I have upon me. But no matter now, for
after all a wetting will not wash the skin away, and what must be, must.
But bide ye here, lads, for I would enjoy this merry adventure alone.
Nevertheless, listen well, and if ye hear me sound upon my bugle horn,
come quickly." So saying, he turned and left them, striding onward
alone.

Robin had walked no farther than where the bend of the road hid his good
men from his view, when he stopped suddenly, for he thought that he
heard voices. He stood still and listened, and presently heard words
passed back and forth betwixt what seemed to be two men, and yet the two
voices were wondrously alike. The sound came from over behind the bank,
that here was steep and high, dropping from the edge of the road a half
a score of feet to the sedgy verge of the river.

"'Tis strange," muttered Robin to himself after a space, when the voices
had ceased their talking, "surely there be two people that spoke the one
to the other, and yet methinks their voices are mightily alike. I make
my vow that never have I heard the like in all my life before. Truly, if
this twain are to be judged by their voices, no two peas were ever more
alike. I will look into this matter." So saying, he came softly to the
river bank and laying him down upon the grass, peered over the edge and
down below.

All was cool and shady beneath the bank. A stout osier grew, not
straight upward, but leaning across the water, shadowing the spot with
its soft foliage. All around grew a mass of feathery ferns such as hide
and nestle in cool places, and up to Robin's nostrils came the tender
odor of the wild thyme, that loves the moist verges of running streams.
Here, with his broad back against the rugged trunk of the willow tree,
and half hidden by the soft ferns around him, sat a stout, brawny
fellow, but no other man was there. His head was as round as a ball, and
covered with a mat of close-clipped, curly black hair that grew low down
on his forehead. But his crown was shorn as smooth as the palm of one's
hand, which, together with his loose robe, cowl, and string of beads,
showed that which his looks never would have done, that he was a friar.
His cheeks were as red and shining as a winter crab, albeit they were
nearly covered over with a close curly black beard, as were his chin and
upper lip likewise. His neck was thick like that of a north country
bull, and his round head closely set upon shoulders e'en a match for
thos