d time on his back, and bade him take him whence he had come.
The friar strode into the stream with his burden, but as soon as they
got to the middle he bent his head and Robin fell into the water. 'Now
you can sink or swim as you like,' said the friar, as he stood and
laughed.

Robin Hood swam to a bush of golden broom, and pulled himself out of
the water, and while the friar was scrambling out Robin fitted an
arrow to his bow and let fly at him. But the friar quickly held up his
shield, and the arrow fell harmless.

'Shoot on, my fine fellow, shoot on all day if you like,' shouted the
friar, and Robin shot till his arrows were gone, but always missed his
mark. Then they took their swords, and at four of the afternoon they
were still fighting.

By this time Robin's strength was wearing, and he felt he could not
fight much more. 'A boon, a boon!' cried he. 'Let me but blow three
blasts on my horn, and I will thank you on my bended knees for it.'

The friar told him to blow as many blasts as he liked, and in an
instant the forest echoed with his horn; it was but a few minutes
before 'half a hundred yeomen were racing over the lea.' The friar
stared when he saw them; then, turning to Robin, he begged of him a
boon also, and leave being granted he gave three whistles, which were
followed by the noise of a great crashing through the trees, as fifty
great dogs bounded towards him.

'Here's a dog for each of your men,' said the friar, 'and I myself for
you'; but the dogs did not listen to his words, for two of them rushed
at Robin, and tore his mantle of Lincoln green from off his back. His
men were too busy defending themselves to take heed of their master's
plight, for every arrow shot at a dog was caught and held in the
creature's mouth.

Robin's men were not used to fight with dogs, and felt they were
getting beaten. At last Little John bade the friar call off his dogs,
and as he did not do so at once he let fly some arrows, which this
time left half a dozen dead on the ground.

'Hold, hold, my good fellow,' said the friar, 'till your master and I
can come to a bargain,' and when the bargain was made this was how it
ran. That the friar was to forswear Fountains Abbey and join Robin
Hood, and that he should be paid a golden noble every Sunday
throughout the year, besides a change of clothes on each holy day.

This Friar had kept Fountains Dale
Seven long years or more,
There was neither Knight, nor