Hood!"

The darkening woods echoed it back to them. "Robin o' th' Hood!
Robin--Hood!"

"You will have to be christened, gossip," said Little John, with an air
of importance; "and surely I know the man who will be sponsor. But you
spoke just now of a reckoning; and I do see that our guest is become
fidgety. Shall I tot up the bill for him?"

"Do so, friend."

The Sheriff appeared uneasy at this. "I have not my purse with me," he
began, apologetically.

"How did you purpose paying me for my beasts?" asked Robin.

"Why--that is--I have, of course, a small sum about me."

"What is that sum, gossip?" questioned Little John, very kindly.

"'Tis no more than forty pieces of gold," said Monceux, recollecting
that he had named this amount to Robin.

"Is that all?"

"I have not another penny-piece, good Master Hood," replied the
Sheriff.

"If that is true, then you shall pay no more than ten pieces of gold for
your entertainment, excellence," decreed Robin. "Speak I soothly, men of
the greenwood?"

"The Sheriff should swear by his patron saint that he will never more
molest us," said one of the company, wisely; and this addition was
carried unanimously.

"So be it, then," cried Little John, approaching Monceux. "Now, swear by
your life and your patron saint----"

"I will swear it by St. George, who is patron of us all," cried the fat
Sheriff, vigorously; and he swore that never again would he disturb or
distress them in Sherwood.

"Let me catch anyone of you _out_ of it!" thought he to himself.

Then he paid them ten pieces of gold; and having done this, rose up to
go.

It was already full dusk. "Gossip," observed Little John, reprovingly,
"you did not hand me your wallet, but took out instead the ten golden
pieces. Let me see for myself that thirty remain. Mayhap some evil
person has robbed you unbeknown."

"Nay--I do not think that," said the Sheriff, quickly; "I take great
care of all my belongings----"

"Yet you may have been despoiled," persisted Little John; "permit me to
satisfy myself and this company that you have had honorable treatment in
these happy woods."

With a groan Monceux yielded his wallet, and Stuteley counted out the
money in it with a loud voice; otherwise the company was silent. "There
is another wallet, gossip," said the inexorable Little John, pointing
towards the Sheriff's belt.

In all they counted out one hundred gold pieces. "We must add another
'nought' to the foot of