But how wilt achieve this wonder?"
"Since dead thou art, I to life will bring thee. Oho, I will summon thee
through fire and flame; aha, I will make thee more dreaded than heretofore;
thy fame shall fill the wild-wood and beyond. Know'st thou the Haunted
Wood, hard by Thraxby Waste?"
Now here Robin's merry smile languished, and he rubbed nose with dubious
finger.
"Aye, I do," quoth he sombrely; "an ill place and--demon-rid, they say--"
"Come ye there to-morrow at midnight."
"Alone?" says Robin, starting.
"Alone!"
"Nay, good Witch, most gentle, potent dame, I--though phantom accounted, I
love not phantoms, and Thraxby Waste--"
"Come ye there--at midnight!"
"Why, then, good Witch, an come I must, suffer that I bring the valiant
Fool and mighty Lob--prithee, now!"
At this the old Witch scowled and mumbled and crackled her finger-bones
louder than ever.
"Oho!" cried she at last, "thou great child, afraid-o'-the-dark, bring
these an ye will--but none other!"
"Good mother, I thank thee!"
"Tchak!" cried the Witch, and, struggling to her feet, hobbled to Jocelyn
and laid bony finger on wrist and brow, nodded, mumbled, and so, bent on
her staff, hobbled away; but, reaching the cave-mouth, she paused, and
smote stick to earth fiercely.
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