Produced by Prepared by Al Haines
Author of "The Little Skipper," "Our Soldier Boy," etc.
Sit still, will you? I never saw such a boy: wriggling about likea young eel."
"I can't help it, David," said the little fellow so roughly spokento by a sour-looking serving man; "the horse does jog so, and it'sso slippery. If I didn't keep moving I should go off."
"You'll soon go off if you don't keep a little quieter," growledthe man angrily, "for I'll pitch you among the bushes."
"No, you won't," said the boy laughing. "You daren't do so."
"What! I'll let you see, young master. I want to know why theycouldn't let you have a donkey or a mule, instead of hanging you onbehind me."
"Aunt said I should be safer behind you," said the boy; "but I'mnot. It's so hard to hold on by your belt, because you're so——"
"Look here. Master Robin, I get enough o' that from the men. Ifyou say I'm so fat, I'll pitch you into the first patch o' brambleswe come to."
"But you are fat," said the boy; "and you dare not. If you did myfather would punish you."
"He wouldn't know."
"Oh! yes he would, David," said the little fellow, confidently;"the other men would tell him."
"They wouldn't know," said the man with a chuckle. "I say, aren'tyou afraid?"
"No," said the boy. "What of, tumbling off? I could jump."
"'Fraid of going through this great dark forest?"
"No. What is there to be afraid of?"
"Robbers and thieves, and all sorts of horrid things. Why, wemight meet Robin Hood and his men."
"I should like that," said the boy.
"What?" cried the serving man, and he looked round at the great oakand beech trees through which the faintly marked road lay, and thenforward and backward at the dozen mules, laden with packs of cloth,every two of which were led by an armed man. "You'd like that?"
"Yes," said the boy. "I want to see him."
"Here's a pretty sort of a boy," said the man. "Why, he'd eat youlike a radish."
"No, he wouldn't," said the boy, "because I'm not a bit like aradish; and I say, David, do turn your belt round."
"Turn my belt round?" said the man, in astonishment. "What for?"
"So as to put the sword the other side. It does keep on banging mylegs so. They're quite bruised."
"It's me that'll be bruised, with you punching and sticking yourfisties into my belt. Put your legs on the other side. I can'tmove my sword. I might want it to fight, you know."
"Who with?" asked the boy.
"Robbers after the bales o' cloth. I shall be precious glad to get'em safe to the town, and be back home again with whole bones. Sitstill, will you! Wriggling again! How am I to get you safe hometo your father if you keep sidling off like that? Want me to handyou over to one of the men?"
"Yes, please," said the boy, dolefully.
"What? Don't want to ride on one of the mules, do you?"
"Yes, I do," said the boy. "I should be more comfortable sittingon one of the packs. I'm sure aunt would have said I was to sitthere, if she had known."
"Look here, young squire," said the man, sourly; "