you? And know you the news?"

"What is the news?" said the gossipy tinker, pricking up his ear; "I am
a tinker by trade, Middle by name, and come from over against Banbury."

"Why as for the news," laughed the stranger, "I hear that two tinkers
were set i' the stocks for drinking too much ale and beer."

"If that be all your news," retorted Middle, "I can beat you clear to
the end of the lane."

"What news have you? Seeing that you go from town to town, I ween you
can outdo a poor country yokel at tidings."

"All I have to tell," said the other, "is that I am especially
commissioned"--he felt mightily proud of these big words--"especially
commissioned to seek a bold outlaw which they call Robin Hood."

"So?" said the other arching his brows. "How 'especially commissioned'?"

"I have a warrant from the Sheriff, sealed with the King's own seal, to
take him where I can; and if you can tell me where he is, I will e'en
make a man of you."

"Let me see the warrant," said the other, "to satisfy myself if it be
right; and I will do the best I can to bring him to you."

"That will I not," replied the tinker; "I will trust none with it.
And if you'll not help me to come at him I must forsooth catch him by
myself."

And he made his crab-tree-staff whistle shrill circles in the air.

The other smiled at the tinker's simplicity, and said:

"The middle of the road on a hot July day is not a good place to talk
things over. Now if you're the man for me and I'm the man for you, let's
go back to the inn, just beyond the bend of road, and quench our thirst
and cool our heads for thinking."

"Marry come up!" quoth the tinker. "That will I! For though I've just
come from there, my thirst rises mightily at the sound of your voice."

So back he turned with the stranger and proceeded to the "Seven Does."

The landlord arched his eyebrows silently when he saw the two come in,
but served them willingly.

The tinker asked for wine, and Robin for ale. The wine was not the most
cooling drink in the cellar, nor the clearest headed. Nathless, the
tinker asked for it, since it was expensive and the other man had
invited him to drink. They lingered long over their cups, Master Middle
emptying one after another while the stranger expounded at great length
on the best plans for coming at and capturing Robin Hood.

In the end the tinker fell sound asleep while in the act of trying to
get a tankard to his lips. Then the stranger deftly o