now?"

"No," said Robin decisively; "we're too far away. I can hardly see
the cap."

"Well, let's try," said Little John, stringing his bow, and then
carefully selecting an arrow from the quiver at his back. This
arrow he drew two or three times through his hand so as to smooth
the feathering and make the web lie straight, before fitting the
notch to the string.

"So you think it's too far?" said Little John.

"Yes, ever so much."

"Ah, well, we'll try," said the big fellow coolly. "Where-about
shall I hit the cap--in the middle?"

[Illustration: "Ah, well, we'll try," said Little John.
"Whereabouts shall I hit the cap?"]

"No," said Robin; "just at the top of the brim."

"Very well," said the big fellow, standing up very straight and
rather sidewise, as he held his bow at his left arm's length,
slowly drew the arrow to the head, and then as Robin gazed in the
direction of the indistinctly seen hat hanging on the tree-trunk--

Twang!