e King's favor.

Still circled the bright blades swiftly in the air--now gleaming in the
peaceful sunlight--again hissing like maddened serpents. Neither had yet
touched the other, until Robin, in an unlucky moment, stumbled over
the projecting root of a tree; when Sir Guy, instead of giving him the
chance to recover himself, as any courteous knight would have done,
struck quickly at the falling man and wounded him in the left side.

"Ah, dear Lady in Heaven," gasped Robin uttering his favorite prayer,
"shield me now! 'Twas never a man's destiny to die before his day."

And adroitly he sprang up again, and came straight at the other with an
awkward but unexpected stroke. The knight had raised his weapon high to
give a final blow, when Robin reached beneath and across his guard.
One swift lunge, and Sir Guy of Gisborne staggered backward with a deep
groan, Robin's sword through his throat.

Robin looked at the slain man regretfully.

"You did bring it upon yourself," said he; "and traitor and hireling
though you were, I would not willingly have killed you."

He looked to his own wound. It was not serious, and he soon staunched
the blood and bound up the cut. Then he dragged the dead body into the
bushes, and took off the horse's hide and put it upon himself. He placed
his own cloak upon Sir Guy, and marked his face so none might tell who
had been slain. Robin's own figure and face were not unlike the other's.

Pulling the capul-hide well over himself, so that the helmet hid most
of his face, Robin seized the silver bugle and blew a long blast. It was
the blast that saved the life of Little John, over in Barnesdale, for
you and I have already seen how it caused the fond Sheriff to prick up
his ears and stay the hanging, and go scurrying up over the hill and
into the wood with his men in search of another victim.

In five-and-twenty minutes up came running a score of the Sheriff's best
archers.

"Did you signal us, lording?" they asked, approaching Robin.

"Aye," said he, going to meet the puffing Sheriff.

"What news, what news, Sir Guy?" said that officer.

"Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne had a fight; and he that wears Robin's
cloak lies under the covert yonder."

"The best news I have heard in all my life!" exclaimed the Sheriff
rubbing his hands. "I would that we could have saved him for the
hanging--though I cannot now complain."

"The hanging?" repeated Robin.

"Yes. This is our lucky day on the cale