amusement lurking in her eyes.

"Odds bodikins! The story of my misadventure must have preceded me!" he
thought, ruefully. Aloud he said, resolved to face it out,

"Your Majesty, such tales are idle and exaggerated. An you pardon me, I
would add to the King's wager that his men are invincible."

"As it pleases thee," replied the Queen imperturbably. "How much?"

"Here is my purse," said the Bishop uneasily. "It contains fifteen score
nobles, or near a hundred pounds."

"I'll take it at even money," she said, dismissing him; "and Your
Majesty"--turning to the King who had been conversing with the two
princes and certain of the nobles--"I accept your wager of five hundred
pounds."

"Very good," said the King, laughing as though it were a great jest.
"But what had minded you to take such interest in the sport, of a
sudden?"

"It is as I have said. I have found five men whom I will pit against any
you may produce."

"Then we will try their skill speedily," quoth the King. "How say you,
if first we decide this open target and then match the five best thereat
against your unknown champions?"

"Agreed," said the Queen. Thereupon she signed to Maid Marian to
step forward, from a near-by booth where she sat with other
ladies-in-waiting, and whispered something in her ear. Marian courtesied
and withdrew.

Now the ten chosen archers from the King's bands came forth again and
took their stand; and with them stood forth the twelve untried men from
the open lists. Again the crowd was stilled, and every eye hung upon the
speeding of the shafts. Slowly but skilfully each man shot, and as
his shaft struck within the inner ring a deep breath broke from the
multitude like the sound of the wind upon the seashore. And now Gilbert
of the White Hand led the shooting, and 'twas only by the space of a
hairsbreadth upon the line that Tepus tied his score. Stout Elwyn, the
Welshman, took third place; one of the private archers, named Geoffrey,
come fourth; while Clifton must needs content himself with fifth.

The men from the open lists shot fairly true, but nervousness and fear
of ridicule wrought their undoing.

The herald then came forward again, and, instead of announcing the
prize-winners, proclaimed that there was to be a final contest. Two
men had tied for first place, declared His Majesty the King, and three
others were entitled to honors. Now all these five were to shoot
again, and they were to be pitted against five othe