The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Robin Hood, by G. Manville Fenn

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Young Robin Hood

Author: G. Manville Fenn

Release Date: February 15, 2004 [EBook #11097]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG ROBIN HOOD ***

Produced by Prepared by Al Haines

YOUNG ROBIN HOOD

BY

G. MANVILLE FENN

Author of "The Little Skipper," "Our Soldier Boy," etc.

WITH TWENTY-THREE ILLUSTRATIONS

Sit still, will you? I never saw such a boy: wriggling about like
a young eel."

"I can't help it, David," said the little fellow so roughly spoken
to by a sour-looking serving man; "the horse does jog so, and it's
so slippery. If I didn't keep moving I should go off."

"You'll soon go off if you don't keep a little quieter," growled
the man angrily, "for I'll pitch you among the bushes."

"No, you won't," said the boy laughing. "You daren't do so."

"What! I'll let you see, young master. I want to know why they
couldn't let you have a donkey or a mule, instead of hanging you on
behind me."

"Aunt said I should be safer behind you," said the boy; "but I'm
not. It's so hard to hold on by your belt, because you're so----"

"Look here. Master Robin, I get enough o' that from the men. If
you say I'm so fat, I'll pitch you into the first patch o' brambles
we come to."

"But you are fat," said the boy; "and you dare not. If you did my
father would punish you."

"He wouldn't know."

"Oh! yes he would, David," said the little fellow, confidently;
"the other men would tell him."

"They wouldn't know," said the man with a chuckle. "I say, aren't
you afraid?"

"No," said the boy. "What of, tumbling off? I could jump."

"'Fraid of going through this great dark forest?"

"No. What is there to be afraid of?"

"Robbers and thieves, and all sorts of horrid things. Why, we
might meet Robin Hood and his men."

"I should like that," said the boy.

"What?" cried the serving man, and he looked round at the great oak
and beech trees through which the faintly marked road lay, and then
forward and backward at the dozen mules, laden with packs of cloth,
every two of which were led