calculated to soothe the Sheriff. "To the
gallows with him!" he roared, giving a sign to the hangman; and Stutely
was pushed into the rude cart which was to bear him under the gallows
until his neck was leashed. Then the cart would be drawn roughly away
and the unhappy man would swing out over the tail of it into another
world.

But at this moment came a slight interruption. A boyish-looking palmer
stepped forth, and said:

"Your Excellency, let me at least shrive this poor wretch's soul ere it
be hurled into eternity."

"No!" shouted the Sheriff, "let him die a dog's death!"

"Then his damnation will rest upon you," said the monk firmly. "You, my
lord Bishop, cannot stand by and see this wrong done."

The Bishop hesitated. Like the Sheriff, he wanted no delay; but
the people were beginning to mutter among themselves and move about
uneasily. He said a few words to the Sheriff, and the latter nodded to
the monk ungraciously.

"Perform your duty, Sir Priest," quoth he, "and be quick about it!" Then
turning to his soldiers. "Watch this palmer narrowly," he commanded.
"Belike he is in league with those rascally outlaws."

But the palmer paid no heed to his last words. He began to tell his
beads quickly, and to speak in a low voice to the condemned man. But he
did not touch his bonds.

Then came another stir in the crowd, and one came pushing through the
press of people and soldiery to come near to the scaffold.

"I pray you, Will, before you die, take leave of all your friends!"
cried out the well-known voice of Much, the miller's son.

At the word the palmer stepped back suddenly and looked to one side. The
Sheriff also knew the speaker.

"Seize him!" he shouted. "'Tis another of the crew. He is the villain
cook who once did rob me of my silver plate. We'll make a double hanging
of this!"

"Not so fast, good master Sheriff," retorted Much. "First catch your man
and then hang him. But meanwhile I would like to borrow my friend of you
awhile."

And with one stroke of his keen hunting-knife he cut the bonds which
fastened the prisoner's arms, and Stutely leaped lightly from the cart.

"Treason!" screamed the Sheriff, getting black with rage. "Catch the
varlets!"

So saying he spurred his horse fiercely forward, and rising in his
stirrups brought down his sword with might and main at Much's head. But
his former cook dodged nimbly underneath the horse and came up on the
other side, while the weapon whistled