country, in robes of silk and
cloth of gold, with golden chains about their necks and jewels at their
girdles. Behind these again came a great array of men-at-arms, with
spears and halberds in their hands, and, in the midst of these, two
riders side by side. One of the horsemen was the Sheriff of Nottingham
in his robes of office. The other, who was a head taller than the
Sheriff, was clad in a rich but simple garb, with a broad, heavy chain
about his neck. His hair and beard were like threads of gold, and his
eyes were as blue as the summer sky. As he rode along he bowed to the
right hand and the left, and a mighty roar of voices followed him as he
passed; for this was King Richard.

Then, above all the tumult and the shouting a great voice was heard
roaring, "Heaven, its saints bless thee, our gracious King Richard!
and likewise Our Lady of the Fountain, bless thee!" Then King Richard,
looking toward the spot whence the sound came, saw a tall, burly,
strapping priest standing in front of all the crowd with his legs wide
apart as he backed against those behind.

"By my soul, Sheriff," said the King, laughing, "ye have the tallest
priests in Nottinghamshire that e'er I saw in all my life. If
Heaven never answered prayers because of deafness, methinks I would
nevertheless have blessings bestowed upon me, for that man yonder would
make the great stone image of Saint Peter rub its ears and hearken unto
him. I would that I had an army of such as he."

To this the Sheriff answered never a word, but all the blood left his
cheeks, and he caught at the pommel of his saddle to keep himself from
falling; for he also saw the fellow that so shouted, and knew him to be
Friar Tuck; and, moreover, behind Friar Tuck he saw the faces of Robin
Hood and Little John and Will Scarlet and Will Stutely and Allan a Dale
and others of the band.

"How now," said the King hastily, "art thou ill, Sheriff, that thou
growest so white?"

"Nay, Your Majesty," said the Sheriff, "it was nought but a sudden pain
that will soon pass by." Thus he spake, for he was ashamed that the King
should know that Robin Hood feared him so little that he thus dared to
come within the very gates of Nottingham Town.

Thus rode the King into Nottingham Town on that bright afternoon in the
early fall season; and none rejoiced more than Robin Hood and his merry
men to see him come so royally unto his own.

Eventide had come; the great feast in the Guild Hall at No