He thought he had drowned Robin, and he had not meant to do that.  All the same he could not help laughing.  Robin had looked so funny as he tumbled into the water.

“I’m here,” called Robin, from far down the river.  “I’m all right.  I’m just swimming with the tide.”

The current was very strong and had carried him down the river a good way.  He was, however, gradually making for the bank.  Soon he caught hold of the overhanging branches of a tree and pulled himself out.  The stranger came running to help him too.

“You are not an easy man to beat or to drown either,” he said with a laugh, as he helped Robin on to dry land again.

“Well,” said Robin, laughing too, “I must own that you are a brave man and a good fighter.  It was a fair fight, and you have won the battle.  I don’t want to quarrel with you any more.  Will you shake hands and be friends with me?”

“With all my heart,” said the stranger.  “It is a long time since I have met any one who could use a stick as you can.”

So they shook hands like the best of friends, and quite forgot that a few minutes before they had been banging and battering each other as hard as they could.

Then Robin put his bugle-horn to his mouth, and blew a loud, loud blast.

  “The echoes of which through the valleys did ring,
     At which his stout bowmen appeared,
   And clothed in green, most gay to be seen,
     So up to their master they steered.”

When the stranger saw all these fine men, dressed in green, and carrying bows and arrows, come running to Robin he was very much astonished.  “O master dear, what has happened?” cried Will Stutely, the leader, as he ran up.  “You have a great cut in your forehead, and you are soaked through and through,” he added, laying his hand on Robin’s arm.

“It is nothing,” laughed Robin.  “This young fellow and I have been having a fight.  He cracked my crown and then tumbled me into the river.”

When they heard that, Robin’s men were very angry.  “If he has tumbled our master into the river, we will tumble him in,” said they; “we will see how he likes that.”  And they seized him, and would have dragged him to the water to drown him, but Robin called out, “Stop, stop! it was a fair fight.  He is a brave man, and we are very good friends now.”

Then turning to the stranger, Robin bowed politely to him, saying, “I beg you to forgive my men.  They will not harm you now they know that you are my friend, for I am Robin Hood.”

The stranger was very much astonished when he heard that he had actually been fighting with bold Robin Hood, of whom he had heard so many tales.

“If you will come and live with me and my Merry Men,” went on Robin, “I will give you a suit of Lincoln green.  I will teach you how to use bow and arrows as well as you use your good stick.”

“I should like nothing better,” replied the stranger.  “My name is John Little, and I promise to serve you faithfully.”