Authors: Peter Bently
Rotten Luck! (7 page)
I guessed it wouldn’t be long before Walter blabbed to the sheriff about how we’d made our getaway. So as soon as we reached the forest, we leaped from the cart and headed into the trees. Sure enough, we could already hear the sound of galloping hooves coming from the direction of the town.
“The sheriff will never find us in the
forest,” said Maud. “We know lots of secret paths. Come on!”
Maud and the outlaws led the way along an unfamiliar track.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Our secret hideout,” said Maud. “We never normally let strangers come near it. But I think you and Master Patchcoat have earned our trust, eh, lads?”
The other outlaws happily agreed.
“Once we’re at the hideout we’ll work out a way to save your master,” Maud went on.
After half an hour or so we stopped to rest. I flopped down gratefully against a tree. I’d gone for a whole night without
sleep and it had been ages since any of us had eaten properly. The only thing that stopped me dropping off was my grumbling tummy.
“I’ll show you that new juggling trick again,” said Patchcoat. “It’ll take our minds off food.” He rummaged in his pocket. “Bother. I seem to have lost one of my juggling balls. I wonder where—”
“Shh!” Billy suddenly put his fingers to his lips. “What’s that sound?”
“
Voices!
” hissed Maud. “Coming this way!”
Sure enough, we caught the glint of metal through the trees.
“The sheriff’s men!” said Billy. “How did
they know which way we came?”
“Dunno,” said Jack. “But I ain’t waiting around to find out. Down here, quick!”
We scrambled off the track down a rocky bank and picked our way through mossy boulders until the track was well out of sight. It was then that I saw a dark, narrow opening almost hidden among the rocks and trees.
“Hey, a cave!” I said. “We can hide in there until the coast is clear.”
One by one we ducked into the narrow entrance. While the outlaws kept a lookout, Patchcoat and I explored the cave to see if there was another way out. As our eyes got used to the dim light we saw
that it was actually much bigger than it looked. And then we saw something that made our hair stand on end. A bear!
We froze.
The bear appeared to be standing up, ready to pounce – but then nothing happened.
“Hold on,” said Patchcoat. “There’s something fishy going on here.”
He walked coolly up to the bear, and lifted it off the wall!
“Look, Ced!” he laughed. “It’s only a costume!”
I sighed with relief. And then something else caught my eye. Piled up near the bear costume were dozens of bulging sacks.
“What’s all this?” I said.
I tried to pick up one of the sacks, but it was surprisingly heavy and slipped from my fingers. It fell on to the floor of the cavern, spilling its contents. I gasped in amazement. What tumbled out wasn’t grain or flour but … coins! Bright, shiny gold and silver coins.
The outlaws came running up.
“Phew!” said Maud. “Where’s this lot come from, then?”
“It looks like someone’s secret stash of
loot
,” I said. “Someone who’s a famous
robber
, maybe?”
Patchcoat held up the bear costume. “Yeah, and a robber who’s a
master of disguise
and likes to scare people off if they get too close!
Raahh!
”
“Aha! So there
was
a bear,” said Jack. “But not a real one. Sorry for not believing you.”
“Hold on,” I said. “Are you saying this loot has nothing to do with you?”
“No way,” said Jack, picking up the
empty sack. “This is tax money. Look.”
He pointed to the words on the side of the sack.
“Tax money?” I said. “Doesn’t that belong to the sheriff?”
“Oh no. It belongs to the king,” said Maud. “The sheriff only collects it. He keeps it all locked up at the castle until the king’s men come for it.”
“We’d never steal off the king,” added Billy.
“So you’re saying someone stole this from the castle?” I said. “From right under the sheriff’s nose?”
“That’s right,” said Jack. “Though I don’t see how. The sheriff’s men guard it day and night.”
“Hmm,” I said. “Unless the thief is … the sheriff himself?”
“Vewy clever, boy,” said an icy voice. “Vewy clever indeed. But not clever enough. You’re all under awwest. And this time you won’t escape!”
“How did you know which way we’d come?” said Maud.
The sheriff’s men had dragged us outside the cave and were busily tying us up.
“Easy,” smirked the sheriff. “We weren’t sure which path to take. But then we found
this
.”
He held up Patchcot’s missing juggling ball.
“Whoops,” said Patchcoat. “Sorry, guys.”
“So, you found my little nest egg, eh?” said the sheriff. “Of course, I send the king
most
of the taxes I take off those stupid peasants. But I think it’s nice to put a little aside for a wainy day, don’t you?”
“But you’re cheating the king!” I blurted. “That’s treason!”
“Tweason shmeason,” smirked the sheriff. “The king is never going to find out about the stolen taxes. And if he does, I’ll just blame the Ghost. Like with that peasant you wobbed the other night, eh, boys? The Ghost may be a hewo now, but a few more stunts like that and the
peasants will soon change their tune.”
His henchmen laughed nastily.
“The king will never believe you!” said Billy.
“Won’t believe me, eh?” snarled the sheriff. “Well, if he was stupid enough to believe the forged letter that got Sir Worthington sacked, he’ll believe anything! Mind you, it was a rather
bwilliant
forgewy, if I say so myself! Heh, heh, heh!”
“So it
was
you!” said Maud. “But why? Why did you want the sheriff’s job so badly?”
“So I could steal all this loot, of course!” said the sheriff. “And once I’ve stolen enough I shall be able to pay for
my own army. Then I shall march out of Fleecingham, overthwow King Fwedbert and the kingdom will be mine, all mine! Hooway for King Cwawliegh the First!”
He threw his head back and let out a long, shrill cackle.
“You’ll never get away with this!” I said. “We’ll tell the king!”
“What?” the sheriff chortled. “Do you think the king will believe a boy, a jester and a bunch of outlaws? Especially when they haven’t got any heads! Heh, heh, heh! I hope Lurk’s axe is nice and sharp! Which weminds me, it’s time to be heading back. Geddit? Be heading? Beheading? Heh, heh, heh! Men, bwing the pwisoners. Chop-chop!
Geddit?”
THUNK!
An arrow landed right between the sheriff’s feet. He squawked in fright and leaped into the arms of the nearest henchman.
I gasped as out of the trees rode …the king and queen! The queen was just notching another arrow to her bow.
“Nice shot!” said Billy.
“NOBODY MOVE!” boomed the king. “We have you surrounded!”
With the king and queen were Sir Spencer and Algernon, several other knights and nobles, plus a bunch of royal guards on foot.
“Well, well, well,” said the king. “There we all were stalking a boar and instead we end up catching a rat! We’ve just overheard all your plans, sheriff. So, first you cheated Sir Edward out of his job and now you want mine, too, eh?”
The sheriff had gone rather pale. “But Y-y-your Majesty is mistaken!” he cringed. “Surely you didn’t think that I
would betway your woyal self, sire?”
“SILENCE!” blasted the king. “Sheriff, you and your henchmen are under arrest for treason, theft and forgery. Guards, seize them!”
Two royal guards stepped forward and took the sheriff by the arms, and then a large and very cross wild boar suddenly burst out of the bushes. It charged straight through the king’s guards and archers, who scattered in alarm. The sheriff’s men grabbed their chance and bolted through the gap. The sheriff wriggled free of the royal guards and fled into the trees as fast as his legs would carry him.
