Part 6 (1/2)

[FN#14] p.r.o.nounced Leary.

”Never shall it be,” said Laegaire the Triumphant, ”that Ket should have the division of this Boar in the face of us all.”

”Softly now, O Laegaire!” said Ket; ”let me hold speech with thee.

With you men of Ulster it hath for long been a custom that each lad among you who takes the arms of a warrior should play first with us the game of war: thou, O Laegaire, like to the others didst come to the border, and we rode against one another. And thou didst leave thy charioteer, and thy chariot and thy horses behind thee, and thou didst fly pierced through with a spear. Not with such a record as that shalt thou obtain the Boar;” and Laegaire sat himself down.

”It shall never come to pa.s.s,” said a great fair-haired warrior, stepping forward from the bench whereon he had sat, ”that the division of the Boar shall be left to Ket before our very eyes.”

”To whom then appertains it?” asked Ket.

”To one who is a better warrior than thou,” he said, ”even to Angus, the son of Lama Gabaid (Hand-in-danger) of the men of Ulster.”

”Why namest thou thy father 'Hand-in-danger?” said Ket.

”Why indeed, I know not,” he said.

”Ah! but I know it!” said Ket. ”Long ago I went upon a journey in the east, a war-cry was raised against me, all men attacked me, and Lama Gabaid was among them. He made a cast of a great spear against me, I hurled the same spear back upon him, and the spear cut his hand from him so that it lay upon the ground. How dares the son of that man to measure his renown with mine?” and Angus went back to his place.

”Come, and claim a renown to match mine,” said Ket; ”else let me divide this Boar.”

”It shall never be thy part to be the first to divide it,” said a great fair-haired warrior of the men of Ulster.

”Who then is this?” said Ket.

”'Tis Eogan, son of Durthacht,”[FN#15] said they all; ”Eogan, the lord of Fernmay.”

”I have seen him upon an earlier day,” said Ket.

”Where hast thou seen me?” said Eogan.

”It was before thine own house,” said Ket. ”As I was driving away thy cattle, a cry of war was raised in the lands about me; and thou didst come out at that cry. Thou didst hurl thy spear against me, and it was fixed in my s.h.i.+eld; but I hurled the same spear back against thee, and it tore out one of thy two eyes. All the men of Ireland can see that thou art one-eyed; here is the man that struck thine other eye out of thy head,” and he also sat down.

”Make ye ready again for the strife for renown, O ye men of Ulster!”

cried Ket. ”Thou hast not yet gained the right to divide the Boar,”

said Munremur, Gerrcind's son.

”Is that Munremur?” cried Ket; ”I have but one short word for thee, O Munremur! Not yet hath the third day pa.s.sed since I smote the heads off three warriors who came from your lands, and the midmost of the three was the head of thy firstborn son!” and Munremur also sat down.

”Come to the strife for renown!” cried Ket.

”That strife will I give to thee,” said Mend the son of Salcholcam (the Sword-heeled).

”Who is this?” asked Ket.

”'Tis Mend,” said all who were there.

”Hey there!” cried Ket. ”The son of the man with the nickname comes to measure his renown with mine! Why, Mend, it was by me that the nickname of thy father came; 'twas I who cut the heel from him with my sword so that he hopped away from me upon one leg! How shall the son of that one-legged man measure his renown with mine?” and he also sat down.

[FN#15] p.r.o.nounced Yeogan, son of Doorha.

”Come to the strife for renown!” cried Ket.