The Dickinson press., 1896-10-31
a BOUT AT aUARTER-sTAFF.

A stout swinehcrd More Than Held
His own With Robin Hood.
Caroline Brown contributes a story
about George O'Grecn and Robin
Hood" to the October st. Nicholas.
Here is an account of the meeting be-
tween these two characters:
"How art thou called, Master Pig
minder?"
George O'Green."
"Why thatY
"Ho. no, ho!" roared the churl. $50
wise and don't know that withal! Why,
I live on the green aud mind the pigs!
And he wiped the tears Of laughter
from his eyes on the sleeve of his fus-
tian jerkin.
II doubt me-" SAID Robin, 'if thou
canst play with the quarter-staff."
GAY, but I can" said George quickly.
"Show thy prowess them" said Rob-
in, with q quick thrust at him with his
white oak staff.
"Bide here and mind the pigs till l
20 to yon thicket and get me a staff"
Robin consented, and gaZed after the
brawny man as he walked with lo2g,
slow strides to the oak thicket on the
hither side of the brook. There he
carefully selected q tough green sap.
ling almost two inches thick and then
wrepched 1t off near the ground with
Q twist Of his powerful hands.
This BODIES me NJ good in the COM
ing tilt" thought Robin. But though
be never withdrew for any cause, rare
ly had he suffered defeat.
George turned him about, and, COM
ing Up to Robin, said:
"Canst lend me that knife of thine
IT'S DER too frayed for a good staf,"'
he said, looking at the fringe Of splin.
tiers where he had snapped of the
stem. &
He trimmed the staff carefully, then
handed back to Robin his knife. But
CHANGING to look around, he saw the
pigs scampering of to a distant corner
Of the common.
"Thou'st not minded the pigs! Now
Goody Hoskins will rate me well?:
cried George, with heat, yet timidl;
withal.
"But Sandy didn't give me warningv
pleaded Robin.
"Good old Sandy! Faithful shote
He knows thee not. He'll talk only t,
me" and Georges Immature left hin
at this proof Of the faithfulness Of hi
favorlte.
He set of at full speed after tn
pigs, Robin at his heels. When the,
had got the swine back to their ow,
feeding ground they lay themselve
down on the short thymy turf to res
The chase had been a right merry on
md hnfh uyopn uhoNt ~ u.inAs for fh
pigs had scempered and lodged abor
sprishtfully. in a way that made til
mon more weary than q ive-mile spriI
would have done.
George dozed of in the instant, an
Robin painted loud. In ten minute
Robin prodded George with his sta
and said:
"Sluggard! Art ready?"
IS George 'yawned prodigiously, sho,
ing strong teeth, white as a your
dogs, trimming his Jaws. Then he 70
and ran his fingers through his shot
Of red hair, stretched nightly al
said briefly:
II be. Lay on"
"Well, theu," cried Robin, "star
forth now and defend thyself! I'll wa
rant thou wilt be no nger slee.
when I shall have done With theev"
At once the sound of the clashing
slaves filled the air. AS both were
deft in handling the staff, all hlo,
were skilfully parted. At the end
An hour Robins arm began to weal
@ but Georges brawny arm vas unfa
ing. In warding on q powerful bic
Robins arm swerved, and Georg'
star came down on his crown with
sharp rap, the first hit made by eth
For near two hours longer the clashi
re slaves kept up, when Robins *
s4pped on the thyme, and down
tD1ed into the brook.