Five minutes later young Robin was standing as he had been placed
by his big companion, who sat down and watched him while he
sturdily drew the notch of his arrow right to his ear, and then
loosed the whizzing shaft to go flying away through the woodland
shade, while Little John shouted as gleefully as some big boy.

"Hurrah! Well done, little one! There it is, sticking in yonder
tree."




CHAPTER V

"As far as you like, Robin," said the outlaw, "only you must be
wise. Don't go far enough to lose your way. Learn the forest by
degrees. Some day you will not be able to lose yourself."

"But suppose I did lose myself," said the boy; "what then?"

"I should have to tell Little John to bring all my merry men to
look for you, and Maid Marian here would sit at home and cry till
you were found."

"Then I will not lose myself," said Robin. And he always
remembered his promise when he took his bow and arrows and, with
his sword hanging from his belt, went away from the outlaws' camp
for a long ramble.

His bow was just as high as he was himself, that being the rule in