you'll need."

"Now by our Lady! Will you listen to the braggart?" cried Robin in a
fine rage. "Marry, but I'll teach ye to be more mannerly!"

So saying he unbuckled his belt; and, flinging his bow upon the ground
he seized hold of a young sapling that was growing near by. His hunting
knife soon had it severed and lopped into shape.

"Now come, fellow!" said Arthur-a-Bland, seeing that he was ready. "And
if I do not tan your hide for you in better shape than ever calf-skin
was turned into top-boots, may a murrain seize me!"

"Stay," said Robin, "methinks my cudgel is half a foot longer than
yours. I would have them of even length before you begin your tanning."

"I pass not for length," bold Arthur replied; "my staff is long enough,
as you will shortly find out. Eight foot and a half, and 'twill knock
down a calf"--here he made it whistle in the air--"and I hope it will
knock down you."

Forthwith the two men spat on their hands, laid firm hold upon their
cudgels and began slowly circling round each other, looking for an
opening.

Now it so chanced that Little John had fared expeditiously with his
errand. He had met the merchant, from whom he was wont to buy Lincoln
green, coming along the road; and had made known his wants in few words.
The merchant readily undertook to deliver the suits by a certain day
in the following month. So Little John, glad to get back to the cool
shelter of the greenwood, hasted along the road lately taken by Robin.

Presently he heard the sound of angry voices, one of which he recognized
as his captain's.

"Now, Heaven forfend," quoth he, "that Robin Hood has fallen into the
clutches of a King's man! I must take a peep at this fray."

So he cautiously made his way from tree to tree, as Robin had done, till
he came to the little open space where Robin and Arthur were circling
about each other with angry looks, like two dogs at bay.

"Ha! this looks interesting!" muttered Little John to himself, for he
loved a good quarter-staff bout above anything else in the world, and
was the best man at it in all the greenwood. And he crawled quietly
underneath a friendly bush--much as he had done when Robin undertook to
teach Will Scarlet a lesson--and chuckled softly to himself and slapped
his thigh and prepared to watch the fight at his ease.

Indeed it was both exciting and laughable. You would have chuckled one
moment and caught your breath the next, to see those two stout fellows
swingi