Young Robin Hood | Page 4

it.
That blow did wonders; it made the black pig which received it utter a
dismal squeal, and its companions stop and stand barking and snapping
all around him. But the blow broke the piece of dead wood in two, and
the fierce little animals were coming on again, when a voice cried:
"Hi! you! knocking our tigs about!" And a rough boy about a couple of

years older than Robin rushed into the middle of the herd, kicking first
at one and then at another, banging them with a long hooked stick he
held, and making them run squealing in all directions. "What are you
knocking our tigs about for?" cried the boy sharply, as he stared hard at
the strange visitor to the forest, his eyes looking greedily at the little
fellow's purple and white jerkin and his cap with a little white feather in
it.
"They were coming to bite me," said Robin quickly, while it struck him
as funny that the boy should knock the pigs about himself.
"What are you doing here?" said the boy.
Robin told of his misfortune, and finished by saying:
"I'm so hungry, and I want to go home. Where can I get some
breakfast?"
"Dunno," said the boy. "Have some of these?"
He took a handful of acorns from a dirty satchel, and held them out,
Robin catching at them eagerly, putting one between his white teeth,
and biting it, but only to make a face full of disgust.
"It's bitter," he said. "It's not good to eat."
"Makes our tigs fat," said the boy; "look at 'em."
"But I'm not a pig," said Robin. "I want some bread and milk. Where
can I get some?"
The boy shook his head.
"Where do you live?" asked Robin.
"Along o' master."
"Where's that?"

The boy shook his head and stared at the cap and feather, one of his
hands opening and shutting.
"Will you show me the way home, then?"
The boy shook his head again, and now stared at the velvet jerkin, then
at his own garb, which consisted of a piece of sack with slits in it for
his head and arms to come through, and a strip of cow-skin for a belt to
hold it in.
"I could show you where to get something," he said at last.
"Well, show me," cried Robin.
"You give me that jacket and cap, then," cried the boy, in a husky, low
voice.
"Give you my clothes?" said Robin, wonderingly. "I can't do that."
"Then I shall take 'em?" said the boy, in a husky growl.
"I'm so hungry," cried Robin. "Show me where to get something, and
I'll give you my cap and feather."
"I wants the jacket too," said the boy.
"I tell you I can't give you that," cried Robin.
"Then I means to take it."
Robin shrank away, and the boy turned upon him fiercely.
"None of that," he cried. "See this here stick? If you was to try to run
away I should send it spinning after you, and it would break your legs
and knock you down, and I could send the tigs after you, and they'd
soon bring you back."
Robin drew a deep breath; he felt hot, and his hands clenched as he
longed to strike out at his tyrant. But the young swineherd was big and

strong, and the little fellow knew that he could do next to nothing
against such an enemy.
Then there was a pause. Robin stood, hot, excited, and panting; the
herd-boy threw himself down on his chest, rested his chin upon his
hands, as he stared fiercely at Robin, and kicked his feet up and down;
while the pigs roamed here and there, nuzzling the fallen acorns out
from the bracken, and crunching them up loudly.
Robin wanted to run, and he did not want to run, and all at the same
time, for his strongest desire just then was to fight his tyrant; and for
some minutes neither spoke.
At last the big boy said, in a low, growling way:
"Now then, are you going to give me them things?"
"No," said Robin, through his set teeth; and again there was silence.
"You give 'em to me, and I'll show you the way to where they live and
they'll give you roast deer and roast pig p'raps, for two of ourn's gone.
Master says he counted 'em, and they aren't all there, and he wales me
with a strap because I let them take the pigs, and next time he counts
'em there's more than there was before, but he's whipped me all the
same. You give me them things, and I'll take you where you'll get lots
to eat, and milk and eggs and apples. D'yer hear?"
"I won't