the merry adventures of robin hood-第83部分

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d's　fright；　and　that　no　stout　yeoman　would　die　at　the　loss　of　a　few　drops　of　blood。　〃Why；〃　quoth　he；　〃give　thee　a　se'ennight　and　thou　wilt　be　roaming　the　woodlands　as　boldly　as　ever。〃

But　Robin　shook　his　head　and　smiled　faintly　where　he　lay。　〃Mine　own　dear　Little　John；〃　whispered　he；　〃Heaven　bless　thy　kind；　rough　heart。　　But；　dear　friend；　we　will　never　roam　the　woodlands　together　again。〃

〃Ay；　but　we　will！〃　quoth　Little　John　loudly。　　〃I　say　again；　ayout　upon　it　who　dares　say　that　any　more　harm　shall　come　upon　thee？　　Am　I　not　by？　　Let　me　see　who　dares　touch〃Here　he　stopped　of　a　sudden；　for　his　words　choked　him。　At　last　he　said；　in　a　deep；　husky　voice；　〃Now；　if　aught　of　harm　befalls　thee　because　of　this　day's　doings；　I　swear　by　Saint　George　that　the　red　cock　shall　crow　over　the　rooftree　of　this　house；　for　the　hot　flames　shall　lick　every　crack　and　cranny　thereof。　　As　for　these　women〃here　he　ground　his　teeth　〃it　will　be　an　ill　day　for　them！〃

But　Robin　Hood　took　Little　John's　rough；　brown　fist　in　his　white　hands；　and　chid　him　softly　in　his　low；　weak　voice；　asking　him　since　what　time　Little　John　had　thought　of　doing　harm　to　women；　even　in　vengeance。　Thus　he　talked　till；　at　last；　the　other　promised；　in　a　choking　voice；　that　no　ill　should　fall　upon　the　place；　no　matter　what　happened。　Then　a　silence　fell；　and　Little　John　sat　with　Robin　Hood's　hand　in　his；　gazing　out　of　the　open　window；　ever　and　anon　swallowing　a　great　lump　that　came　in　his　throat。　　Meantime　the　sun　dropped　slowly　to　the　west；　till　all　the　sky　was　ablaze　with　a　red　glory。　Then　Robin　Hood；　in　a　weak；　faltering　voice；　bade　Little　John　raise　him　that　he　might　look　out　once　more　upon　the　woodlands；　so　the　yeoman　lifted　him　in　his　arms；　as　he　bade；　and　Robin　Hood's　head　lay　on　his　friend's　shoulder。　　Long　he　gazed；　with　a　wide；　lingering　look；　while　the　other　sat　with　bowed　head；　the　hot　tears　rolling　one　after　another　from　his　eyes；　and　dripping　upon　his　bosom；　for　he　felt　that　the　time　of　parting　was　near　at　hand。　Then；　presently；　Robin　Hood　bade　him　string　his　stout　bow　for　him；　and　choose　a　smooth　fair　arrow　from　his　quiver。　　This　Little　John　did；　though　without　disturbing　his　master　or　rising　from　where　he　sat。　Robin　Hood's　fingers　wrapped　lovingly　around　his　good　bow；　and　he　smiled　faintly　when　he　felt　it　in　his　grasp；　then　he　nocked　the　arrow　on　that　part　of　the　string　that　the　tips　of　his　fingers　knew　so　well。　〃Little　John；〃　said　he；　〃Little　John；　mine　own　dear　friend；　and　him　I　love　better　than　all　others　in　the　world；　mark；　I　prythee；　where　this　arrow　lodges；　and　there　let　my　grave　be　digged。　Lay　me　with　my　face　toward　the　East；　Little　John；　and　see　that　my　resting　place　be　kept　green；　and　that　my　weary　bones　be　not　disturbed。〃

As　he　finished　speaking；　he　raised　himself　of　a　sudden　and　sat　upright。　His　old　strength　seemed　to　come　back　to　him；　and；　drawing　the　bowstring　to　his　ear；　he　sped　the　arrow　out　of　the　open　casement。　　As　the　shaft　flew；　his　hand　sank　slowly　with　the　bow　till　it　lay　across　his　knees；　and　his　body　likewise　sank　back　again　into　Little　John's　loving　arms；　but　something　had　sped　from　that　body；　even　as　the　winged　arrow　sped　from　the　bow。

For　some　minutes　Little　John　sat　motionless；　but　presently　he　laid　that　which　he　held　gently　down；　then；　folding　the　hands　upon　the　breast　and　covering　up　the　face；　he　turned　upon　his　heel　and　left　the　room　without　a　word　or　a　sound。

Upon　the　steep　stairway　he　met　the　Prioress　and　some　of　the　chief　among　the　sisters。　　To　them　he　spoke　in　a　deep；　quivering　voice；　and　said　he；　〃An　ye　go　within　a　score　of　feet　of　yonder　room；　I　will　tear　down　your　rookery　over　your　heads　so　that　not　one　stone　shall　be　left　upon　another。　　Bear　my　words　well　in　mind；　for　I　mean　them。〃　So　saying；　he　turned　and　left　them；　and　they　presently　saw　him　running　rapidly　across　the　open；　through　the　falling　of　the　dusk；　until　he　was　swallowed　up　by　the　forest。

The　early　gray　of　the　coming　morn　was　just　beginning　to　lighten　the　black　sky　toward　the　eastward　when　Little　John　and　six　more　of　the　band　came　rapidly　across　the　open　toward　the　nunnery。　They　saw　no　one；　for　the　sisters　were　all　hidden　away　from　sight；　having　been　frightened　by　Little　John's　words。　Up　the　stone　stair　they　ran；　and　a　great　sound　of　weeping　was　presently　heard。　　After　a　while　this　ceased；　and　then　came　the　scuffling　and　shuffling　of　men's　feet　as　they　carried　a　heavy　weight　down　the　steep　and　winding　stairs。　So　they　went　forth　from　the　nunnery；　and；　as　they　passed　through　the　doors　thereof；　a　great；　loud　sound　of　wailing　arose　from　the　glade　that　lay　all　dark　in　the　dawning；　as　though　many　men；　hidden　in　the　shadows；　had　lifted　up　their　voices　in　sorrow。

Thus　died　Robin　Hood；　at　Kirklees　Nunnery；　in　fair　Yorkshire；　with　mercy　in　his　heart　toward　those　that　had　been　his　undoing；　for　thus　he　showed　mercy　for　the　erring　and　pity　for　the　weak　through　all　the　time　of　his　living

His　yeomen　were　scattered　henceforth；　but　no　great　ill　befell　them　thereafter；　for　a　more　merciful　sheriff　and　one　who　knew　them　not　so　well　succeeding　the　one　that　had　gone；　and　they　being　separated　here　and　there　throughout　the　countryside；　they　abided　in　peace　and　quietness；　so　that　many　lived　to　hand　down　these　tales　to　their　children　and　their　children's　children。

A　certain　one　sayeth　that　upon　a　stone　at　Kirklees　is　an　old　inscription。　This　I　give　in　the　ancient　English　in　which　it　was　written；　and　thus　it　runs：

HEAR　UNDERNEAD　DIS　LAITL　STEAN　LAIS　ROBERT　EARL　OF　HUNTINGTUN　NEA　ARCIR　VER　AS　HIE　SAE　GEUD　AN　PIPL　KAULD　IM　ROBIN　HEUD　SICK　UTLAWS　AS　HI　AN　IS　MEN　VIL　ENGLAND　NIDIR　SI　AGEN　OBIIT　24　KAL。　　DEKEMBRIS　1247。


And　now；　dear　friend；　we　also　must　part；　for　our　merry　journeyings　have　ended；　and　here；　at　the　grave　of　Robin　Hood；　we　turn；　each　going　his　own　way。





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