pleasure."

At this another great shout went up, and many tossed their caps aloft,
and swore among themselves that no better fellows ever walked the sod
than Robin Hood and his stout yeomen.

While they so shouted with loud voices, a tall burly yeoman of the
King's guard came forward and plucked Robin by the sleeve. "Good
master," quoth he, "I have somewhat to tell thee in thine ear; a silly
thing, God wot, for one stout yeoman to tell another; but a young
peacock of a page, one Richard Partington, was seeking thee without
avail in the crowd, and, not being able to find thee, told me that he
bore a message to thee from a certain lady that thou wottest of. This
message he bade me tell thee privily, word for word, and thus it was.
Let me see--I trust I have forgot it not--yea, thus it was: 'The lion
growls. Beware thy head.'"

"Is it so?" quoth Robin, starting; for he knew right well that it was
the Queen sent the message, and that she spake of the King's wrath.
"Now, I thank thee, good fellow, for thou hast done me greater service
than thou knowest of this day." Then he called his three yeomen together
and told them privately that they had best be jogging, as it was like to
be ill for them so nigh merry London Town. So, without tarrying longer,
they made their way through the crowd until they had come out from the
press. Then, without stopping, they left London Town and started away
northward.

The Chase of Robin Hood

SO ROBIN HOOD and the others left the archery range at Finsbury Fields,
and, tarrying not, set forth straightway upon their homeward journey.
It was well for them that they did so, for they had not gone more than
three or four miles upon their way when six of the yeomen of the King's
guard came bustling among the crowd that still lingered, seeking for
Robin and his men, to seize upon them and make them prisoners. Truly, it
was an ill-done thing in the King to break his promise, but it all came
about through the Bishop of Hereford's doing, for thus it happened:

After the King left the archery ground, he went straightway to his
cabinet, and with him went the Bishop of Hereford and Sir Robert Lee;
but the King said never a word to these two, but sat gnawing his nether
lip, for his heart was galled within him by what had happened. At last
the Bishop of Hereford spoke, in a low, sorrowful voice: "It is a sad
thing, Your Majesty, that this knavish outlaw should be let to escape in
this wise; for, l