Part 26 (1/2)

Again he demanded supplies at the castle. He took a hogshead of the best wine, threw it over his shoulder, and, as he hurried out, he struck a jamb off the door and swept it along with the hogshead.

”Now,” said the knight, after they had eaten and drunk, ”'tis too bad for the monarch of Erin to sleep on rushes; he should have the best bed in the land.”

”Oh, trouble yourself no further,” said Fin; ”better sleep on rushes than all this noise.”

But the knight would listen to nothing; away he went to the castle, and shouted: ”Give me the best bed in this place! I want it for Fin Macc.u.mhail, the monarch of Erin.”

They gave him the bed in a moment. With hurried steps he was back, and said to Fin: ”Rest on this bed. Now I'll stop the wedding of the princess; you may take her to Erin if you like.”

”Oh, that would not be right! I am well as I am,” said Fin, who was getting in dread of the knight himself.

”No, you'd better have the princess,” and off rushed the knight. He entered the castle. All were in terror; hither and thither they hurried, not knowing what to do. The Knight of the Full Axe seized the princess.

”The monarch of Erin is a better man than your bridegroom,” said he; and clapping her under his arm, away he went. Not a man had the courage to stir.

All was confusion and fear in the king's castle. The princess was gone and no one could save her. All were in terrible dread, knowing what had been done at the long house.

At last an old hag, one of the queen's waiting-women, said: ”I'll go and see what has become of the princess. I'll go on the chimney and look down.”

Off ran the hag, and never rested till she was on the top of the chimney, sticking down her head to know what could she see. The chimney was wide, for the king's guards had cooked all their food below on the fire. The Knight of the Full Axe was looking up at the time and saw the two eyes staring down at him.

”Go on out of that,” cried he, flinging his axe; which stuck in the old woman's forehead. Off she rushed to the castle. She had seen nothing of the princess; all she knew was that a little man was sitting by the fire warming himself, that he had thrown his axe at her, and it had stuck in her forehead.

At daylight the knight spoke to Fin, who rose at once. ”Now,” said he, ”I have no strength left; all my strength is in the axe. While I had that I could do anything, now I can do nothing. We are in great danger; but there is such dread of us on the people here that we may mend matters yet. Do you put on the dress of a leech, get herbs and vials, and pretend you have great skill in healing. Go to the castle, and say you can take the axe out of the old hag's head. No man there can do that without killing her; she will die the minute it is drawn. Get at her, seize the axe, pull it out, and with it you will have the greatest power on earth.”

Fin went to the castle, and said: ”I am a great doctor. I can take the axe out of the old woman's head without trouble.”

They took him to the hag, who was sitting upright in bed; her head was so sore she couldn't lie down. He felt her head around the axe, sent the people away; when they were gone he took hold of the handle. With one snap he made two halves of the old woman's head. Fin ran out with the axe, leaving the old hag dead behind him. He never stopped till he came where he had left the knight.

Fin Macc.u.mhail was now the strongest man on earth, and the knight the weakest. ”You may keep the axe,” said the little man; ”I shall not envy you, but will go with you and you will protect me.”

”No,” said Fin, ”it shall never be said that I took the axe from you, though I know its value and feel its power.”

The knight was glad to get back his axe, and now the two set out for Erin. Fin kicked the boat three leagues from land, and with a bound they both came down in it, and floated on till they saw the coast of Erin.

Then the little man said:

”I must leave you now. Though of your kin, I cannot land in Erin. But if you need me at any time you have only to look over your right shoulder, call my name, and you will see me before you.”

Now Fin sprang ash.o.r.e; he had been absent a year and more, and no man knew where he was while gone. All thought him lost. Great was the gladness when Fin came home, and told the Fenians of Erin of what he had seen and what he had done.

GILLA NA GRAKIN AND FIN MACc.u.mHAIL.

There was a blacksmith in Dun Kinealy beyond Killybegs, and he had two young men serving him whose names were Cesa MacRi na Tulach and Lun Dubh MacSmola.

When their time was up the young men settled with the blacksmith and took their pay of him. After they had eaten breakfast in the morning they went away together.

When they had gone some distance from the house they changed their gait, so that when they took one step forward they took two backwards; and when evening came they were not five perches away from the house where they had eaten breakfast in the morning.