foresters. Leastwise," muttered he to himself, "I and my friends do
take good care of our good sovereign's deer."

"I care not who thou art," answered the bold Tanner, "and unless thou
hast many more of thy kind by thee, thou canst never make Arthur a Bland
cry 'A mercy.'"

"Is it so?" cried Little John in a rage. "Now, by my faith, thou saucy
rogue, thy tongue hath led thee into a pit thou wilt have a sorry time
getting out of; for I will give thee such a drubbing as ne'er hast thou
had in all thy life before. Take thy staff in thy hand, fellow, for I
will not smite an unarmed man.

"Marry come up with a murrain!" cried the Tanner, for he, too, had
talked himself into a fume. "Big words ne'er killed so much as a mouse.
Who art thou that talkest so freely of cracking the head of Arthur a
Bland? If I do not tan thy hide this day as ne'er I tanned a calf's
hide in all my life before, split my staff into skewers for lamb's flesh
and call me no more brave man! Now look to thyself, fellow!"

"Stay!" said Little John. "Let us first measure our cudgels. I do
reckon my staff longer than thine, and I would not take vantage of thee
by even so much as an inch."

"Nay, I pass not for length," answered the Tanner. "My staff is long
enough to knock down a calf; so look to thyself, fellow, I say again."

So, without more ado, each gripped his staff in the middle, and, with
fell and angry looks, they came slowly together.