"It'll come back like a boomerang," growled Grain.
"Well, if it does, only my head will suffer, for I shall sign it," said Osbody. "Here, younker," he broke off, collaring a First-form boy who was trying to slip past, "take this paper to Robin Arkness, in Rooke's House. Look alive, now."
Five minutes later Robin was reading out the challenge to a group of Merry Men in the "gym". Its arrival quite knocked the steam out of a ding-dong glove-fight between Little John and Friar Tuck, old rivals in pugilism. They ceased banging each other and gathered round Robin with the rest.
"What a beastly lot of one-eyed badgers," exclaimed David of Doncaster.
"Rather!" agreed Will Scarlet. "Licked at everything that matters, they want to draw us into chimney-corner and parish-tea games."
"No jolly fear," said Little John. "Chess always gives me a headache."
"Same here," said the Miller.
"I always end by building castles with my dominoes," said the Tinker.
"Draughts strikes me as a sort of girl's game," another Merry Man put in.
"Allan a Dale's the only man we have who can play all three games decently," the Tanner declared.