yours for the sum!
Pay it to me, and I will go back into Locksley forthwith."

"Do you come from that village, friend?" asked Robin, as he paid over
the gold, "and are you not afraid to ride through Sherwood alone?"

"You are strange to this country, friend," answered the jolly butcher,
"else you would know that now our Sherwood is free as air to all men.
The outlaws and wicked ones have all been driven out of it."

"Is this indeed so? Truly I am rejoiced at the news. And Locksley--is
not the Ranger there now dead, and his house burned? I do misremember
his name."

"Master Fitzooth is dead and lieth in Locksley ground. Also his son,
wild Robin, is no more. He gave himself early to the outlaw band, and
was slain. We have a new Ranger at Locksley, one Adam of Kirklees, a
worthy man and a generous. I thank you for your gold: now take my load
and may fortune befriend you."

"God rest you, butcher," answered Robin, laughing, as the other turned
on his heel and began his song once more. "Stay--stay--I have a
thought," he called out after the butcher. "How can I sell meat in this
garb?"

The other paused and scratched his head doubtfully.

"I'll give you another piece for your clothes, friend," said Robin,
persuasively. "Is it a bargain?"

"I'll do it for another piece," said the butcher. "Ay, and think myself
fortunate. This is a very happy day, for sure. Strip yourself, beggar;
and you can hand your purse over to me with the rags if you care to!"

Robin laughed again and shook his head. The change was soon effected,
and within ten minutes he was leading his spavined horse toward the
gates of Nottingham. In the distance he could hear the butcher's loud
song losing itself in the forest sounds.

He smeared his face with grease and earth and rubbed his hair awry ere
daring to enter the city. Boldly he led his shuffling horse to the
market and there took up his place. He had no notion of the price to
ask, and the folk, finding him so foolish and easy a man, soon began to
crowd about the cart.

Robin gave as much for a penny as the other butchers did for five or six
when his customer was poor. If he seemed to be a prosperous citizen who
would buy, Robin had quite another price for him.

The butchers about him could not quite understand these novel methods:
but they saw with envy that the harebrained fellow was selling all his
meat. His loud voice and foolish gestures made them think him some crazy
loon who had slip