"I shall be charmed," said Robin, a twinkle in the tail of his eye.
"An eight or ten mile jaunt will do you a world of good, I'm sure.
Shall we explore this little road up the mountain and then drop down
to Red Roof? I don't believe it can be more than five or six miles."
"Capital," said Mr. Blithers with enthusiasm. He happened to know
that it was a "short cut" to Red Roof and less than a mile as the
crow flies. True, there was something of an ascent ahead of them, but
there was also a corresponding descent at the other end. Besides, he
was confident he could keep up with the long-legged youngster by the
paradoxical process of holding back. The Prince, having suggested the
route, couldn't very well be arbitrary in traversing it. Mr. Blithers
regarded the suggestion as an invitation.
They struck off into the narrow woodland road, not precisely side by
side, but somewhat after the fashion of a horseback rider and his
groom, or, more strictly speaking, as a Knight and his vassal. Robin
started off so briskly that Mr. Blithers fell behind a few paces and
had to exert himself considerably to keep from losing more ground as
they took the first steep rise.
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