ke me, I
will enter your service right gladly."

"Spoken like a stout man!" said Robin, seizing him by the hand. "But I
must back to my own bed, lest some sleepy warden stumble upon me, and
I be forced to run him through. Lucky for you twain that wine flowed
so freely in the house to-day; else the noise of your combat would have
brought other onlookers besides Robin Hood. Now if ye would flee the
house to-night, I will join you in the good greenwood to-morrow."

"But, good master," said the cook, "you would not stay here over night!
Verily, it is running your head into a noose. Come with us. The Sheriff
has set strict watch on all the gates, since 'tis Fair week, but I know
the warden at the west gate and could bring us through safely. To-morrow
you will be stayed." "Nay, that will I not," laughed Robin, "for I shall
go through with no less escort than the Sheriff himself. Now do you,
Little John, and do you, Much the miller's son, go right speedily. In
the borders of the wood you will find my merry men. Tell them to kill
two fine harts against to-morrow eve, for we shall have great company
and lordly sport."

And Robin left them as suddenly as he had come.

"Comrade," then said Little John, "we may as well bid the Sheriff's roof
farewell. But ere we go, it would seem a true pity to fail to take such
of the Sheriff's silver plate as will cause us to remember him, and also
grace our special feasts."

"'Tis well said indeed," quoth the cook.

Thereupon they got a great sack and filled it with silver plate from the
shelves where it would not at once be missed, and they swung the sack
between them, and away they went, out of the house, out of the town, and
into the friendly shelter of Sherwood Forest.

The next morning the servants were late astir in the Sheriff's house.
The steward awoke from a heavy sleep, but his cracked head was still in
such a whirl that he could not have sworn whether the Sheriff had ever
owned so much as one silver dish. So the theft went undiscovered for the
nonce.

Robin Hood met the Sheriff at breakfast, when his host soon spoke of
what was uppermost in his heart--the purchase of the fine herd of cattle
near Gamewell. 'Twas clear that a vision of them, purchased for twenty
paltry gold pieces, had been with him all through the night, in his
dreams. And Robin again appeared such a silly fellow that the Sheriff
saw no need of dissembling, but said that he was ready to start at once
to look