t of the men began forthwith to dance; and Stuteley,
seizing the Bishop by one hand, commenced to hop up and down. Little
John, laughing immoderately, grasped the luckless Bishop by the other
hand, and between the two of them my lord of Hereford was forced to cut
some queer capers.

The moon flung their shadows fantastically upon the sward, and the more
their guest struggled the more he was compelled to jump about. Robin put
heart into his playing, and laughed with the loudest of them.

At last, quite exhausted, the Bishop sank to the ground.

Little John seized him then like a sack of wood, and flung him across
the back of his horse. Rapidly they led the beast across the uneven
ground until the highroad was reached, the whole of the band
accompanying them, shouting and jesting noisily. The Bishop of Hereford,
more dead than alive, was then tied to his horse and the animal headed
for Nottingham.

"'Tis the most and the least that we can do for him," said Robin,
gleefully. "Give you good night, lording! A fair journey to you! Deliver
our respectful homage to Master Monceux and to the rest of law-abiding
Nottingham! Come now, Little John, you have borne yourself well this
day; and for my part I willingly give the right to be of this worshipful
company of free men. What say you, friends all?"

The giant was admitted by acclamation, and then all went back noisily
into that hiding-place in Barnesdale which had defied both the ferret
eyes of lean-faced Simeon Carfax and the Norman archer Hubert.

The Sheriff of Nottingham learned next day that Sherwood had not been
purged of its toll-collectors, as he had so fondly hoped.

CHAPTER XVIII

After the adventure with the good Bishop, Robin and his men waited in
some trepidation for a sign from Nottingham.

However, several weeks passed without any untoward incident.

The fourth week after my lord of Hereford's despoilment a quarrel broke
out betwixt Stuteley and Little John; and these two hot-headed fellows
must needs get from words to blows.

In the bouts of fencing and wrestling Little John could hold his own
with all; but at quarter-staff Stuteley could, and did, rap the giant's
body very shrewdly. After one bout both lost their temper: and Robin had
to stay them by ordering Stuteley to cease the play.

This was in the forenoon. Later on, chance threw Little John and
Stuteley into a fresh dispute. It happened just before dusk; the two of
them from differen