he same company, Robin once despatched his men into the
forest with orders to arrest any one they met and bring him to their
nightly banquet. Robin himself sallied out too, and soon met a
dejected knight, who declared he felt too sad to contribute to the
outlaw's amusement. When Robin questioned him in regard to his
dejection, Sir Richard of the Lee explained that his son, having
accidentally wounded his opponent in a tournament, had been obliged to
pay a fine of L600 in gold and make a pilgrimage to Palestine. To
raise the money for the fine, the father had mortgaged his estates,
and was now about to be despoiled of them by the avaricious prior of
Emmet, who demanded an immediate payment of L400 or the estate.

Robin, ever ready to help the poor and sorrowful, bade the knight
cheer up and promised to discover some way to raise the L400. Meantime
Little John and Friar Tuck--who had joined Robin's band--caught the
Bishop of Hereford, travelling through the forest with a train of pack
horses, one of which was laden with an iron-bound chest. After
entertaining these forced guests at dinner, Robin had them witness his
archers' skill and listen to Allan a Dale's music, ere he set forth
the knight's predicament and appealed to the bishop to lend him the
necessary money. When the bishop loudly protested he would do so
gladly had he funds, Robin ordered his baggage examined and divided
into three equal shares, one for the owner, one for his men, and one
for the poor.

Such was the value of the third set aside for the poor that Robin
could lend Sir Richard L500. Armed with this money--which he promised
to repay within a year--Sir Richard presented himself before the prior
of Emmet, who had hired the sheriff and a lawyer to help him despoil
the knight with some show of law and justice. It was therefore before
an august board of three villains that Sir Richard knelt begging for
time wherein to pay his debt. Virtuously protesting he would gladly
remit a hundred pounds for prompt payment--so great was his need of
money--the prior refused to wait, and his claim was duly upheld by
lawyer and sheriff. Relinquishing his humble position, Sir Richard
then defiantly produced 300 pounds, which he forced the prior to
accept in full payment! Soon after, the happy knight was able to repay
Robin's loan, and gratefully bestowed fine bows and arrows on all the
outlaws. Little John, garbed as a friar, once set out for a
neighboring fair, and, me