Who art thou that dares to hold such language?
I, indeed! I am Robin Hood, as thy caitiff carcase soon shall know.
Then art thou indeed that famous outlaw? Right gladly will I dispute
with thee the passes of the merry wood. Have at thee!
They took their lath swords, dumped their other traps on the ground,
struck a fencing attitude, foot to foot, and began a grave, careful
combat, two up and two down. Presently Tom said:
Now, if you ve got the hang, go it lively!
So they went it lively, panting and perspiring with the work. By and
by Tom shouted:
Fall! fall! Why don t you fall?
I sha n t! Why don t you fall yourself? You re getting the worst of
it.
Why, that ain t anything. I can t fall; that ain t the way it is in the
book. The book says, Then with one back-handed stroke he slew poor Guy
of Guisborne. You re to turn around and let me hit you in the back.
There was no getting around the authorities, so Joe turned, received the
whack and fell.
Now, said Joe, getting up, you got to let me kill _you_. That s
fair.
Why, I can t do that, it ain t in the book.
Well, it s blamed mean that s all.
Well, say, Joe, you can be Friar Tuck or Much the miller s son, and lam
me with a quarter-staff; or I ll be the Sheriff of Nottingham and you be
Robin Hood a little while and kill me.
This was satisfactory, and so these adventures were carried out. Then
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