The
bugles had wakened everybody: there was no use in concealment now.
Shortly after mid-day, a great uproar of shouting and cheering broke out in the camp, with mustering of men and calling of
bugles. Clambering up among the rocks, the companions saw a long rolling cloud of dust along the whole eastern sky-line, with the glint of spears and the flutter of pennons, which announced the approach of a large body of cavalry, For a moment a wild hope came upon them that perhaps the prince had moved more swiftly than had been planned, that he had crossed the Ebro, and that this was his vanguard sweeping to the attack.
The first prize was to be twoscore and ten golden pounds, a silver bugle horn inlaid with gold, and a quiver with ten white arrows tipped with gold and feathered with the white swan's-wing therein.
After a while the three judges that had the giving away of the prizes came forward, and the chief of them all spake to Robin and said, "According to agreement, the first prize belongeth rightly to thee; so here I give thee the silver bugle, here the quiver of ten golden arrows, and here a purse of twoscore and ten golden pounds." And as he spake he handed those things to Robin, and then turned to Little John.
Then up spake Robin, and quoth he, "This silver bugle I keep in honor of this shooting match; but thou, Gilbert, art the best archer of all the King's guard, and to thee I freely give this purse of gold.
In the morning when the King awoke he was startled by these warlike sounds, the
bugles and the drums, and the clatter of the horses, and the shouts of the soldiers.
In their fear, silence fell upon them, and a postillion, in the guise of a demon, passed in front of them, blowing, in lieu of a
bugle, a huge hollow horn that gave out a horrible hoarse note.
But before the "three" left his lips the faint sound of a silver bugle came floating over the hill.
Pulling the capul-hide well over himself, so that the helmet hid most of his face, Robin seized the silver bugle and blew a long blast.
Verily that was a lucky blast of the bugle! "But I see you have not escaped without a scratch," continued the Sheriff, becoming talkative through pure glee.
``These twenty nobles,'' he said, ``which, with the
bugle, thou hast fairly won, are thine own; we will make them fifty, if thou wilt take livery and service with us as a yeoman of our body guard, and be near to our person.
The houses of Koeldwethout and Swillenhausen were united; the spears rusted; and the baron's
bugle grew hoarse for lack of blowing.
With plenty of time and a decent wind, I was in no rush to move too much, but we did begin closing the distance as the
bugles kept getting closer.
From noon, there will be a variety of bands ranging from The Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of The Royal Welsh, The Band of the Prince of Wales's Division, The Band and
Bugles of The Rifles, The Band of the Army Air Corps, The
Bugles, Pipes and Drums of 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment and Llandovery Male Voice Choir.
It took great restraint for me not to slip out of the blind and go after the bull, but his
bugles seemed to be getting closer.
