The Chronicles of Robin Hood (31 page)

Sir Roger had left Kirklees with the abbess by a secret way. He fled to Grimsby, with Much, Will Stukely, and Little John hard upon his heels, and narrowly escaped them by taking ship for France, where he returned to his own estates, keeping himself closely guarded against the just vengeance which he knew to be hard behind him. For a while he lived on miserably, in hourly fear for his life; and then the vengeance that he had feared caught up with him.

Strangely, it was not Little John, nor Much, nor Gilbert-of-the-White-Hand who avenged Robin’s death on the man who had caused him to be slain. It was a certain strolling juggler, a little, wizened old man like a dressed-up monkey in his parti-coloured rags of red and yellow, who juggled wonderfully with gaily coloured balls and fresh-cut flowers and little gleaming daggers. They were so bright and pretty, those daggers, that they seemed more like playthings than weapons; but one of them was sharp enough to slip deep into Sir Roger’s black heart as he sat in his castle garden; and afterwards the little juggler escaped, and was no more seen.

It was so long since Peterkin had been one of Robin Hood’s men that the others of the original band had all but forgotten him; but Peterkin had not forgotten.

After the death of Robin of Barnesdale it was not long before the brotherhood split up. Some of them went to distant towns and far-off dales, hired themselves to new masters, and settled down into law-abiding citizens. Gilbert travelled north, and became a famous fighter against the Scots; several of the younger ones went south,
to join the King’s Archers. Some made their way to Alan A’Dale, who now held the Castle of Linden Lea, old Sir Richard being long since dead, and he settled them on his land.

Much and Little John would have been welcome at Linden Lea also, but they had no wish to take service with another master, even if that master was Alan A’Dale. They had enough money between them to buy a little farm in the wilds of Werrisdale, and there they went together and settled down.

The shadows of the budding trees danced over Robin’s grave in the winds of springtime, and the golden leaves drifted down and covered it in the autumn. Once again grass grew over the fire-scars in the Stane Ley, and no one sat between the spreading roots of the giant Trysting Lime. It was as though Robin Hood and his men had never roamed the glades of Barnesdale and Sherwood. Yet they lived on in the hearts of the people; and indeed they still do, even to this very day, because they stood for freedom and justice and kindliness, and all those things which are dear to the English people.

Rosemary Sutcliff was born in 1920 in West Clanden, Surrey.

With over 40 books to her credit, Rosemary Sutcliff is now universally considered one of the finest writers of historical novels for children. Her first novel, The Queen Elizabeth Story was published in 1950. In 1959 her book, The Lantern Bearers won the Carnegie Medal. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and in 1978 her book, Song for a Dark Queen was commended for the Other Award.

In 1975, Rosemary was awarded the OBE for services to Children’s Literature and the CBE in 1992. Unfortunately Rosemary passed away in July 1992 and will be much missed by her many fans.

Beowulf: Dragonslayer

The Armourer’s House

The Capricorn Braclet

The High Deeds of Finn MacCool

The Hound of Ulster

The Sword and the Circle

The Light Beyond the Forest

The Road to Camlann

The Shining Company

Sun Horse, Moon Horse

The Witch’s Brat

The Sword Song of Bjarni Sigurdson

Bonnie Dundee

The Mark of the Horse Lord

Frontier Wolf

Flame-Coloured Taffeta

Knight’s Fee

Blood Feud

Simon

Song for a Dark Queen

Tristan and Iseult

Warrior Scarlet

Brother Dusty-Feet

THE CHRONICLES OF ROBIN HOOD

AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 17298 6

Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,

an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK

A Random House Group Company

This ebook edition published 2013

Copyright © Rosemary Sutcliff, 1950

First Published in Great Britain by Oxford University Press, 1950

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