l charge you nothing on our own account; but
suffer us to make use of this in aiding my good friend."

"Nay, nay," began the Bishop with a wry face, "this is requiting me ill
indeed. Was this not the King's meat, after all, that we feasted upon?
Furthermore, I am a poor man."

"Poor forsooth!" answered Robin in scorn. "You are the Bishop of
Hereford, and does not the whole countryside speak of your oppression?
Who does not know of your cruelty to the poor and ignorant--you who
should use your great office to aid them, instead of oppress? Have you
not been guilty of far greater robbery than this, even though less
open? Of myself, and how you have pursued me, I say nothing; nor of
your unjust enmity against my father. But on account of those you have
despoiled and oppressed, I take this money, and will use it far more
worthily than you would. God be my witness in this! There is an end of
the matter, unless you will lead us in a song or dance to show that
your body had a better spirit than your mind. Come, strike up the harp,
Allan!"

"Neither the one nor the other will I do," snarled the Bishop.

"Faith, then we must help you," said Little John; and he and
Arthur-a-Bland seized the fat struggling churchman and commenced to hop
up and down. The Bishop being shorter must perforce accompany them in
their gyrations; while the whole company sat and rolled about over the
ground, and roared to see my lord of Hereford's queer capers. At last he
sank in a heap, fuddled with wine and quite exhausted.

Little John picked him up as though he were a log of wood and carrying
him to his horse, set him astride facing the animal's tail; and thus
fastened him, leading the animal toward the highroad and, starting the
Bishop, more dead than alive, toward Nottingham.

CHAPTER XVIII

HOW THE BISHOP WENT OUTLAW-HUNTING

The Bishop he came to the old woman's house,
And called with furious mood,
"Come let me soon see, and bring unto me
That traitor, Robin Hood."

The easy success with which they had got the better of the good Bishop
led Robin to be a little careless. He thought that his guest was too
great a coward to venture back into the greenwood for many a long day;
and so after lying quiet for one day, the outlaw ventured boldly upon
the highway, the morning of the second. But he had gone only half a mile
when, turning a sharp bend in the road, he plunged full upon the prelate
himself.

My lord of Here