little of the
gold that is in the Sheriff's treasure house.'

They ate and drank till they wanted no more, then they broke the locks
of the treasure house, and took of the silver as much as they could
carry, three hundred pounds and more, and departed unseen by anyone to
Robin in the forest.

'Welcome! Welcome!' cried Robin when he saw them, 'welcome, too, to
the fair yeoman you bring with you. What tidings from Nottingham,
Little John?'

'The proud Sheriff greets you, and sends you by my hand his cook and
his silver vessels, and three hundred pounds and three also.'

Robin shook his head, for he knew better than to believe Little John's
tale. 'It was never by his good will that you brought such treasure to
me,' he answered, and Little John, fearing that he might be ordered to
take it back again, slipped away into the forest to carry out a plan
that had just come into his head.

He ran straight on for five miles, till he came up with the Sheriff,
who was still hunting, and flung himself on his knees before him.

'Reynold Greenleaf,' cried the Sheriff, 'what are you doing here, and
where have you been?'

'I have been in the forest, where I saw a fair hart of a green colour,
and sevenscore deer feeding hard by.'

'That sight would I see too,' said the Sheriff.

'Then follow me,' answered Little John, and he ran back the way he
came, the Sheriff following on horseback, till they turned a corner of
the forest, and found themselves in Robin Hood's presence. 'Sir, here
is the master-hart,' said Little John.

Still stood the proud Sheriff,
A sorry man was he,
'Woe be to you, Reynold Greenleaf,
Thou hast betrayed me!'

'It was not my fault,' answered Little John, 'but the fault of your
servants, master. For they would not give me my dinner,' and he went
away to see to the supper.

It was spread under the greenwood tree, and they sat down to it,
hungry men all. But when the Sheriff saw himself served from his own
vessels, his appetite went from him.

'Take heart, man,' said Robin Hood, 'and think not we will poison you.
For charity's sake, and for the love of Little John, your life shall
be granted you. Only for twelve months you shall dwell with me, and
learn what it is to be an outlaw.'

To the Sheriff this punishment was worse to bear than the loss of gold
or silver dishes, and earnestly he begged Robin Hood to set him free,
vowing he would prove himself the best friend that ever the fo