and yet never before did I
see such a quantity of the stuff in so small space."

And he sneezed violently.

"How was that?" asked Robin demurely.

"Why we laid hold of the beggar, as you did order, when he offered to
pay for his release out of the bag he carried upon his back."

"The same I coveted," quoth Robin as if to himself.

"So we agreed to this," went on Much, "and spread a cloak down, and he
opened his bag and shook it thereon. Instantly a great cloud of meal
filled the air, whereby we could neither see nor breathe; and in the
midst of this cloud he vanished like a wizard."

"But not before he left certain black and blue spots, to be remembered
by, I see," commented Robin.

"He was in league with the evil one," said one of the widow's sons,
rubbing himself ruefully.

Then Robin laughed outright, and sat him down upon the gnarled root of a
tree, to finish his merriment.

"Four bold outlaws, put to rout by a sorry beggar!" cried he. "I can
laugh at ye, my men, for I am in the same boat with ye. But 'twould
never do to have this tale get abroad--even in the greenwood--how that
we could not hold our own with the odds in our favor. So let us have
this little laugh all to ourselves, and no one else need be the wiser!"

The others saw the point of this, and felt better directly, despite
their itching desire to get hold of the beggar again. And none of the
four ever told of the adventure.

But the beggar must have boasted of it at the next tavern; or a little
bird perched among the branches of a neighboring oak must have sung
of it. For it got abroad, as such tales will, and was put into a right
droll ballad which, I warrant you, the four outlaws did not like to
hear.

CHAPTER XI

HOW ROBIN HOOD FOUGHT GUY OF GISBORNE

"I dwell by dale and down," quoth he,
"And Robin to take I'm sworn;
And when I am called by my right name,
I am Guy of good Gisborne."

Some weeks passed after the rescue of the widow's three sons; weeks
spent by the Sheriff in the vain effort to entrap Robin Hood and his
men. For Robin's name and deeds had come to the King's ears, in London
town, and he sent word to the Sheriff to capture the outlaw, under
penalty of losing his office. So the Sheriff tried every manner of means
to surprise Robin Hood in the forest, but always without success. And he
increased the price put upon Robin's head, in the hope that the best men
of the kingdom could be induced to t