"No," he said, "it was a fair fight, and he won. I would not have you hurt him for anything. But he is a right brave and lusty youth and I would fain have him in our band. Will you join yourself to my men?" he asked of the wondering stranger. "I am Robin Hood, and my band is the finest in all England."
Hardly a man in the country but would have trembled at the name. But John Little, the strange youth, was afraid of no man.
"If there is any man among you who can shoot a better shaft than I, I will," he said.
"Well, I will try," said Robin. He sent Will Stutely to set up a piece of white bark four fingers in breadth on an oak eighty yards away.
"Now choose any of our bows and arrows to shoot with," he said.
The stranger chose the very stoutest bow. Then he aimed his arrow carefully and sent it down the path and it struck the very center of the mark. All Robin Hood's followers caught their breaths in amaze.
"That is a fine shot indeed," said Robin Hood heartily. "No one could better it; but perhaps I may mar it."
Then he shot an arrow; and so true and swift it sped that it struck the stranger's arrow and splintered it into pieces. And all who saw it cried out that there never was such shooting before.
"Now, will you not come into my band?" said Robin Hood with a smile.
"With all my heart," answered the stranger; and from that minute he loved Robin as his dearest friend.