and a hundred sheaves of arrows. Every shaft was an ell
long, and dressed with peacock's feathers and notched with silver.
Beside them were a hundred suits of red and white livery, finely made
and stitched. "These are the poor presents we have made for you, Robin,"
said Sir Richard. "Take them from us, with ten thousand times their
weight in gratitude."

One of the knight's own men came forward to give a sheaf of the arrows
into Robin's hand, and, behold, it was Arthur-a-Bland!

CHAPTER XXXII

A searching rain continued all that night. They well expected to find
the Sheriff and his army encamped against them on the morrow.

Strangely enough, the morning showed the countryside quiet and peaceful
as of old. Monceux and his fellows, if there, were well hid
indeed--nothing might be seen of them.

From the castle battlements, afar off, mysterious under grey opaque
morning, lay Nottingham. The old town seemed to be yet asleep; but there
was plenty of movement within its gates for all that. A messenger had
come out hastily to Monceux, even while he and Carfax had been
perfecting details of the siege which they intended to apply to the
knight's castle. This man brought the Sheriff news of such moment as to
cause him to give up the hope of catching Robin without another effort.
My lord of Hereford had had the news from York--he had sped it to
Monceux: "The King is abroad; take care of thyself."

That was the item even as it had come in to Prince John from his cousin
Philip of France: "The King is abroad."

Richard of England, the Lion Heart, he whom all thought to be safely out
of the country--some said in a foreign prison, others that he was
fighting the paynims in the Holy Land. In any case, he had returned, and
now all such as the Sheriff and the Bishop of Hereford must put their
houses in order, and say, once and for all, that they would be loyal and
faithful and plot no more with fickle princes behind their true King's
back.

Sir Richard of the Lee, whose son had so lately come home to his
father's castle, could, an he had liked, have explained much to them. He
knew that the King was in England; for had he not but a few hours since,
parted from him with a pardon in his hand and happiness in his heart?

* * * * *

Friar Tuck, having been forced to run all night in order that he might
be able to bring the news as to Little John in to Robin, had compensated
himself for the los