face was getting red, and his breath came snorting forth like
a bull's. He stepped forward with a furious onslaught to finish this
audacious fellow. Robin dodged his blows lightly, then sprang in swiftly
and unexpectedly and dealt the stranger such a blow upon the short ribs
that you would have sworn the tanner was trimming down his hides for
market.

The stranger reeled and came within an ace of falling, but regained his
footing right quickly.

"By my life, you can hit hard!" he gasped forth, giving back a blow
almost while he was yet staggering.

This blow was a lucky one. It caught Robin off his guard. His stick had
rested a moment while he looked to see the giant topple into the water,
when down came the other upon his head, whack! Robin saw more stars
in that one moment than all the astronomers have since discovered, and
forthwith he dropped neatly into the stream.

The cool rushing current quickly brought him to his senses, howbeit he
was still so dazed that he groped blindly for the swaying reeds to
pull himself up on the bank. His assailant could not forbear laughing
heartily at his plight, but was also quick to lend his aid. He thrust
down his long staff to Robin crying, "Lay hold of that, an your fists
whirl not so much as your head!"

Robin laid hold and was hauled to dry land for all the world like
a fish, except that the fish would never have come forth so wet and
dripping. He lay upon the warm bank for a space to regain his senses.
Then he sat up and gravely rubbed his pate.

"By all the saints!" said he, "you hit full stoutly. My head hums like a
hive of bees on a summer morning."

Then he seized his horn, which lay near, and blew thereon three shrill
notes that echoed against the trees. A moment of silence ensued, and
then was heard the rustling of leaves and crackling of twigs like the
coming of many men; and forth from the glade burst a score or two of
stalwart yeomen, all clad in Lincoln green, like Robin, with good Will
Stutely and the widow's three sons at their head.

"Good master," cried Will Stutely, "how is this? In sooth there is not a
dry thread on your body."

"Why, marry," replied Robin, "this fellow would not let me pass the
footbridge, and when I tickled him in the ribs, he must needs answer by
a pat on the head which landed me overboard."

"Then shall he taste some of his own porridge," quoth Will. "Seize him,
lads!"

"Nay, let him go free," said Robin. "The fight was a fair