Part 31 (1/2)

”I will not,” said Fin; ”I'll do nothing till we play another game.”

They played again and she won the second game. Then she said to Fin, ”You will have to go and bring here for me the head of Curucha na Gras and the sword that guards his castle; and I won't give you leave to take away any of your men with you but one, and he is the worst of them all,--'Iron back without action,' and the time for your journey is a year and a day. Now what is your sentence on me?” said the old hag.

”You'll put one foot,” said Fin, ”on the top of my castle in Tara of the Kings, and the other on a hill in Mayo, and you'll stand with your back to the wind and your face to the storm, a sheaf of wheat on the ground before the gate will be all you'll have to eat, and any grain that will be blown out of it, if you catch that you'll have it, and you'll be that way till I come back.”

So Fin went away with himself and ”Iron back without action.” And when they had gone as far as a large wood that was by the roadside, a thick fog came on them, and rain, and they sat down at the edge of the wood and waited. Soon they saw a red-haired boy with a bow and arrows shooting birds, and whenever he hit a bird he used to put the arrow through its two eyes and not put a drop of blood on its feathers.

And when the red boy came near Fin, he drew his bow, sent an arrow through ”Iron back without action,” and put the life out of him.

When he did that Fin said, ”You have left me without any man, though this was the worst of all I have.”

”You'd better hire me,” said the red boy; ”you've lost nothing, for you were without a man when you had that fellow the same as you are now.”

So Fin hired the red boy and asked him his name. ”I won't tell you that,” said he, ”but do you put the name on me that'll please yourself.”

”Well,” said Fin, ”since I met you in the rain and the mist I'll call you Misty.”

”That'll be my name while I'm with you,” said the red boy, ”and now we'll cast lots to see which of us will carry the other;” and the lot fell upon Misty. He raised Fin on his back to carry him, and the first leap he took was six miles, and every step a mile, and he went on without stopping till he was in the Western World. When they came to the castle of Curucha na Gras, Fin and Misty put up a tent for themselves and they were hungry enough after the long road, and Misty said, ”I will go and ask Curucha for something to eat.” He went to the castle and put a fighting blow on the door. Curucha came out and Misty asked him for bread.

”I wouldn't give you the leavings of my pigs,” said Curucha.

Misty turned and left him, but on the way he met the bakers bringing bread from the bake house and he caught all their loaves from them and ran home to Fin. ”We have plenty to eat now,” said Misty, ”but nothing at all to drink. I must go to Curucha to know will he give us something to drink.”

He went a second time to the castle, put a fighting blow on the door, and out came Curucha.

”What do you want this time?” asked he.

”I want drink for myself and my master, Fin Macc.u.mhail.”

”You'll get no drink from me. I wouldn't give you the dirty ditch-water that's outside my castle.”

Misty turned to go home, but on the way he met twelve boys each carrying the full of his arms of bottles of wine. He took every bottle from them, and it wasn't long till he was in the tent.

”Now we can eat and drink our fill.”

”We can indeed,” said Fin. Next morning Misty put another fighting blow on the door of the castle. Out flew Curucha with his guardian sword in his hand, and he made at Misty. With the first blow he gave him, he took an ear off his head.

Misty sprang back, drew his bow, and sent an arrow into Curucha's breast. It flew out through his head and he fell lifeless on the ground.

Then Misty drew his knife, cut off the head, and carried the head and the sword to Fin Macc.u.mhail, and Fin was glad to get them both.

”Take the head,” said Misty, ”and put it on top of the holly bush that's out here above us.” Fin put the head on the holly bush, and the minute he put it there the head burnt the bush to the earth, and the earth to the clay.

Then they took the best horse that could be found about Curucha's castle. Fin sat on the horse, with the sword and head in front of him; and Misty followed behind.

They went their way and never stopped till they came to the place where Misty sent the arrow through ”Iron back without action” and killed him.

When they came to that spot, Misty asked Fin would he tell him a story, and Fin answered, ”I have no story to tell except that we are in the place now where you killed my man.”

”Oh, then,” said Misty, ”I'm glad you put that in my mind for I'll give him back to you now.” So they went and took ”Iron back without action”