without armor on breast, in thine own county! What wouldst thou have me
do? Art thou not my Sheriff? Are not my laws in force in
Nottinghamshire? Canst thou not take thine own course against those
that break the laws or do any injury to thee or thine? Go, get thee
gone, and think well; devise some plan of thine own, but trouble me no
further. But look well to it, Master Sheriff, for I will have my laws
obeyed by all men within my kingdom, and if thou art not able to enforce
them thou art no sheriff for me. So look well to thyself, I say, or ill
may befall thee as well as all the thieving knaves in Nottinghamshire.
When the flood cometh it sweepeth away grain as well as chaff."

Then the Sheriff turned away with a sore and troubled heart, and sadly
he rued his fine show of retainers, for he saw that the King was angry
because he had so many men about him and yet could not enforce the laws.
So, as they all rode slowly back to Nottingham, the Sheriff was
thoughtful and full of care. Not a word did he speak to anyone, and no
one of his men spoke to him, but all the time he was busy devising some
plan to take Robin Hood.

"Aha!" cried he suddenly, smiting his hand upon his thigh "I have it
now! Ride on, my merry men all, and let us get back to Nottingham Town
as speedily as we may. And mark well my words: before a fortnight is
passed, that evil knave Robin Hood will be safely clapped into
Nottingham gaol."

But what was the Sheriff's plan?

As a usurer takes each one of a bag of silver angels, feeling each coin
to find whether it be clipped or not, so the Sheriff, as all rode slowly
and sadly back toward Nottingham, took up thought after thought in turn,