the merry adventures of robin hood-第67部分

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y　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　to　the　distant　shouts　of　the　seven　men　as　they　beat　up　and　down　in　the　thickets　like　hounds　that　had　lost　the　scent　of　the　quarry。　　Then；　buckling　his　belt　more　tightly　around　his　waist；　he　ran　fleetly　down　the　road　toward　the　eastward　and　Sherwood。

But　Robin　had　not　gone　more　than　three　furlongs　in　that　direction　when　he　came　suddenly　to　the　brow　of　a　hill；　and　saw　beneath　him　another　band　of　the　King's　men　seated　in　the　shade　along　the　roadside　in　the　valley　beneath。　　Then　he　paused　not　a　moment；　but；　seeing　that　they　had　not　caught　sight　of　him；　he　turned　and　ran　back　whence　he　had　come；　knowing　that　it　was　better　to　run　the　chance　of　escaping　those　fellows　that　were　yet　in　the　thickets　than　to　rush　into　the　arms　of　those　in　the　valley。　So　back　he　ran　with　all　speed；　and　had　gotten　safely　past　the　thickets；　when　the　seven　men　came　forth　into　the　open　road。　They　raised　a　great　shout　when　they　saw　him；　such　as　the　hunter　gives　when　the　deer　breaks　cover；　but　Robin　was　then　a　quarter　of　a　mile　and　more　awa