t our inn since thou offerest
freely so much for a poor draught of wine. Show me thy purse, reverend
brother, or I may perchance have to strip thy robes from thee to search
for it myself."

"Nay, use no force," said the King sternly. "Here is my purse, but lay
not thy lawless hands upon our person."

"Hut, tut," quoth merry Robin, "what proud words are these? Art thou the
King of England, to talk so to me? Here, Will, take this purse and see
what there is within."

Will Scarlet took the purse and counted out the money. Then Robin bade
him keep fifty pounds for themselves, and put fifty back into the purse.
This he handed to the King. "Here, brother," quoth he, "take this half
of thy money, and thank Saint Martin, on whom thou didst call before,
that thou hast fallen into the hands of such gentle rogues that they
will not strip thee bare, as they might do. But wilt thou not put back
thy cowl? For I would fain see thy face."

"Nay," said the King, drawing back, "I may not put back my cowl, for we
seven have vowed that we will not show our faces for four and twenty
hours."

"Then keep them covered in peace," said Robin, "and far be it from me to
make you break your vows."

So he called seven of his yeomen and bade them each one take a mule by
the bridle; then, turning their faces toward the depths of the
woodlands, they journeyed onward until they came to the open glade and
the greenwood tree.

Little John, with threescore yeomen at his heels, had also gone forth
that morning to wait along the roads and bring a rich guest to Sherwood
glade, if such might be his luck, for many with fat purses must travel
the roads at this time, when such great doings were going on in
Nottinghamshire, but though Little John and so many others were gone,
Friar Tuck and twoscore or more stout yeomen were seated or lying around
beneath the great tree, and when Robin and the others came they leaped
to their feet to meet him.

"By my soul," quoth merry King Richard, when he had gotten down from his
mule and stood looking about him, "thou hast in very truth a fine lot of
young men about thee, Robin. Methinks King Richard himself would be
glad of such a bodyguard."

"These are not all of my fellows," said Robin proudly, "for threescore
more of them are away on business with my good right-hand man, Little
John. But, as for King Richard, I tell thee, brother, there is not a
man of us all but would pour out our blood like water for