Now the sheriff happened to be only five miles away, and soon heard the news of this disturbance, and how Gamelyn and Adam had broken the peace. As his duty was, he determined to arrest the lawbreakers. Twenty-four of his best men were sent to the castle to arrest Gamelyn and his steward; but the new porter, loyal to Gamelyn, denied them entrance till he knew their errand; when they refused to tell it, he sent a servant to wake his master and warn him that the sheriff’s men stood before the gate.
Then answered Gamelyn: “Good porter, go; delay my foes with fair speech at the gate till I have invented some plan. If I survive this incident, I will requite you truth and loyalty. Adam,” said he then to his steward, “Our enemies are on us, and we have no friend—the sheriff’s men surround us, we must go where our safety calls us.”
Adam replied: “Go where you want to go, I’ll follow you to the last or die abandoned. But this proud sheriff will flee soon.”
As Gamelyn and Adam looked round for weapons, the former saw a stout post used for propping up the shafts; this he seized, and ran out of the back gate, followed by Adam with another staff. They caught the sheriff’s twenty four bold men from behind, and when Gamelyn had overthrown three, and Adam two, the rest fled.
“What!” said Adam as they were running away. “Drink a cup of my good wine! I am lord here.”
“No,” they shouted back; “such wine as yours scatters a man’s brains far too well.”
This little fight was hardly ended before the sheriff came in person with a greater group of soldiers. Gamelyn knew not what to do, but Adam again had a plan ready. “Let us stay no longer, but go to the greenwood: there we shall at least be at liberty.”
The advice suited Gamelyn, and each drank a draught of wine, mounted his steed, and lightly rode away, leaving the empty nest for the sheriff. However, when his party arrived, one of the officers dismounted, entered the hall, and found Sir John nearly dying. He released him, and summoned a doctor who healed his grievous wound, and thus enabled him to do more mischief.
Meanwhile, Adam wandered with Gamelyn in the greenwood, and found it very hard work, with little food. He complained aloud to his young lord: “Weren’t we better at home? I do not like this wood, there are too many trees, but no food or drink, or place to rest.”
“Ah! Adam,” answered Gamelyn, “Cheer yourself! A good man’s son often feels bitter woe at home!”
As they spoke sadly together Gamelyn heard men’s voices nearby, and, looking through the bushes, saw about a hundred and forty young men, sitting round a plentiful feast, spread on the green grass. He rejoiced greatly. Adam longed for a good meal, too, for they had found little to eat since they came to the greenwood. At that moment the master-outlaw saw them in the bushes, and told his men to bring to him these new guests whom God had sent: maybe, he said, there were others besides these two.
The seven bold youths went to fulfil the task, and cried to the two newcomers: “Do not move and hand us your bows and arrows!”
“Much sorrow may he bring who stops in front of you,” cried Gamelyn. “Why, with five more you would be only twelve, and I could fight you all.”
When the outlaws saw how boldly he behaved, they changed their tone, and said calmly: “Come to our master, and tell him of your trouble.”
“Who is your master?” asked Gamelyn. “He is the crowned king of the outlaws,” said they; and the two strangers were led away to the chief.
The master-outlaw, sitting on a wooden throne, with a crown of oak-leaves on his head, asked them their business, and Gamelyn replied: “He must walk in the wood who may not walk in the town. We are hungry and tired, and will only shoot the deer for food, for we are in great danger.”
The outlaw leader had pity on their distress, and gave them food; and as they ate ravenously the outlaws whispered one to another: “This is Gamelyn!” “This is Gamelyn!” Understanding all the evils that had befallen him, their leader soon made Gamelyn his second in command; and when, after three weeks, the outlaw king was pardoned and allowed to return home, Gamelyn was chosen to succeed him and was crowned king of the outlaws. So he lived merrily in the forest, and cared not about the world outside.
Meanwhile, the treacherous Sir John had recovered, and became a sheriff. He accused his brother of felony as soon as he could. As Gamelyn did not appear to answer to that accusation, he was proclaimed an outlaw, and a price was set for his life. His yeomen and vassals were grieved at this, for they feared the cruelty of the wicked sheriff; and therefore they sent messengers to Gamelyn to tell him the bad news. The youth was as furious as they had expected, and he promised to come and teach Sir John in his hall and protect his own tenants.
It was certainly very daring to go into the county where his brother was sheriff, but he rode boldly into the hall, with his hood thrown back, so that all might recognise him, and cried aloud: “God save all you here present! But, your broken-backed sheriff, evil he may be! Why has he done me such wrong and disgrace as to accuse me and proclaim me an outlaw?”
Sir John did not hesitate to use his legal powers. Seeing that his brother was quite alone, he imediately had him arrested and cast into prison, where, as was his intention, only death could release him.
All these years the second brother, Otho, had been living quietly on his own lands and taken care of the quarrels of the two others; but now, when news came to him of Sir John’s deadly hatred to their youngest brother, and Gamelyn’s trouble, he was deeply grieved, roused himself from his peaceful life, and rode to see if he could help his brother. First he asked Sir John’s mercy for the prisoner, for the sake of brotherhood and family love; but the latter only replied that Gamelyn must stay imprisoned till the justice decides otherwise. Then Otho offered to be bail[42], if only his young brother might be released from his bonds and brought from the dismal cell where he lay. To this Sir John finally agreed, warning Otho that if the accused failed to appear before the justice he himself must suffer the penalty for the breach of bail.
“I agree,” said Otho. “Have him released at once, and deliver him to me.”
Then Gamelyn was set free on his brother’s surety, and the two rode home to Otho’s house, talking sadly of all that had befallen, and how Gamelyn had become the king of the outlaws. The next morning Gamelyn asked Otho’s permission to go to the greenwood and see how his young men were doing without him, but Otho pointed out very clearly how dreadful would be the consequences to him if he did not return. The young man then vowed: “I swear by James[43], the mighty saint of Spain, that I will not leave you, nor will fail to stand my trial on the appointed day, if God Almighty give me strength and health and power to keep my vow. I will be there, so that I might demonstrate what bitter hate Sir John, my cruel brother, holds against me.” So Otho let him go. “God shield you from shame! Come when you see it is the right time, and save us both from blame and reproach.”
So Gamelyn went to the merry greenwood, and found his company of outlaws; and so much had they to tell of their work in his absence, and so much had he to tell of his adventures, that time passed by, and he soon fell again into his former mode of life, and his custom of robbing none but Churchmen, fat abbots and priors, monks and canons, so that all others spoke good of him, and called him the “courteous outlaw.”
Gamelyn stood one day looking out over the woods and fields, and it suddenly came to his mind that he had forgotten his promise to Otho, and the day of the trial was very near. He called his young men (for he had learned not to trust honour or loyalty of his brother the sheriff), and told them to prepare to accompany him to the place of the trial, sending Adam first to learn the news. Adam returned in great haste, bringing sad news. The judge was in his place, and the jury were ready to condemn Gamelyn to death, as they were bribed by the wicked sheriff, and Otho was put in prison in place of his brother.
The news made Gamelyn very angry, but Adam Spencer was even more infuriated; he would gladly kill every person in court except Otho; but his master’s sense