Then the Sheriff sprang to his feet, looking quite a different man.
"Here," he said to the bringer of the news, and he gave him some
gold pieces. "Could you find your way back to the outlaws' camp in
the forest?"
"Oh! yes, Master Sheriff, that I could, though they did bind a
cloth over my face when they brought me away."
"And you could lead me and a strong body of fighting men right to
the outlaws' camp?"
"I could, Master Sheriff," said the man, beginning slowly to lay
the gold pieces back one by one upon the table; "but I can't do
evil for good."
"What?" cried the Sheriff angrily. "They are robbers and outlaws,
and every subject of the King has a right to slay them."
"May be, Master Sheriff," said the man drily; "but I'm not going to
fly at the throat of one who did nothing but good to me. They tell
me that Robin Hood's a noble earl who offended the King, and had to
fly for his life. What I say is, he's a noble kind-hearted
gentleman, and if it was my boy he had there, looking as happy as
the day is long, I'd go to him without any fighting men."
"How, then?" cried the Sheriff.
"Just like a father should, master, and ask him for my boy like a
man.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67