Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times

by G. P. R. James

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  The wind was from the south, sighing softly through the trees--the sunhad gone down about half an hour--the moon was rising, though not yetvisible to the eye, except to the watchers on castle towers, or thelonely shepherd on the mountain. The night was as warm as midsummer,though the year had now waned far; and in the sky there were none butlight and fleecy clouds, which scarcely dimmed the far twinkling starsas they shone out in the absence of the two great rulers of the nightand day. It was one of those sweet evenings which we would choose towander through some fair scene with the lady that we love, looking forthe moon's rising from behind the old ivy-clad ruin, and re-peoplingthe shady recesses of wood and dale with the fairy beings of oldsuperstition, though they have long given place to the harsherrealities of a state of society which has become, to use Rosalind'sterm, "a working-day world indeed."

  Such was the night when, under the brown boughs of the wood, withyellow leaves overhead and long fern around, sat a party of some sevenor eight stout men, dressed in the green garb which we have alreadydescribed in another place. Their bows rested against the trees closeby, their swords hung in the baldrics by their side, some horses wereheard snorting and champing at no great distance, and a large walletlay in the midst, from which the long-armed dwarf, Tangel, was drawingforth sundry articles of cold provision, together with two capaciousleathern bottles and a drinking cup of horn. There were two personsthere whom the reader already knows--the bold leader of the forestoutlaws, and the old Earl of Monthermer--now, alas! an outlaw likewise.Though his wounds had been severe, and he had suffered much both inbody and in mind, the old knight's spirit seemed still unquenched. Onthe contrary, indeed, with no weighty matters pressing on his mind,with the fate and fortune of others, nay, of his country itself, nolonger hanging on his advice, it seemed as if a load had been removedfrom his bosom; and as he half sat, half lay, upon the turf, he couldjest with the men around him more lightly than in his stately hours ofpower and influence.

  "Poor hunting, Robin! poor hunting!" he said. "Now I would not havethis day's sport recorded against us, as true foresters, for veryshame."

  "'Tis no want of craft, my good lord," replied Robin, "'tis thenearness of the court which drives all honest beasts away. We mighthave had bucks enough, but that they are rank just now."

  "Like the age, Robin--like the age!" answered the Earl. "However, wemust e'en make the best of our fate, and put in the bag what fortunechooses to send. There are hares enow, and a fine doe, though you wereas tender of them as if they had been children."

  "I never love to wing an arrow at a doe," said Robin Hood. "I know notwhy, they always look to me like women, and often do I lie in thespring time and see them trip along with their dainty steps, theirgraceful heads moving to and fro, and their bright black eyes lookingas conscious as a pretty maid's at a May-day festival; and I thinkthere must be some truth in the old story of men's souls sometimestaking possession of a beast's body."

  "Not so often, Robin," rejoined the Earl, "as a beast's soul takingpossession of a man's body. I could pick you out as goodly a herd fromthe court of England as ever trooped through the shades of Sherwood, orwere driven out by the piping swineherd to eat acorns in the lanes bySouthwell."

  "Doubtless, doubtless, my lord," replied Robin; "men will make beastsof themselves in all places, while the honester four-legged things ofthe forest seem as if they wanted to gem up, manward. Why, down by thatvery place, Southwell, there is a fallow doe who knows me as well as ifshe were one of my band; she comes when I call her, if she be withinhearing, and lets me rub her long hairy ears by the half-hour. Thenwhat long talks will we have together! I ask her all sorts ofquestions; and she contrives to answer one way or another, till, if Ibe too saucy with her about her antlered loves, she butts at me withher round hornless head, and stamps her tiny foot upon the ground. Youwould say 'twas a very woman, if you saw her."

  "'Tis a wonder that she has escaped without an arrow in her side,"replied the Earl.

  "Nay," cried Robin; "there is not a man in Sherwood or twenty milesround, who would pierce a hole in her brown bodice for all that he isworth. Every one knows Robin Hood's doe; and foul befal him that hurtsher. But come, Tangel, what hast thou got there? 'Tis so dark, I cannotsee."

  "A huge hare pie," said Tangel, "and bottles of stuff to baste it with;but the crust's as hard as the sole of a shoe, and unless thine anelacebe somewhat sharper than thy wit, thou wilt go without thy supper, andbe obliged to take the testament of the Scotch tinker."

  "And what is that?" asked Robin.

  "Drink for all," replied the dwarf; "but I will light a torch, Robin,lest thou shouldst cut thine invaluable thumb, and spoil thy shootingfor the next month."

  A torch was soon lighted; and, seated round the great hare pasty, RobinHood and his friends began their evening meal. But the horn cup hadonly gone once round when the outlaw held up his hand, crying,"Silence!" and interrupting a burst of merriment which one of Tangel'shard jests upon a forester opposite had just produced. All was silentin a moment amongst the little party; but no other sound reached theirears, and Robin Hood was again resuming the conversation, saying, "Ithought I heard a horn," when the notes were repeated, but it was stillfar in the distance.

  "It is Yockley, from the second mere," said the outlaw, starting up."It must be your nephew, my lord, who sounded first. I expect no onefrom such a quarter to-night; but I must answer; and Yockley will bringhim hither."

  Thus saying, he put his horn to his lips and blew a long blast upon it,very different from that which they had just heard, but well understoodby all the foresters as indicating where their leader was to be found.

  "Is it not dangerous, Robin?" said the Earl. "I expect not my nephewhere, and we are but six."

  "We could soon call more," replied Robin; "and our horses are near. Butif there be any danger in the party, Yockley will not bring themhither. Now, take some more food, my lord, and send round the cupagain. It must be the Lord Hugh, escaped from the revel of the castle,to take a ride in Sherwood by the moon's light."

  No more was said in regard to the sounding of the horn; and the merryjest again went on, around the green table where their viands werespread. The torch, stuck in a hole in the ground, shed its light uponthe various faces in the circle and upon the sylvan repast; and a songfrom one of the foresters cheered the minutes, till, at length, againthe horn hastened much nearer, and Robin again gave his accustomedreply. In about three minutes more the forms of a man on horseback andanother on foot by his side, were seen coming through the trees, whilethe eyes of the whole party round the torch were turned towards them.

  "Why, who is this?" exclaimed the Earl; "my good yeoman, Tom Blawket,as I live! He has found his old lord out, even in Sherwood."

  The eyes of Blawket had not been idle as he came up; and though theEarl was no longer habited as the high noble of a splendid andostentatious age, the faithful servant singled him out instantly.Springing from his horse, he kissed his master's hand with affectionatereverence, while a tear stood in his eye; but he could utter nothingexcept, "Oh, my lord!"

  "Well, Blawket," replied the Earl, laying his hand on the yeoman'sshoulder, "I am glad to see thee, my good friend, though thy coming maybe somewhat dangerous."

  "I come not without cause, my lord," said Blawket, "and sad cause too,and I must give my message hastily, for there is no time to lose. Yournephew, sir, has been arrested on suspicion of treason, being seenconversing with three masked men in the forest. He dared not say thatone of them was yourself, my lord, because a price has been set uponyour head; and the first word of your being near would send half thenobles of the court hunting you through Sherwood."

  "Let them come!" said Robin Hood, calmly; "we would entertain themwell."

  "He refused to answer their questions," continued Blawket, "and hasgained some four and twenty hours--that is, till to-morrow at the hourof two or three, when they will be put to him again, he, in themeantime, re
maining a close prisoner. He therefore prays you, my lord,to provide for your own safety with all speed, leaving this part of theforest, and betaking yourself to a distance from Nottingham."

  "Where is the Prince?" demanded the old Earl.

  "He is gone to Derby, as I hear," replied the yeoman, "to put down somerough-handed clowns amongst the mountains there, who will not believethat the great Earl of Leicester is dead."

  "These are bad tidings, indeed," said Robin Hood; "we cannot stormNottingham Castle, I fear, and set him free."

  "Bad tidings, indeed," repeated the Earl; "and I know not well whetherto go at once to the King's court and justify poor Hugh, or----"

  "Nay, nay, my lord," cried Robin Hood, "that will not do. I have alwaysfound it best when one of sound discretion, whom we love, beseeches usfor his sake to do this or that, not to aim at more than he requires,thinking that we can better his advice, but simply to perform hisbidding if we can. Otherwise, not knowing all the secret causes of hisdesire, we often break his purpose while we seek to mend it. He asksyou to go, my lord; 'twere better to do so far. I will remain: nay, gonearer still to Nottingham, this very night; and the castle walls willbe thicker and stronger than they ever have been yet, if I hear not allthat takes place within them. Nay, more--should danger threaten thegood young lord, we will find means to give him help. Although, as theold song goes, 'The castle walls are strong and high,' yet there aremeans of leaping over them, if one have but a good will.--Fear not, mylord--fear not! All that your nephew asks is to be enabled, by yourabsence in some place of safety, to acknowledge whom it was he met inthe forest here, without danger to yourself. Was it not so, Tom?"

  "Exactly so," replied the yeoman, "and he seemed no way cast down. Butthe King's people are eager enough after him, that is clear, for Ifound that they dogged me nearly to Lambley Haggard, which made me solong, otherwise I should have been down two hours ago, for I was forcedto ride on, and then come back again. I found one of them still waitingnear the Mere; but, as he was teasing a pretty boy who seemed to havelost his way, I picked a quarrel with the vermin, and so belaboured himthat he will dog no honest man again for some weeks to come, even if hecan contrive to drag his bones back to Nottingham to-night."

  "Well done, yeoman--well done, Tom!" cried several voices; and the oldEarl, who had been buried in thought while his servant spoke, nowturned to his forest companion, saying, "Send a quick messenger to thePrince, Robin. It is with him that Hugh's safety rests. It seemsthat I ought to go hence, and therefore I will do so at once; but,Blawket--you speed back to Lord Hugh, and tell him, that if need be, Iam willing, at a moment's notice, to surrender myself into the Prince'shand--ay, or the King's, though that, I know, were death--for the fewdays of my old life are worth nought compared with the long high coursebefore him. Speed you back, Blawket, at once, while I will mount andaway! Robin, let me have one of your men with me. Come, Morton of theMoor, you shall show me the way."

  A few words more passed between Robin and the Earl, ere the oldnobleman departed; but, as soon as he was gone, the bold foresterturned to Blawket, who was already on his horse's back, exclaiming,"Stay, Tom, a moment! Who was this boy you spoke of?--Where have youleft him?"

  "I know not, the boy," answered Blawket, "and I left him with one ofyour people, upon assurance of safety and of freedom to come and go,for he was weary and seemed terrified."

  "He is with Harry of Mansfield," joined in Yockley, who had accompaniedthe yeoman thither, "and we both promised that we would let him go whenhe liked, for it was of being kept he seemed most afraid. But he askedfor you, Robin, and so Harry is bringing him along down the vert courseand by the roe lane."

  "We must on, and meet them," said Robin Hood. "Go you back, goodBlawket, speedily, and should anything new happen, come again to thesecond mere. You, Yockley, go on to the lodge as fast as your legs cancarry you, and bring up the people there to the Royal-hart Pond. Leadon the horses,--I will afoot."

  Thus saying, he walked on, with his arms folded on his broad chest andhis eyes bent upon the ground. His countenance was seldom, if ever,gloomy, for serenity was one of its peculiar characteristics. Sometimesit was grave indeed, and very often thoughtful, but the wrinkled frownhad no place there, and even when the quick burst of anger crossed it,it showed itself only in the lightning of the eye and the expansion ofthe nostril. His face was now anxious, however, and as he walked along,his lips, as was very frequent with him, gave unwitting utterance tothat which was passing in his heart.

  "We must not let him perish," he said. "I doubt this King--he is tooweak to be honest. 'Tis strange how near the fool and the rogue areakin. Wisdom and goodness,--ay, wisdom and goodness,--they are brotherand sister; the one somewhat gentler than the other, but of the sameblood."

  The pace of a thoughtful man is generally slow, but it was not so withRobin Hood upon the present occasion; for while he thus meditated, andmurmured broken sentences to himself, he strode on at a rapid rate,till, at the distance of about a mile from the spot where he had beenseated with the Earl, the sound of voices speaking met his ear, andpausing, he turned to one of those behind him, saying, "You must rideto Derby, Dickon; seek out the Prince, say you bring him a message fromthe Lord Hugh de Monthermer, and, when you see him, add that if hewould save a friend's life, he must to Nottingham with all speed. Takeone of the horses as far as Beeston--it will carry you well so far; butyou must use speed. So, knock up the merry miller, and bid him, forlove of Robin Hood, to lend you his black mare to Derby. Away, withyou, good Dickon, and when in Derby, tell good Margery Green,of the Setting Sun, to send me what tidings she has had out ofCumberland,--Here, bring forward the torch!--Now, boy, what do you wantwith me?"

  These last words were addressed to a slight youth, dressed in a page'shabit, but not such as we represent--upon the stage or in pictures--asthe garb of a page of the middle ages. The upper garment which he worewas one of the loose cassocks then very generally is use, of a richpurple cloth, descending considerably below the knee, and somewhatlonger indeed than the ordinary petticoat of the English peasant girlof the time. From underneath this, appeared a small foot, covered withlong-toed riding boots; and a green hood with a trimming of greysquirrel fur, clasped round the neck with a gilt fermail or buckle, wasbrought far over the forehead, concealing the greater part of the face.Over the right shoulder was slung a belt, holding a long dagger,underneath which appeared a wallet or pouch of velvet trimmed with fur.To judge from his size and general appearance, the boy might be somefourteen years of age, and apparently not of a very strong and hardymake. Ere he answered, he shaded his eyes with his hand, somewhatdazzled it seemed by the light of the torch, and Robin had to ask himagain, "What want you with me, my good lad?"

  "I would speak with you alone," said the boy--"I would speak with youalone, and immediately; for the matter is of life and death."

  Robin Hood took the torch from the man that held it, and bade the reststand back. Then, fixing his eyes with a calm, searching gaze upon thepart of the youth's countenance which was visible under the hood, hewaited in silence to hear what the boy had to say. The page hesitatedfor a moment, and then murmured, "The Lord Hugh de Monthermer----"

  "Oh, we know about him!" cried Robin Hood. "Stale news, younggentleman, if that be all!"

  The boy, who had seemed at first abashed and uncertain, now lifted hishead with an angry toss, as if offended, replying boldly, "You are rashand hasty. Hear before you answer, Sir Forester. The news is not stale,though you think yourself so wise. You know that the Lord Hugh is inprison, for you have had his man with you; but you know not that he iscondemned to death, and that his head will be struck off in thecastle-yard, to-morrow, at daybreak. Do you know that?"

  "No, by the Blessed Virgin!" replied Robin Hood, "I do not know it; andI say that it shall not be, if I have power to help it!"

  "Ay, there is the question," cried the boy. "Have you the power?"

  "Of that anon," replied Robin Hood; "first show me that the tidings aretrue."


  "There," said the page, "read that, if thou canst read. If not, I willfor thee;" and he held out an open letter to the Outlaw, who took iteagerly from his hand, and gazed at it by the light of the torch.

  The writing consisted of two parts, traced by different hands, thelatter being evidently an answer to the former, scrawled down in hasteat the bottom of the paper. The first was to the following effect:--

  "To, my noble and well-beloved Lord the Earl of Mortimer, greeting.These from the humblest and most devoted of his servants, Richard deAshby.

  "If the time given, my good lord, till three to-morrow, be permitted torun on, the game will escape us, for I doubt not the Prince is alreadyinformed; and be you sure that he will set off with all speed, and ifhe arrive in time, will save the criminal. I therefore send you up aman who is ready to swear that he heard the criminal say to the monk,as they passed through the gates together, that out of De Montfort'sashes would soon rise up a ph[oe]nix to destroy his enemies. The fellowis well tutored in his tale, so that you shall not catch him tripping,and I do beseech you to make use of him before the King without delay,so that, if possible, there may be an axe between our enemy's head andhis body before noon to-morrow. If the forfeited estates be dividedbetween you and my good lord of Pembroke, I would advise the one I lovebest to choose the northern ones. They are worth five hundred marks ayear more than the others."

  All this was written in a fine and clerkly hand, while the lettersbelow were rough and dashing, and somewhat difficult to read. Thewords, however, were as follows:--

  "TRUSTY FRIEND,--

  "The matter is settled. The King has called together all the Barons onthe spot--luckily, Gloucester was away, and Talbot's voice was drownedin the rest. He dies to-morrow at daybreak. I have the warrant underthe King's hand. Thanks for the hint. The northern estates are mine,and friends shall not go unrewarded by yours,

  "MORTIMER."

  "Ha!" said Robin Hood, after he had read the letter and thereply--"ha! this is mighty good. Why, what a nest of scorpions have wehere; and this is the court of England! Oh, De Montfort!--noble DeMontfort! if thou didst want an advocate to plead thy cause and justifythy holy zeal to crush the venomous reptiles that infest the land, thispaper has a tongue that would convince the dead. But we will see. MayGod so help me, as I am at this execution to-morrow--if we find notother means to stay it! and beware, my Lord of Mortimer, how you comewithin mark of the English yew--for thy breast must be cased in steel,indeed, if I drown not the peacock's feather in your heart's blackblood!--Do you hear them coming from the lodge, Miller?"

  "Not yet, Robin," replied the man to whom he spoke. "Tom is upon thehill--he will sound his horn."

  "We must give the youth warning what we are about to do," said RobinHood, running his eye attentively over the form of the page beforehim--"we must give him warning.--Ha! Richard de Ashby! So--so!--Boy,this is news, indeed, you have brought me. Have you aught else totell?"

  "Not now," answered the boy, "for I must be back to Nottingham with allspeed, lest I be missed. To-morrow will do for my other tidings--Icannot think he will be so hasty there."

  "Nay--nay, if thou hast aught to tell," exclaimed Robin; "tell it now.One never can say to-morrow's sun will rise. There are precipices atevery rood on the highway of human life, over which our best intentionsfall, and dash themselves to pieces. Speak out--speak out! it will buttake thee a spare minute."

  "Well, then," replied the boy, "doubtless you love not much the Earl ofAshby?"

  "Not much," answered Robin Hood, bluffly, "but his son much less."

  "It matters not," rejoined the page; "but I tell you the Earl's life isin danger from secret foes. There is a man--a base, bad man--thebetrayer of all that trust in him----" The boy paused, and seemed togasp for breath. "He seeks the Earl's death; ay, and that of his sonalso," he continued, "in order that--that--that he may wed the heiressof the house, and himself become its head. If I did know a friend ofthe Earl, I would beseech him earnestly to watch the old man well; ay,to watch his food--to watch his steps--to have his wine tried before hedrinks it--never to let him forth alone, if it be but to taste themorning air upon a sunny bank.--But you are his enemies."

  "Yet we will act as friends," said Robin Hood. "He shall have warning,ay, and assistance at hand, in case of need.--And now," he added, in alow and soft tone, advancing a step, and taking the page's hand--"andnow what is to become of thee, poor thing?--Dost thou think I do notknow thee, Kate?"

  She shook terribly, and cast down her eyes, without reply.

  "'Tis well," he continued, finding that she did not answer. "But listento me, Kate Greenly--listen to one that speaks to thee kindly. Thouhast done a good act this night; let it be balm to thy heart; nay, letit be more--let it be but as seed that thou hast sown, to bring forthstill more plentiful fruit hereafter. Cast off the villain, whom thybetter nature hates; leave him to the deeds which will, ere long, bringdown destruction on his head; let him receive the reward of his ownwickedness, and then----"

  "Die!" said Kate Greenly--"there is nothing else left for me to do.Nay, speak not of my father--utter not his name, for it is worse thanfire even to hear it mentioned. Talk not to me of the cloister, where Imight linger out long days of miserable memory. My life is near itsclose--my heart is broken--by my own act, I know; but all the moredreadful is the wound. There is no balm that can heal this--there is notime that can soothe it. He whom I trusted is a villain. Me he mighthave injured, betrayed, cast off, trampled upon. I might have wept, orraved, and still lived on; but to find him a traitor--a murderer--afiend--to be forced, as if for my punishment on earth, to betray himwho has betrayed me, and to blast his schemes and his fame who hasblasted my name and my happiness--this is the cup of death, I tellthee, and a bitter death it is!--But I must go back! Thy people havepromised that they will not stay me, and I must go back. Whatevertidings I can give, you shall have; for I have sworn to unravel thedark clue--to frustrate the wicked scheme, and to bring down upon hishead the punishment he merits. God will give me strength to tread thispath where every step is agony; and, oh! when it is done, may hereceive the broken heart and penitent spirit, for the sake of Him whodied to save us!"

  "Amen!" said Robin Hood. "Yet stay a moment, thou must have some one toguide thee back; thou art nearer the town than thou thinkest for.--Iwill speak a word with thee by the way."