the merry adventures of robin hood-第52节

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　him；　without　loss　of　time。　So　Robin　arose　quickly；　and；　bidding　the　landlord　not　to　follow　him；　left　the　others　gazing　at　one　another；　and　wondering　what　was　about　to　happen。

When　Robin　came　out　of　the　inn；　he　found　young　Richard　Partington　sitting　upon　his　horse　in　the　white　moonlight；　awaiting　his　coming。

〃What　news　bearest　thou；　Sir　Page？〃　said　Robin。　　〃I　trust　that　it　is　not　of　an　ill　nature。〃

〃Why；〃　said　young　Partington；　〃for　the　matter　of　that；　it　is　ill　enow。　The　King　hath　been　bitterly　stirred　up　against　thee　by　that　vile　Bishop　of　Hereford。　　He　sent　to　arrest　thee　at　the　archery　butts　at　Finsbury　Fields；　but　not　finding　thee　there；　he　hath　gathered　together　his　armed　men；　fiftyscore　and　more；　and　is　sending　them　in　haste　along　this　very　road　to　Sherwood；　either　to　take　thee　on　the　way　or　to　prevent　thy　getting　back　to　the　woodlands　again。　He　hath　given　the　Bishop　of　Hereford　command　over　all　these　men；　and　thou　knowest　what　thou　hast　to　expect　of　the　Bishop　of　Hereford　short　shrift　and　a　long　rope。　　Two　bands　of　horsemen　are　already　upon　the　road；　not　far　behind　me；　so　thou　hadst　best　get　thee　gone　from　this　place　straightway；　for；　if　thou　tarriest　longer；　thou　art　like　to　sleep　this　night　in　a　cold　dungeon。　This　word　the　Queen　hath　bidden　me　bring　to　thee。〃

〃Now；　Richard　Partington；〃　quoth　Robin；　〃this　is　the　second　time　that　thou　hast　saved　my　life；　and　if　the　proper　time　ever　cometh　I　will　show　thee　that　Robin　Hood　never　forgets　these　things。　As　for　that　Bishop　of　Hereford；　if　I　ever　catch　him　nigh　to　Sherwood　again；　things　will　be　like　to　go　ill　with　him。　Thou　mayst　tell　the　good　Queen　that　I　will　leave　this　place　without　delay；　and　will　let　the　landlord　think　that　we　are　going　to　Saint　Albans；　but　when　we　are　upon　the　highroad　again；　I　will　go　one　way　through　the　country　and　will　send　my　men　the　other；　so　that　if　one　falleth　into　the　King's　hands　the　others　may　haply　escape。　　We　will　go　by　devious　ways；　and　so；　I　hope；　will　reach　Sherwood　in　safety。　And　now；　Sir　Page；　I　wish　thee　farewell。〃

〃Farewell；　thou　bold　yeoman；〃　said　young　Partington；　〃and　mayst　thou　reach　thy　hiding　in　safety。〃　　So　each　shook　the　other's　hand；　and　the　lad；　turning　his　horse's　head；　rode　back　toward　London；　while　Robin　entered　the　inn　once　more。

There　he　found　his　yeomen　sitting　in　silence；　waiting　his　coming；　likewise　the　landlord　was　there；　for　he　was　curious　to　know　what　Master　Partington　had　to　do　with　the　fellow　in　blue。　　〃Up；　my　merry　men！〃　quoth　Robin；　〃this　is　no　place　for　us；　for　those　are　after　us　with　whom　we　will　stand　but　an　ill　chance　an　we　fall　into　their　hands。　So　we　will　go　forward　once　more；　nor　will　we　stop　this　night　till　we　reach　Saint　Albans。〃　　Hereupon；　taking　out　his　purse；　he　paid　the　landlord　his　score；　and　so　they　left　the　inn。

When　they　had　come　to　the　highroad　without　the　town；　Robin　stopped　and　told　them　all　that　had　passed　between　young　Partington　and　himself；　and　how　that　the　King's　men　were　after　them　with　hot　heels。　Then　he　told　them　that　here　they　should　part　company；　they　three　going　to　the　eastward　and　he　to　the　westward；　and　so；　skirting　the　main　highroads；　would　come　by　devious　paths　to　Sherwood。　　〃So；　be　ye　wily；〃　said　Robin　Hood；　〃and　keep　well　away　from　the　northward　roads　till　ye　have　gotten　well　to　the　eastward。　　And　thou；　Will　Scarlet；　take　the　lead　of　the　others；　for　thou　hast　a　cunning　turn　to　thy　wits。〃　Then　Robin　kissed　the　three　upon　the　cheeks；　and　they　kissed　him；　and　so　they　parted　company。

Not　long　after　this；　a　score　or　more　of　the　King's　men　came　clattering　up　to　the　door　of　the　inn　at　Barnet　Town。　　Here　they　leaped　from　their　horses　and　quickly　surrounded　the　place；　the　leader　of　the　band　and　four　others　entering　the　room　where　the　yeomen　had　been。　But　they　found　that　their　birds　had　flown　again；　and　that　the　King　had　been　balked　a　second　time。

〃Methought　that　they　were　naughty　fellows；〃　said　the　host；　when　he　heard　whom　the　men…at…arms　sought。　　〃But　I　heard　that　blue…clad　knave　say　that　they　would　go　straight　forward　to　Saint　Albans；　so；　an　ye　hurry　forward；　ye　may；　perchance；　catch　them　on　the　highroad　betwixt　here　and　there。〃　For　this　news　the　leader　of　the　band　thanked　mine　host　right　heartily；　and；　calling　his　men　together；　mounted　and　set　forth　again；　galloping　forward　to　Saint　Albans　upon　a　wild　goose　chase。

After　Little　John　and　Will　Scarlet　and　Allan　a　Dale　had　left　the　highway　near　garnet；　they　traveled　toward　the　eastward；　without　stopping；　as　long　as　their　legs　could　carry　them；　until　they　came　to　Chelmsford；　in　Essex。　　Thence　they　turned　northward；　and　came　through　Cambridge　and　Lincolnshire；　to　the　good　town　of　Gainsborough。　　Then；　striking　to　the　westward　and　the　south；　they　came　at　last　to　the　northern　borders　of　Sherwood　Forest；　without　in　all　that　time　having　met　so　much　as　a　single　band　of　the　King's　men。　　Eight　days　they　journeyed　thus　ere　they　reached　the　woodlands　in　safety；　but　when　they　got　to　the　greenwood　glade；　they　found　that　Robin　had　not　yet　returned。

For　Robin　was　not　as　lucky　in　getting　back　as　his　men　had　been；　as　you　shall　presently　hear。

After　having　left　the　great　northern　road；　he　turned　his　face　to　the　westward；　and　so　came　past　Aylesbury；　to　fair　Woodstock；　in　Oxfordshire。　　Thence　he　turned　his　footsteps　northward；　traveling　for　a　great　distance　by　way　of　Warwick　Town；　till　he　came　to　Dudley；　in　Staffordshire。　　Seven　days　it　took　him　to　journey　thus　far；　and　then　he　thought　he　had　gotten　far　enough　to　the　north；　so；　turning　toward　the　eastward；　shunning　the　main　roads；　and　choosing　byways　and　grassy　lanes；　he　went；　by　way　of　Litchfield　and　Ashby　de　la　Zouch；　toward　Sherwood；　until　he　came　to　a　place　called　Stanton。　　And　now　Robin's　heart　began　to　laugh　aloud；　for　he　thought　that　his　danger　had　gone　by；　and　that　his　nostrils　would　soon　snuff　the　spicy　air　of　the　woodlands　once　again。　　But　there　is　many　a　slip　betwixt　the　cup　and　the　lip；　and　this　Robin　was　to　find。　For　thus　it　was：

When　the　King's　men　found　themselves　foiled　at　Saint　Albans；　and　that　Robin　and　his　men　were　not　to　be　found　high　nor　low；　they　knew　not　what　to　do。　　Presently　another　band　of　horsemen　came；　and　another；　until　all　the　moonlit　streets　were　full　of　armed　men。　Betwixt　midnight　and　dawn　another　band　came　to　the　town；　and　with　them　came　the　Bishop　of　Hereford。　　When　he　heard　that　Robin　Hood　had　once　more　slipped　out　of　the　trap；　he　stayed　not　a　minute；　but；　gathering　his　bands　together；　he　pushed　forward　to　the　northward　with　speed；　leaving　orders　for　all　the　troops　that　came　to　Saint　Albans　to　follow　after　him　without　tarrying。　On　the　evening　of　the　fourth　day　he　reached　Nottingham　Town；　and　there　straightway　divided　his　men　into　bands　of　six　or　seven；　and　sent　them　all　through　the　countryside；　blocking　every　highway　and　byway　to　the　eastward　and　the　southward　and　the　westward　of　Sherwood。　　The　Sheriff　of　Nottingham　called　forth　all　his　men　likewise；　and　joined　with　the　Bishop；　for　he　saw　that　this　was　the　best　chance　that　had　ever　befallen　of　paying　back　his　score　in　full　to　Robin　Hood。　　Will　Scarlet　and　Little　John　and　Allan　a　Dale　had　just　missed　the　King's　men　to　the　eastward；　for　the　very　next　day　after　they　had　passed　the　line　and　entered　Sherwood　the　roads　through　which　they　had　traveled　were　blocked；　so　that；　had　they　tarried　in　their　journeying；　they　would　surely　have　fallen　into　the　Bishop's　hands。

But　of　all　this　Robin　knew　not　a　whit；　so　he　whistled　merrily　as　he　trudged　along　the　road　beyond　Stanton；　with　his　heart　as　free　from　care　as　the　yolk　of　an　egg　is　from　cobwebs。　　At　last　he　came　to　where　a　little　stream　spread　across　the　road　in　a　shallow　sheet；　tinkling　and　sparkling　as　it　fretted　over　its　bed　of　golden　gravel。　Here　Robin　stopped；　being　athirst；　and；　kneeling　down；　he　made　a　cup　of　the　palms　of　his　hands；　and　began　to　drink。　On　either　side　of　the　road；　for　a　long　distance；　stood　tangled　thickets　of　bushes　and　young　trees；　and　it　pleased　Robin's　heart　to　hear　the　little　birds　singing　therein；　for　it　made　him　think　of　Sherwood；　and　it　seemed　as　though　it　had　been　a　lifetime　since　he　had　breathed　the　air　of　the　woodlands。　　But　of　a　sudden；　as　he　thus　stooped；　drinking；　something　hissed　past　his　ear；　and　struck　with　a　splash　into　the　gravel　and　water　beside　him。　Quick　as　a　wink　Robin　sprang　to　his　feet；　and；　at　one　bound；　crossed　the　stream　and　the　roadside；　and　plunged　headlong　into　the　thicket；　without　looking　around；　for　he　knew　right　well　that　that　which　had　hissed　so　venomously　beside　his　ear　was　a　gray　goose　shaft；　and　that　to　tarry　so　much　as　a　moment　meant　death。　Even　as　he　leaped　into　the　thicket　six　more　arrows　rattled　among　the　branches　after　him；　one　of　which　pierced　his　doublet；　and　would　have　struck　deeply　into　his　side　but　for　the　tough　coat　of　steel　that　he　wore。　　Then　up　the　road　came　riding　some　of　the　King's　men　at　headlong　speed。　　They　leaped　from　their　horses　and　plunged　straightway　into　the　thicket　after　Robin。　　But　Robin　knew　the　ground　better　than　they　did；　so　crawling　here；　stooping　there；　and；　anon；　running　across　some　little　open；　he　soon　left　them　far　behind；　coming　out；　at　last；　upon　another　road　about　eight　hundred　paces　distant　from　the　one　he　had　left。　Here　he　stood　for　a　moment；　listening