“Nay,” quoth the Sheriff hastily, “Heaven forbid!”

But now seven habits such as Black Friars wear were brought, and the King and those about him having clad themselves therein, and His Majesty having hung a purse with a hundred golden pounds in it beneath his robes, they all went forth and mounted the mules that had been brought to the door for them.  Then the King bade the Sheriff be silent as to their doings, and so they set forth upon their way.  Onward they traveled, laughing and jesting, until they passed through the open country; between bare harvest fields whence the harvest had been gathered home; through scattered glades that began to thicken as they went farther along, till they came within the heavy shade of the forest itself.  They traveled in the forest for several miles without meeting anyone such as they sought, until they had come to that part of the road that lay nearest to Newstead Abbey.

“By the holy Saint Martin,” quoth the King, “I would that I had a better head for remembering things of great need.  Here have we come away and brought never so much as a drop of anything to drink with us.  Now I would give half a hundred pounds for somewhat to quench my thirst withal.”

No sooner had the King so spoken, than out from the covert at the roadside stepped a tall fellow with yellow beard and hair and a pair of merry blue eyes.  “Truly, holy brother,” said he, laying his hand upon the King’s bridle rein, “it were an unchristian thing to not give fitting answer to so fair a bargain.  We keep an inn hereabouts, and for fifty pounds we will not only give thee a good draught of wine, but will give thee as noble a feast as ever thou didst tickle thy gullet withal.”  So saying, he put his fingers to his lips and blew a shrill whistle.  Then straightway the bushes and branches on either side of the road swayed and crackled, and threescore broad-shouldered yeomen in Lincoln green burst out of the covert.

“How now, fellow,” quoth the King, “who art thou, thou naughty rogue?  Hast thou no regard for such holy men as we are?”

“Not a whit,” quoth merry Robin Hood, for the fellow was he, “for in sooth all the holiness belonging to rich friars, such as ye are, one could drop into a thimble and the goodwife would never feel it with the tip of her finger.  As for my name, it is Robin Hood, and thou mayst have heard it before.”

“Now out upon thee!” quoth King Richard.  “Thou art a bold and naughty fellow and a lawless one withal, as I have often heard tell.  Now, prythee, let me, and these brethren of mine, travel forward in peace and quietness.”

“It may not be,” said Robin, “for it would look but ill of us to let such holy men travel onward with empty stomachs.  But I doubt not that thou hast a fat purse to pay thy score at our inn since thou offerest freely so much for a poor draught of wine.  Show me thy purse, reverend brother, or I may perchance have to strip thy robes from thee to search for it myself.”