Ho, lads! Set up a garland at the end of
the glade."
Then, as the yeomen ran to do their master's bidding, Tuck turned to
one of the mock friars. "Hearest thou our master?" quoth he, with a sly
wink. "Whenever he cometh across some poor piece of wit he straightway
layeth it on the shoulders of this Gaffer Swanthold--whoever he may
be--so that the poor goodman goeth traveling about with all the odds and
ends and tags and rags of our master's brain packed on his back." Thus
spake Friar Tuck, but in a low voice so that Robin could not hear him,
for he felt somewhat nettled at Robin's cutting his talk so short.
In the meantime the mark at which they were to shoot was set up at
sixscore paces distance. It was a garland of leaves and flowers two
spans in width, which same was hung upon a stake in front of a broad
tree trunk. "There," quoth Robin, "yon is a fair mark, lads. Each of you
shoot three arrows thereat; and if any fellow misseth by so much as one
arrow, he shall have a buffet of Will Scarlet's fist."
"Hearken to him!" quoth Friar Tuck. "Why, master, thou dost bestow
buffets from thy strapping nephew as though they were love taps from
some bouncing lass. I warrant thou art safe to hit the garland thyself,
or thou wouldst not be so free of his cuffing."
First David of Doncaster shot, and lodged all three of his arrows within
the garland. "Well done, David!" cried Robin, "thou hast saved thine
ears from a warming this day." Next Midge, the Miller, shot, and he,
also, lodged his arrows in the garland.
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