forest gallantry, all in Lincoln green, both hood and jerkin, with

dainty peacock arrows in their belts, a horn upon a baldrick, and a

sword and dagger at their sides. They came in the silence of

hunger, and scarce growled a salutation, but fell instantly to

meat.

There were, perhaps, a score of them already gathered, when a sound

of suppressed cheering arose close by among the hawthorns, and

immediately after five or six woodmen carrying a stretcher

debauched upon the lawn. A tall, lusty fellow, somewhat grizzled,

and as brown as a smoked ham, walked before them with an air of

some authority, his bow at his back, a bright boar-spear in his

hand.

"Lads!" he cried, "good fellows all, and my right merry friends, y'

have sung this while on a dry whistle and lived at little ease.

But what said I ever? Abide Fortune constantly; she turneth,

turneth swift. And lo! here is her little firstling--even that

good creature, ale!"

There was a murmur of applause as the bearers set down the

stretcher and displayed a goodly cask.

"And now haste ye, boys," the man continued. "There is work

toward. A handful of archers are but now come to the ferry; murrey

and blue is their wear; they are our butts--they shall all taste

arrows--no man of them shall struggle through this wood. For,

lads, we are here some fifty strong, each man of us most foully

wronged; for some they have lost lands, and some friends; and some

they have been outlawed--all oppressed! Who, then, hath done this

evil? Sir Daniel, by the rood! Shall he then profit? shall he sit

snug in our houses? shall he till our fields? shall he suck the

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