I add others of mine
own--the wagers I have won from His Majesty the King and from the lord
Bishop of Hereford. Buy with some of these moneys the best swords ye
can find in London, for all your band, and call them the swords of the
Queen. And swear with them to protect all the poor and the helpless and
the women--kind who come your way."

"We swear," said the five yeomen solemnly.

Then the Queen gave each of them her hand to kiss, and arose and
departed with all her ladies. And after they were gone, the King's
archers came crowding around Robin and his men, eager to get a glimpse
of the fellows about whom they had heard so much. And back of them came
a great crowd of the spectators pushing and jostling in their efforts to
come nearer.

"Verily!" laughed Little John, "they must take us for a Merry Andrew
show!"

Now the judges came up, and announced each man his prize, according
to the King's command. To Robin was give the purse containing twoscore
golden pounds; to Little John the twoscore silver pennies; and to
Allan-a-Dale the fine inlaid bugle, much to his delight, for he was
skilled at blowing sweet tunes upon the horn hardly less than handling
the harp strings. But when the Rhenish wine and English beer and harts
of Dallom Lea were spoken of, Robin said:

"Nay, what need we of wine or beer, so far from the greenwood? And
'twould be like carrying coals to Newcastle, to drive those harts to
Sherwood! Now Gilbert and Tepus and their men have shot passing well.
Wherefore, the meat and drink must go to them, an they will accept it of
us."

"Right gladly," replied Gilbert grasping his hand. "Ye are good men
all, and we will toast you every one, in memory of the greatest day at
archery that England has ever seen, or ever will see!"

Thus said all the King's archers, and the hand of good-fellowship was
given amid much shouting and clapping on the shoulder-blades.

And so ended King Harry's tourney, whose story has been handed down from
sire to son, even unto the present day.

CHAPTER XIV

HOW ROBIN HOOD WAS SOUGHT OF THE TINKER

And while the tinker fell asleep,
Robin made haste away,
And left the tinker in the lurch,
For the great shot to pay.

King Henry was as good as his word. Robin Hood and his party were
suffered to depart from London--the parting bringing keen sorrow to
Marian--and for forty days no hand was raised against them. But at
the end of that time, the royal word