost
list." Then he called upon the other seven of the King's archers who had
last shot, and gave each fourscore silver pennies.

Then up spake Robin, and quoth he, "This silver bugle I keep in honor of
this shooting match; but thou, Gilbert, art the best archer of all the
King's guard, and to thee I freely give this purse of gold. Take it,
man, and would it were ten times as much, for thou art a right yeoman,
good and true. Furthermore, to each of the ten that last shot I give
one of these golden shafts apiece. Keep them always by you, so that ye
may tell your grandchildren, an ye are ever blessed with them, that ye
are the very stoutest yeomen in all the wide world."

At this all shouted aloud, for it pleased them to hear Robin speak so of
them.

Then up spake Little John. "Good friend Tepus," said he, "I want not
those harts of Dallen Lea that yon stout judge spoke of but now, for in
truth we have enow and more than enow in our own country. Twoscore and
ten I give to thee for