Robin Hood. Chapter 7

 

Robin Hood. Chapter 7

Tired of wandering in front of the house, Mariana, left to herself, felt like joining her brother; Lance slept lying on the doorstep; he called to him, stroked him with his white hand, and went away with him without noticing Gilbert. 

For a long time the young woman went about reflecting and thinking about her brother's future; Then he sat down at the foot of a tree. Lance, the faithful animal, had lain down beside her, and, with his snout raised, fixed on her his two large round eyes in which his intelligence shone. 

The sun now shone only the tops of the tall trees, and the twilight darkened the hills. Lance stood up and groaned his tail. 

Mariana, torn from her reveries by this warning, regretted having remained so long in the forest; but the merry running of the animal as she got up reassured her, and she started on her way back, still waiting for Allan's soon return. 

Suddenly, Lance stopped; He tensed up on his legs, stretched out his neck and back, raised his ears, wrinkled his snout, sniffed the air, traced the path, and began to bark angrily. 

Mariana, trembling, was nailed to where she was and tried to perceive some indication of the cause of the dog's barking. 

"Maybe Allan is coming," thought the young woman listening. 

All around him was silent. Even the dog ceased barking; Mariana stopped shaking. But just as, laughing at his fears, he was about to go on his way, a sound of hasty footsteps was heard in the undergrowth, and Lance's barking rose again with more fury and rage than before. 

The fear of falling into the hands of an outlaw gave the girl wings, and she began to run along the path; Soon she had to stop fainting, and was about to faint when she heard a man shout in a rough and imperious voice: 

"Call your dog!" 

Lance, who had been left behind to protect Mariana's escape, had just jumped into the throat of the man who was chasing her. 

"Call your dog!" cried the stranger again. I have no intention of harming you. 

"How do I know you are telling the truth?" Mariana replied in a firm tone. 

"I could have driven an arrow into your heart long ago if I were an evildoer; I repeat that you call your dog! 

Lance's fangs had already torn at his clothes and were looking for his flesh. 

At Mariana's first voice, the dog released its prey and placed itself next to her, without losing sight of the stranger and showing him his teeth. 

The individual was an outlaw, one of those outlaws without God or law who rob and assault rangers less courageous than Gilbert and murder defenseless travelers. This wretch, on whose face the crime was reflected, was dressed in a doublet and goatskin breeches; a wide hat, dirty and rubbed, half covered his long hair, which fell disorderly over his shoulders. The foam that had come out of the dog's mouth whitened his thick beard; from his side hung a dagger, in one hand he held the bow and in the other the arrows. 

Despite her fright, Mariana simulated a great cold-bloodedness. 

"Don't come near," said the young woman, looking at him imperiously. 

"Really, beautiful girl," said the bandit after a moment's silence, "I really admire your courage and the boldness of your words, but this admiration will not change my plans; I know who you are, I know that you came to Gilbert Head's house yesterday, the gamekeeper, with your brother Allan, and that this morning your brother Allan left for Nottingham; I know all this as well as you do; but I also know, and you do not know it, that the gates of Fitz-Alwine Castle were opened to make way for Mr. Allan, but that they will not be opened again for him to come out. 

"What do you say?" Mariana exclaimed, again overcome by terror. 

"I say Mr. Allan Clare is a prisoner of the Baron of Nottingham. 

"My God!" The young woman murmured painfully. 

"And I don't regret it. 

"But how did you find out that my brother was in prison?" 

"To hell with the questions, my dear! 

And he took a step towards Mariana, who immediately backed away shouting: 

"To him, Lance, to him!" 

The brave animal waited for nothing more than this order to jump into the throat of the outlaw; but the latter, no doubt accustomed to such struggles, seized the dog's two front legs and, with irresistible force, threw him twenty paces away; The dog, undeterred, returned to the charge, and with a skilful feint, attacked sideways instead of attacking frontally, bit the hairs that came out from under the bandit's hat, and dug its teeth so deeply that the whole ear was torn off and remained in his mouth. 

A river of blood flooded the wounded man, who leaned against a tree with frightful roars and blasphemes of God, and Lance, annoyed that he had not been able to get his tooth into some sturdy place, sprang again. 

But this third attack must have proved fatal to him; his adversary, although exhausted by the loss of blood, dealt him such a violent blow on the skull with the plane of his dagger, that he rolled inert at Mariana's feet. 

"Now the two of us!" cried the bandit, having watched Lance's fall with satisfaction. The two of us, precious... Hell and damnation! He roared, looking around. It's gone! 

He has been saved! Ah! By all the devils he won't escape! 

And he went in pursuit of Mariana. The poor girl ran for a long time, not knowing whether the path she had taken would lead her to Gilbert Head's house. Unfortunately, the moon, the same moon that at that very moment illuminated Robin's escape, illuminated Mariana's escape; her white dress betrayed her. 

"At last!" cried the bandit, "I have it!"  

Mariana heard these horrible words: I have it! and more agile than a fallow deer, faster than an arrow, he flew, flew, flew; but soon, exhausted, faint, she only had the strength to cry out for the last time: 

"Allan!" Allan! Robin! Help! Help! 

She fell faint. 

Led by the white dress, the outlaw had hastened his race still further, and was already bending down and stretching out his arms to seize his prey, when a man, a guard who was lying in ambush watching over the preservation of the royal preserve, intervened shouting: 

"Hello! Miserable scoundrel! Don't touch that woman or you're a dead man! Stop or I'll run you through! 

The bandit backed away, for the iron of the gamekeeper's pike was already touching his breeches. 

"Shoot the arrows!" Shoot the bow! So does the dagger! The bandit threw his weapons to the ground. 

"Very well, now turn around and get out quickly or I'll pierce you with arrows." 

It was necessary to obey; Without weapons, there is no possible resistance. The outlaw walked away, vomiting torrents of blasphemies and curses, and vowing revenge sooner or later. The gamekeeper set about reviving poor Mariana, who lay motionless in the grass like a white marble statue fallen from its pedestal; the moon, illuminating his pale face, increased the illusion. 

The young woman was taken to the bank of a stream that ran not far from there; A few drops of water on her temples and forehead revived her, and opening her eyes, as if she had come out of a long sleep, she exclaimed: 

"Where am I?" 

"In Sherwood Forest," the gamekeeper replied simply. 

Hearing this voice, which was unknown to her, Mariana wanted to get up and flee again, but her strength failed; He clasped his hands and said in a pleading voice: 

"Do me no harm, have pity on me!" 

"Be calm, miss, the wretch who dared to attack you is a long way from us, and if he tried again he would have to deal with me before he touched a fold of your dress. 

Mariana, trembling, cast frightened glances around her; however, the voice he heard seemed friendly. 

"Miss, do you want me to take you to my hall?" You will be welcomed, I swear. There are girls there who will minister and comfort you, strong and vigorous young men who will defend you, and an old man to serve as a father. Come. 

There was so much cordiality and frankness in these offers that Mariana instinctively stood up and followed the honest gamekeeper without saying a word. 

The fresh air and the gait soon brought back her intelligence and coolness; she studied attentively the appearance of her guide, and, as if a secret presentiment warned her that the stranger was a friend of Gilbert Head's, she said: 

"Where are we going, sir?" Does this road lead to Gilbert Head's house? 

"What! Do you know Gilbert Head? Are you his daughter? Has he been silent about the possession of such a wonderful treasure? 

"You are mistaken, sir; I am not Gilbert Head's daughter, but his friend, his guest since yesterday. 

"It is impossible to go to Gilbert's to-night; it is too far from here; but my uncle's hall is a stone's throw away; you will be safe, and so that your hosts will not be troubled I will go and bring them news of you. 

"A thousand thanks, sir; I accept your offer, for I am dying of fatigue. 

"Lean on the arm of Little John, who would carry you if necessary, and without getting more tired than the branch of a tree that supports a turtledove tires."  

"Little John, Little John," the young woman murmured in surprise as she raised her head to take in the colossal stature of her companion. Little John! 

"Yes, Little John, so nicknamed because he is six feet six inches high, because his shoulders are broad, because he kills an ox with one blow, because his legs go forty English miles without stopping, because there is no dancer, runner, fighter, or hunter who can make him surrender, and, finally, because his six cousins, his companions,  the sons of Sir Guy de Gamwell, are all lower than he; that is the reason, miss, that he who has the honor of giving you his arm should be called by all who know him Little John. 

Thus, chatting and laughing, Mariana and her companion made their way to Gamwell's hall; Soon they reached the edge of the forest, and there a magnificent panorama appeared before them. 

"Down there, to the right of the village and the church, don't you see," said Little John to his companion, "that great building whose half-open windows let out vivid brightness?" Do you see it, miss? Well, it's the hall of Gamwell, my uncle's house. There is no more comfortable place in the whole county, nor in all England a more wonderful natural corner. What do you think, miss? 

Mariana approved with a smile of the enthusiasm of Sir Guy de Gamwell's nephew.  

"Let us quicken our pace, miss," continued the latter, "the dew of the night is abundant, and I would not like to see you shiver with cold when you cease to tremble with fear." 

Very soon, a pack of dogs noisily welcomed Little John and his companion. The young man moderated his expressions of joy with rude words of friendship and with a few strokes of the most turbulent, and after passing before groups of servants whose faces were conspicuous of their strangeness and who greeted him respectfully, he entered the main room of the hall, just as the whole family was sitting down at the table for dinner. 

"My good uncle," cried the young man, leading Mariana by the hand into an armchair in which sat the venerable Sir Guy de Gamwell, "I beg of you hospitality for this beautiful and noble young lady." Thanks to providence, of which I have been but an unworthy instrument, he has just escaped the fury of an infamous "outlaw." 

Little John's six cousins admired Mariana with their mouths open, while Sir Guy's two daughters rushed gracefully toward the traveler. 

"Bravo!" said the patriarch of the hall. Bravo, Little John, you will tell us how you acted so as not to frighten this young woman by approaching her in the middle of the night and in the middle of the forest, and how you inspired her confidence to decide to follow you without knowing you and do us the honor of coming to take refuge under our roof. Noble and beautiful lady, you look sad and tired. Good! Sit here, between my wife and me; a little generous wine will restore your strength; My daughters will lead you immediately to a good bed. 

They waited until Mariana retired to her bedchamber to ask Little John for a detailed account of their adventures of the night, and Little John ended his narrative by announcing that he was going to set out for Gilbert Head's house. 

"Well! cried William, the youngest of the six Gamwells, "since this lady is a friend of good Gilbert and Robin, my companion, I want to go with you, Cousin Little John." 

Little John and Will immediately left the table and took the forest path.