easantly, and made merry at the other's supposed mishap. But presently
Carfax blew his horn, and shortly Stuteley found the position reversed.
After a desperate struggle he was overpowered and carried off, although
not without being seen by another of Robin's men. This man brought Robin
the bad news within an hour of Will Stuteley's capture.

The greenwood men flung prudence to the winds and sallied forth. They
pursued and came up with the rear-guard of the enemy, and a terrible
battle was fought. Thirteen of Robin's brave fellows were wounded, five
of them so grievously as to die soon afterward of their wounds, and as
many of the Nottingham soldiery also were slain.

Carfax returned to Nottingham, however--this time in some triumph. His
men had beaten back the outlaws, and he had secured the lieutenant of
the band, a "desperate villain, next to Robin Hood himself in deeds of
violence and disorder."

So all agreed; and by dint and hard swearing soon wove a noose to fit
Will Stuteley's thin neck. Monceux, in grave satisfaction, ordered that
their prisoner should be hanged and quartered, within a week, in the
streets of Nottingham, as a warning and example to all wrong-doers.

The Sheriff gave a feast to all the soldiery and doubled the reward upon
Robin's head. Until _he_ was caught Monceux could but remain uneasy, for
Henry of England was a man of his word.

Robin was sorely grieved at the loss of Stuteley, and swore that he
would save his little squire or die. He went, therefore, to Gamewell to
discover from Marian precisely how they had arranged for the hanging of
Stuteley, for she was able to go into Nottingham in her page's dress.

Marian had learned it all. "First, he will be tortured to tell the
secret of your hiding-place, dear heart," she told Robin, in bated
breath. "Then he will suffer the full penalty, and will be hanged from a
gallows with three other poor wretches. Last of all he is to be
quartered, and his body flung to the people."

She burst into weeping, and sobbed so grievously that Robin was hard put
to it to keep back his own tears. "Did you learn who these others might
be?" he asked her, to change her thoughts and to satisfy himself that no
other friend was with little Will.

"They are the three sons of a poor widow, who lives in the forest. They
found the body of one of the deer, and, being very hungry, were carrying
it from the forest to their little home. Someone, passing by, accused
them