Part 8 (1/2)
Presently the fellow relaxed from his attitude of attention, raised the spoon to his ain to stirring and singing
”'O, they must need to walk in wood thatwhere he had left it
”O, sir, alk not here at all an evil thing to do
But if we 's deer to shoot a shaft into”
Still as he sang, he took from time to time, another spoonful of the broth, blew upon it, and tasted it, with all the airs of an experienced cook At length, apparently, he judged the irdle, he blew three modulated calls
The other fellooke, rolled over, brushed away the butterfly, and looked about him
”Ho, brother?” he said ”Dinner?”
”Ay, sot,” replied the cook, ”dinner it is, and a dry dinner, too, with neither ale nor bread But there is little pleasure in the greenwood now; tiood fellow could live here like a mitred abbot, set aside the rain and the white frosts; he had his heart's desire both of ale and wine But now are uard us! but a stuffed booby to scare croithal”
”Nay,” returned the other, ”y' are too set on ood time cometh”
”Look ye,” returned the cook, ”I have even waited for this good tirey friar; I have been a king's archer; I have been a shi+preenwood before this, forsooth! and shot the king's deer What coht! I were better to have bided in the cloister
John Abbot availeth more than John Amend-All By 'r Lady! here they coan to stroll into the lawn
Each as he came produced a knife and a horn cup, helped hirass to eat They were very variously equipped and ar but a knife and an old bow; others in the height of 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 carowled a salutation, but fell instantly to athered, when a sound of suppressed cheering arose close by a the hawthorns, and i a stretcher debauched upon the lawn
A tall, lusty fellow, sorizzled, and as brown as a smoked ham, walked before theht boar-spear in his hand
”Lads!” he cried, ”good fellows all, andthis 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 h this wood For, lads, we are here soed; 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 bone he robbed us of? I trow not He getteth hiaineth cases; nay, there is one case he shall not gain--I have a writ here at my belt that, please the saints, shall conquer him”
Lawless the cook was by this time already at his second horn of ale He raised it, as if to pledge the speaker
”Master Ellis,” he said, ”y' are for vengeance--well it becoreenwood, that had never lands to lose nor friends to think upon, looketh rather, for his poor part, to the profit of the thing He had liever a gold noble and a pottle of canary wine than all the vengeances in purgatory”
”Lawless,” replied the other, ”to reach the Moat House, Sir Daniel e dearer, pardy, than any battle Then, when he hath got to earth with such ragged handful as escapeth us--all his great friends fallen and fled away, and none to give hireat shall be the fall of him 'Tis a fat buck; he will make a dinner for us all”
”Ay,” returned Lawless, ”I have eatenof theood Master Ellis And meanwhile what do we? We make black arrorite rhymes, and we drink fair cold water, that discomfortable drink”
”Y' are untrue, Will Lawless Ye still sreed is your undoing,” answered Ellis ”We took twenty pounds froht A day ago we had fifty from the merchant”