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19 - Robin Hood by J Walker McSpadden · Robin Hood

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  Speaker 1: Public domain. How the sheriff held another shooting match. To
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  Speaker 1: tell the truth, I'm well informed, yon match. It is
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  Speaker 1: a while the Sheriff, I know, devises this us archers
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  Speaker 1: to beguile. Now, the Sheriff was so greatly troubled in
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  Speaker 1: heart over the growing power of robin Hood that he
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  Speaker 1: did a very foolish thing. He went to London Town
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  Speaker 1: to lay his troubles before the King and get another
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  Speaker 1: force of troops to cope with the outlaws. King Richard
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  Speaker 1: was not yet returned from the Holy Land, but Prince
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  Speaker 1: John heard him with scorn. Pooh said, he, shrugging his shoulders.
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  Speaker 1: What have I to do with all this art? Thou not,
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  Speaker 1: Sheriff for me? The law is in force to take
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  Speaker 1: thy course of them that injure thee go, get thee gone,
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  Speaker 1: and by thyself devise some tricking game to trap these rebels,
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  Speaker 1: and never let me see thy face at court again
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  Speaker 1: until thou hast a better tale to tell. So away
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  Speaker 1: went the Sheriff in sorrier past than ever, and cudgeled
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  Speaker 1: his brain on the way home for some plan of action.
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  Speaker 1: His daughter met him on his return and saw at
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  Speaker 1: once that he had been on a poor mission. She
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  Speaker 1: was minded to upbraid him when she learned what he
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  Speaker 1: had told the Prince, But the words of the latter
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  Speaker 1: started her to thinking afresh, I I have it, she
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  Speaker 1: exclaimed at length, Why should we not hold another shooting match?
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  Speaker 1: Tis fair year, as you know, and another tourney will
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  Speaker 1: be expected. Now we will proclaim a general amnesty, as
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  Speaker 1: did King Harry himself, and say that the field is
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  Speaker 1: open and unmolested to all comers. Belike Robin Hood's men
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  Speaker 1: will be tempted to twang the bow. And then, and
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  Speaker 1: then said the Sheriff, jumping up with alacrity, we shall
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  Speaker 1: see on which side of the gate they stop over night.
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  Speaker 1: So the Sheriff lost no time in proclaiming a tourney
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  Speaker 1: to be held that same fall at the fair. It
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  Speaker 1: was open to all comers, said the proclamation, and none
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  Speaker 1: should be molested in their going and coming. Furthermore, an
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  Speaker 1: arrow with a golden head and shaft of silver white
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  Speaker 1: should be given to the winner, who would be heralded
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  Speaker 1: abroad as the finest archer in all the north country. Also,
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  Speaker 1: many rich prizes were to be given to other clever archers.
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  Speaker 1: These tidings came in due course to Robin Hood under
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  Speaker 1: the greenwood tree and fired his impetuous spirit. Come prepare ye,
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  Speaker 1: my merry men, all, quoth he, and will go to
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  Speaker 1: the fair and take some part in this sport. With
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  Speaker 1: that step forth the merry cobbler David of Doncaster, Master
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  Speaker 1: quoth he be ruled by me, and stir not from
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  Speaker 1: the greenwood. To tell the truth. I'm well informed yon
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  Speaker 1: match is not but a trap. I know the sheriff
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  Speaker 1: has devised it to beguile us archers into some treachery.
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  Speaker 1: That word savors of the coward, replied Robin, and pleases
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  Speaker 1: me not. Let come what will I'll try my skill
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  Speaker 1: at that same archery. Then up spoke little John and said,
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  Speaker 1: come listen to me, how it shall be that we
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  Speaker 1: will not be discovered. Our mantles all of Lincoln green
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  Speaker 1: behind us we will leave, will dress us all so
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  Speaker 1: several they shall not us perceive. One shall wear white,
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  Speaker 1: another red, one yellow, another blue. Thus, in disguise to
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  Speaker 1: the exercise, will go whatever ensue. This advice met with
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  Speaker 1: general favor from the adventurous fellows, and they lost no
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  Speaker 1: time in putting it into practice. Maid Marian and Mistress Dale,
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  Speaker 1: assisted by Friar Tuck prepared some very colored costumes, and
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  Speaker 1: gainst the fair day had fitted out the seven score
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  Speaker 1: men till you would never have taken them for other
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  Speaker 1: than villagers decked for the holiday. And fourth went they
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  Speaker 1: from the Greenwood with hearts all firm and stout, resolved
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  Speaker 1: to meet the Sheriff's men and have a merry bout.
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  Speaker 1: Along the highway, they fell in with many other bold
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  Speaker 1: fellows from the countryside, going with their ruddy cheeked lasses
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  Speaker 1: toward the wide open gates of Nottingham. So in through
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  Speaker 1: the gates trooped the whole gay company Robin's men, behaving
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  Speaker 1: as awkwardly and laughing and talking as noisily as the rest,
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  Speaker 1: while the Sheriff's scowling men at arms stood round about
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  Speaker 1: and sought to find one who looked like a forester,
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  Speaker 1: but without avail. The Herald now set forth the terms
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  Speaker 1: of the contest as on former occasions, and the shooting
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  Speaker 1: presently began. Robin had chosen five of his men to
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  Speaker 1: shoot with him, and the rest were to mingle with
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  Speaker 1: the crowd and also watch the gates. These five were
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  Speaker 1: Little John will Scarlett, Will Stuteley Mutch and Alan Adale.
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  Speaker 1: The other competitors made a brave showing on the first round,
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  Speaker 1: especially Gilbert of the White Hand, who was present and
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  Speaker 1: never shot better. The contests later narrowed down between Gilbert
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  Speaker 1: and Robin. But at the first lead, when the butts
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  Speaker 1: were struck so truly by various well known archers, the
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  Speaker 1: sheriff was in doubt whether to field glad or sorry.
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  Speaker 1: He was glad to see such skill, but sorry that
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  Speaker 1: the outlaws were not in it. Some said, if Robin
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  Speaker 1: Hood were here and all his men to boot, sure
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  Speaker 1: none of them could pass these men, so bravely do
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  Speaker 1: they shoot? I quoth the sheriff, and scratched his head.
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  Speaker 1: I thought he would be here. I thought he would,
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  Speaker 1: But though he's bold, he durst not now appear. This
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  Speaker 1: word was privately brought to Robin by David of Doncaster,
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  Speaker 1: and the saying vexed him sorely. But he bit his
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  Speaker 1: lip in silence. Ere long, he thought to himself, we
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  Speaker 1: shall see whether Robin Hood be here or not. Meantime,
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  Speaker 1: the shooting had been going forward, and Robin's men had
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  Speaker 1: done so well that the air was filled with shouts.
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  Speaker 1: One cried blue jacket, another cried brown, and a third
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  Speaker 1: cried brave yellow. But the fourth man said, yon man
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  Speaker 1: in red in this place has no fellow. For that
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  Speaker 1: was Robin Hood himself, for he was clothed in red
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  Speaker 1: at every shot the prize he got, for he was
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  Speaker 1: both sure and dead. Thus went the second round of
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  Speaker 1: the shooting, and thus the third and last, till even
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  Speaker 1: Gilbert of the White Hand was fairly beaten. During all
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  Speaker 1: this shooting, Robin exchanged no word with his men, each
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  Speaker 1: treating the other as a perfect stranger nave less. Such
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  Speaker 1: great shooting could not pass without revealing the archers. The
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  Speaker 1: sheriff thought he discovered in the winner of the golden
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  Speaker 1: arrow the person of Robin Hood without pear adventure, so
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  Speaker 1: he sent word privately for his men at arms to
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  Speaker 1: close round the group. But Robin's men also got wind
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  Speaker 1: of the plan. To keep up appearances, the sheriff summoned
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  Speaker 1: the crowd to form in a circle, and after as
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  Speaker 1: much delay as possible, the arrow was presented. The delay
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  Speaker 1: gave time enough for the soldiers to close in. As
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  Speaker 1: Robin received his prize, bowed awkwardly and turned away. The sheriff,
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  Speaker 1: letting his zeal get the better of his discretion, grasped
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  Speaker 1: him about the neck and called upon his men to
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  Speaker 1: arrest the traitor. But the moment the sheriff touched Robin,
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  Speaker 1: he received such a buffet on the side of his
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  Speaker 1: head that he let go instantly and fell back several paces.
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  Speaker 1: Turning to see who had struck him, he recognized little
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  Speaker 1: John Ah Rascal Greenleaf. I have you now, he exclaimed,
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  Speaker 1: springing at him. Just then, however, he met a new check.
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  Speaker 1: This is from another of your devoted servants, said a
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  Speaker 1: voice which he knew to be that of much the
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  Speaker 1: Miller's son, and thwack when his open palm upon the
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  Speaker 1: Sheriff's cheek, sending that worthy rolling over and over upon
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  Speaker 1: the ground. By this time the conflict had become general,
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  Speaker 1: but the Sheriff's men suffered the disadvantage of being hampered
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  Speaker 1: by the crowd of innocent onlookers, whom they could not
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  Speaker 1: tell from the outlaws, and so dared not attack. While
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  Speaker 1: the other outlaws in the rear fell upon them and
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  Speaker 1: put them in confusion for a moment. A fierce rain
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  Speaker 1: of blows ensued. Then the clear bugle note from Robin
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  Speaker 1: ordered a retreat. The two warders at the nearest gate
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  Speaker 1: tried to close it, but were shot dead in their tracks.
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  Speaker 1: David of Doncaster threw a third soldier into the moat,
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  Speaker 1: and out through the gate went the foresters in good order,
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  Speaker 1: keeping a respectful distance between themselves and the advancing soldiery
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  Speaker 1: by means of their well directed shafts. But the fight
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  Speaker 1: was not to go easily this day, for the soldiery,
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  Speaker 1: smarting from their recent discomfiture at the widow's cottage, and
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  Speaker 1: knowing that the eyes of the whole shire were upon them,
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  Speaker 1: fought well and pressed closely after the retreating outlaws. More
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  Speaker 1: than one ugly wound was given and received. No less
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  Speaker 1: than five of the Sheriff's men were killed outright, and
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  Speaker 1: a dozen others injured, while four of Robin's men were
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  Speaker 1: bleeding from severe flesh cuts. Then Little John, who had
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  Speaker 1: fought by the side of his chief, suddenly fell forward
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  Speaker 1: with a slight moan. An arrow had pierced his knee.
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  Speaker 1: Robin seized the big fellow with almost superhuman strength. Up
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  Speaker 1: He took him on his back and bare him well
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  Speaker 1: a mile many a time. He laid him down and
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  Speaker 1: shot another while meanwhile Little John grew weaker and closed
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  Speaker 1: his eyes. At last He sank to the ground and
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  Speaker 1: feebly motioned Robin to let him lie. Master Robin said,
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  Speaker 1: he have I not served you well ever since we
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  Speaker 1: met upon the bridge. Truer servant never man had answered Robin. Then,
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  Speaker 1: if ever you loved me, and for the sake of
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  Speaker 1: that service, draw your bright brown sword and strike off
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  Speaker 1: my head. Never let me fall alive into the hand
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  Speaker 1: of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Not for all the gold
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  Speaker 1: in England, what I do either of the things you suggest?
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  Speaker 1: God forbid, cried Arthur a Bland, hurrying to the rescue
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  Speaker 1: and packing his wounded kinsmen upon his broad shoulders, He
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  Speaker 1: soon brought him within the shelter of the forest. Once there,
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  Speaker 1: the sheriff's men did not follow, and Robin caused litters
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  Speaker 1: of boughs to be made for Little John and the
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  Speaker 1: other four wounded men. Quickly were they carried through the
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  Speaker 1: wood until the hermitage of Friar Tuck was reached, where
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  Speaker 1: their wounds were dressed. Little John's hurt was pronounced to
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  Speaker 1: be the most serious of any, but he was assured
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  Speaker 1: that in two or three weeks time he could get
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  Speaker 1: about again. Whereat the active giant groaned mightily. That evening,
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  Speaker 1: consternation came upon the hearts of the band. A careful
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  Speaker 1: roll call was taken to see if all the omen
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  Speaker 1: had escaped. When it was found that Will Stuteley was missing,
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  Speaker 1: and made Marian also was nowhere to be found, Robin
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  Speaker 1: was seized with dread. He knew that Marian had gone
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  Speaker 1: to the fair, but felt that she would hardly come
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  Speaker 1: to grief. Her absence, however, portended some danger, and he
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  Speaker 1: feared that it was connected with Will Stuteley. The sheriff
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  Speaker 1: would hang him speedily and without mercy if he were captured.
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  Speaker 1: The rest of the band shared their leader's uneasiness. Though
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  Speaker 1: they said no word, they knew that if Will were captured,
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  Speaker 1: the battle must be fought over again the next day,
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  Speaker 1: and Will must be saved at any cost. But no
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  Speaker 1: man flinched from the prospect. That evening, while the sheriff
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  Speaker 1: and his wife and daughter sat at meat in the
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  Speaker 1: mansion house, the sheriff boasted of how he would make
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  Speaker 1: an example of the captured outlaw, for Stuteley had indeed
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  Speaker 1: fallen into his hands. He shall be strung high, he
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  Speaker 1: said in a loud voice, and none shall dare lift
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  Speaker 1: a finger. I now have Robin Hood's men on the run,
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  Speaker 1: and we shall soon see who is master in this shire.
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  Speaker 1: I am only sorry that we let them have the
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  Speaker 1: golden arrow. As he spoke, a missive sped through a
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  Speaker 1: window and fell, clattering upon his plate, causing him to
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  Speaker 1: spring back in alarm. It was the golden arrow, and
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  Speaker 1: on its feathered shaft was sewed a little note which
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  Speaker 1: read this from one who will take no gifts from liars,
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  Speaker 1: and who henceforth will show no mercy. Look well to yourself,
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  Speaker 1: r H. So ends Chapter nineteen.