climbed, and the bright spring flowers clustered, were seated two men, whose fair hair, oval faces, and blue eyes, betrayed the good Saxon blood in their veins.

They were both magnificent specimens of their race, tall and broadshouldered, with giant limbs that even Hercules himself might have envied. The elder of the two was habited in a suit of chain mail of singular workmanship, which, where not hidden by the folds of a long heavy mantle. exhibited to perfection his noble proportions. His age would have been difficult for an observer to have guessed, for long exposure in a burning clime had tanned his face to a sombre tawny hue, and the deep wrinkles and hues were those rather of care than of age; and these, with the stern determined mouth, half concealed by the fair moustache and short curling beard, gave to his features an almost forbidding aspect, which the large bold blue eyes almost failed to soften.

Close at his side, and unsheathed, lay an enormous double-handed sword, with a broad fluted blade, alone some six feet in length; a fearful looking weapon, and one against which, in the hands of its giant master, it was easy to believe that neither shield nor mail could stand; and this, with the exception of a short dagger in his knightly girdle, was his only weapon.

His companion, in every way, presented a contrast. He was evidently many years younger, and, although of singular height, yet he was not-so far as could be judged from their reclining postures-so tall as the knight by a hand's breadth. His features, though by no means handsome, were yet very pleasing, and revealed a countenance radiant with health, frankness, and good

nature.

He was dressed in a doublet of the then well-known Lincoln green; his sturdy legs were encased in long buckskin hose, called chausses, and reaching to the waist, while on his feet were a pair of heavy Saxon unhegesceo, a kind of stout buckskin shoe, fitting tight round the foot, and reaching up behind so as to cover the ankle, but open on the instep, where it was secured by a leather thong passing across it; a leather baldrick crossed bis broad shoulders, and suspended a sheaf of long grey-goose shafts, while at his belt hung a small horn and a stout broad-bladed hunting knife. Against the tree lcaned his long yew bow, and an enormous eight-foot crab-tree quarterstaff:

Thus equipped, there could be no second opinion as to his calling, for his dress was neither that of Franklin nor yeoman, while the famous colour of his "bonnet" and doublet at once proclaimed him to be a free forester, and, consequently. an outlaw.

Friend," said the knight at length, breaking a silence of some minutes, during which each had been busy with his own thoughts, "the night comes on apace, and yet your master comes not; art sure he has been well-informed of my presence?"

"As sure as man can be, my good lord; for young 'Will of the brook,' the fleetest foot in all Sherwood, with half a score good men at his back, started yester-e'en for Nottingham town on the errand; and, with God's help, ROBIN HOOD will be here this night an' he came through fire and water."

That I know full well, should no accident happen," said the knight; "but tell me, my friend, thy name, for I remember not thy face, and yet it were difficult to forget so pretty a man."

The great forester rose to his feet as the knight spoke, and doffiing his bonnet at the compliment, drew himself up to his full height, and with a roguish twinkle in his blue eye, said, "Men call me 'Little John,' an' it please you."

The knight laughed loud. "By my beard," he said, "thou art indeed a pretty child. With a few more such as thee," and his voice grew stern and harsh,

"I would, as I hope for salvation, seize this Norman ruffian on his throneaye, in the midst of all his nobles-and flog him-flog him as his great ancestor was flogged at Jerusalem for his cruel and evil deeds. And by're Lady," he added, "I, alone, will so serve him, or twist his neck should all else fail, an' King Richard, whom God preserve, come not to claim his crown again;" and the knight dashed his mailed hand passionately on the green sward.

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Amen," said the forester; "and one stout heart and strong hand, at least, to aid thee in that good deed shall not fail thee;" and, as the sturdy forester stood there in the waning light, with his arms folded across his vast chest, he looked the very type of his race, a worthy sire of that marvellous race, the English yeoman, whose mighty prowess, first with the bow and later with the musket and rifle, it was destined that the whole world should witness; whose unflinching, stubborn courage, contempt of danger and of death-whose hardy endurance and untiring energy, have made them feared and loved, and respected by their fellow men, in every part of the known world where Saxon foot has trodden.

Witness the plains of Creci and Poictiers, of Agincourt and Waterloo, the Alma and Balaclava; witness the great continents of the earth-the fiery plains and jungles of India-the burning sands of Africa;-the icy Pole. And on the sea, too;-to write but the name of Drake and Blake, Jervis and Howe, and Nelson, is but to tell how the Anglo-Saxon went forth and fought, and conquered.

"Thanks, good Little John," said the knight; "but now 'tis profitless to talk, when action is wanted; and did I not know that Robin's word is beyond doubt, I had not tarried here so late; but now his long absence alarms me for his own safety."

"Rest assured, my lord," said Little John, "that had aught of harm happened, we should, before this, have known of it. That something must have detained him is beyond doubt; but that he or his messenger will be here tonight is as certain."

Then the tall forester, with the approval of his companion, collected together some dried leaves and sticks, and, dexterously striking a flint against the back of his large hunting-knife, he blew the sparks into a flame, which instantly seizing upon the dried materials, rose crackling into the air; then more sticks were thrown on, and Little John fetched from beside the tree a goodly-sized wallet, hitherto unnoticed, from which he drew forth a steak of fresh killed venison, a great flagon of wine, and some small cakes of cornbread. The steak was quickly hissing and spluttering on the fire, and sending forth an odour so savory that even an abbot would have smacked his lips in anticipation of the dainty meal.

The venison and the corn-bread soon disappeared, and, after a strong and hearty pull at the wine flask, the knight appeared to recover his equanimity, and resumed the conversation.

"Thanks for thy hospitality, friend," he said; "and, while on the subject, I will ask thee, is the rumour true I heard in the town, that the hang-dog sheriff had honoured the bold Robin with his presence at a feast in his woodland home, and paid gallantly for his entertainment ? "

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Little John, "that is the truth, ho! ho! never shall I forget the fat rogue as long as I live. I think I see him now, his limbs shaking with fear, as though with the palsy; and then, ho! ho! his jaws chattered like a bag of bones when Robin bade him sing us a song! And we made the villain do it, too; and then we left him to his own devices, as drunk as a bishop!"

"Not before he had paid for his good cheer, I suppose," said the knight,

"

with a smile. of it ? " Then Little John, with a preliminary pull at the flagon, told how Robin, having some private business to transact in Nottingham town, had gone thither disguised as a butcher, where he heard that the sheriff, Sir Thomas Effingham was desirous of buying some horned cattle. At this time the price of meat provisions, owing to a combination of the butchers, was very high, and the chief magistrate accordingly, wishing to profit by this, had resolved to buy as many head as he could at his own price, and sell the meat at that of the butchers', for he was a man who had already amassed a large fortune by the most fraudulent practices, and never lost an opportunity of adding to it by fair means or foul; indeed, more than once, complaints had been made to the throne against him, but a heavy bribe to the complaisant prince who then ruled in his brother's absence, was quite sufficient to blind his eyes to any offences, however enormous. But to return.

But tell me, how managed Robin the feast, and what came

Robin threw himself in the sheriff's way, and offered to sell him a large herd of cattle, then grazing on his estate hard by, at a price so low, that the rascal's cupidity was excited, and, forgetting all considerations save that of at once securing so good a bargain, he readily fell into the trap.

"What say you is the price of your herd?" he asked, half doubting that his ears had deceived him.

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"Between five hundred and a thousand, more or less."

'And you want five hundred marks for the whole, whatever their number ?"

"That is what I said."

The man must be a fool, thought the sheriff, and knows not the value of his herd; but I may as well get them, if possible, for less. "I will give you three hundred marks," he said, "and no more."

Robin appeared to muse for a moment, and then he replied: "I will take your worship's offer, but the money must be paid at once, for I can get a better price by waiting."

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By all means," said the eager sheriff. "How far is your land hence?" "But an hour's ride, and your worship's people can see it."

"I will myself accompany you, and bring the money with me, which I will pay you as soon as I have seen the cattle." And the sheriff hastily gave orders for his horse to be prepared, and that a dozen of his servants should mount and follow him.

They were soon on the road, and Robin led the party a dance for some miles along the highway. The sheriff knew most of the great landowners in his neighbourhood, and he began to be puzzled as to where the butcher would lead him, but his men were well armed, and it would be useless to deceive him. Woe to him if he does, he thought; and so he rode patiently on.

Presently the butcher turned down a narrow lane, and in a few moments the party were in the forest.

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Whither away now ?" cried the sheriff. "We shall soon be in the midst of the forest."

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My land lays yonder," said the butcher, pointing with his finger, "and this is the nearest route."

"But know you not, my friend, that that thieving villain, Robin Rood, whom I have threatened to hang on the first opportunity, is abroad at this time with his ruffians?"

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" said

Your worship's party is too strong for such a vagabond to attack," the butcher, with a laugh; "but in good sooth, if you did lay hands on him,

I should be right glad to see him swing, for I hear that the rascal has escaped you more than once."

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"That is true, but as I live, he shall not so again. I will hang

As he spoke a large herd of deer, startled at the approaching hoof-strokes, sprang from their retreat, and bounded away.

The butcher reined in his steed. "Behold!" he said, "my cattle; for this is my land!”

The sheriff gaped with open mouth. "Rascal," he said, as soon as he recovered breath, "what means this insolence? This is the king's land, and yonder his deer."

"I said 'twas mine," said the butcher, coolly. "Then who in the devil's name are you?"

"I am Robin Hood !" was the quiet reply.

Down slipped the sheriff from his horse. "Seize him!-no quarter!" he cried, as he crawled behind a tree out of the terrible outlaw's reach.

But Robin laughed aloud. Back, varlets!" he cried, as the men advanced upon him; and putting his horn to his mouth, he blew a shrill blast, and, like magic, a score of sturdy foresters, with bows and quarterstaves, rushed from the bushes upon the would-be assailants, and in an instant had bound them hand and foot.

Mercy! mercy!" blubbered the sheriff, upon his knees; "I was but joking, good Robin Hood, when I threatened to hang thee."

"Tut, man," said Robin, " make no excuses; and to show thee that I bear thee no malice, thou, and thy men, shalt sup with me this night at my home."

There was no gainsaying this, and the wretched sheriff and his companions, pale and trembling, for he fully expected that he would get his deserts, and be hanged, were forced to accompany their captors for some distance into the dense wood, until they came to one of the outlaw's trysting places, where fires had already been lighted, and a savoury supper preparing. There they made the terrified wretch eat and drink, dance and sing, and swear eternal friendship to the outlaws; until, what with the effects of the wine, the unusual violent exercise, and excitement, he tumbled down on the greensward “drunk and incapable."

The sun was high in the heavens when the sheriff of Nottingham and his servants awoke. Not a trace of the late carouse was left-not a sign of an outlaw to be seen. They were alone in the forest, with the merry birds overhead singing blithely, as though they thought it a capital joke. Their steeds, too, had disappeared; and a general turning out of pockets proved the melancholy fact that the image and superscription of "His Highness" was not to be seen; there was not a coin amongst them. The sheriff tore his hair, and danced with rage at the loss of his gold; and he swore a dreadful oath that he would be revenged. Then, with heavy hearts and splitting heads, they wended their way out of the forest; and it was not till the twilight was rapidly deepening into night that the chief magistrate reached his home, where his absence had created much anxiety.

Loud and long laughed the knight as the outlaw finished his story. "By my faith," he said, "I would e'en have paid his ransom to have been of the party, although methinks I had rather seen him dance in the air with a hempen collar."

"All in good time, Sir Michael," said a cheery voice, interrupting; and at the instant the thick foliage behind them was parted, and a man emerging from the recess, advanced towards the fire and bowed to him whom he had addressed as "Sir Michael."

CHAPTER II.

THE EMPTY HALTER.

HE new comer was a young man rather below the middle height, but whose well-knit frame and bold, handsome features were well set off by the suit of Lincoln green and the close-fitting bonnet of red and blue with its dark heron's feather. A long bow of Spanish yew was in his hand, his arrows at his back, and at his side a long knife similar to that of the tall forester, and a small horn of silver. "Welcome, Sir Knight," said Robin Hood, for it was he; "welcome to Sherwood. I had been with thee sooner but for certain rumours of treason in our camp that I was fain to see into myself, and which caused me to tarry in Nottingham-but of this another time. I am here; and await your orders. The Lord Turchil advised me of your arrival in England, and that you desired to speak with me before you reached Barnessdale, but I have not expected your lordship would arrive so soon."

"I received my kinsman Turchil's missive but yester-morn, and made all haste hither," said the knight; and he drew a paper from a pouch in his cloak, and commenced reading; for, unlike the ignorant ruffians who came over with the Conquerer, and who could not tell a letter from a donkey's head, the princes and the nobles of the Saxon line were not of opinion that a knowledge of letters in any way detracted from their prowess in arms. the letter:

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Thus ran

Turchil, Thane of Barnessdale, to his well loved cousin, Michael of Mercia, greeting,-Matters of great import to me and thee have called me to the court. Seek thou, and with all haste, as thou lovest me, Robert Fitzooth, whom my freedman, Ulric will lead thee, and he will tell thee of that I cannot write."

The outlaw bowed in acquiescence, and at a sign from his chief the tall forester disappeared amongst the trees, and presently returned leading by the bridle a magnificent charger, richly caprisoned, which had been staked at a short distance, that it might crop the luxuriant herbage of the glade.

The knight mounted, and Robin, taking the bridle led the way through several intricate bye-paths which evidently had been recently cut through the dense thicket, Little John bringing up the rear.

In this way they proceeded for about half an hour, when a bright light suddenly became visible a little distance a head, and the outlaw putting a small silver whistle to his lips, blew a shrill note. Scarcely had the last echo died away, when a little, short, broad-shouldered man with an enormous head surmounted by a crop of shaggy red hair, made his appearance, and assisting the knight to dismount, led the horse away, and in a moment was out of sight without having said a word.

"Your lordship will rest here to-night," said Robin, in explanation. "Yonder light proceeds from a secluded hut of mine, which I ordered to be prepared for you as soon as I learnt of your arrival; and there I will relate to you what the Lord Turchil has left unsaid."