Blair Collection > Galic antiquities

224 C A T H L U I N A:
All night they fought. With morning light the fon of Ardan
falls on earth, and his wide wound is expofed to day. The hel-
met falls from his face. Garno knows his friend. Speechlefs and
pale he ftands, like the blafted oak, which the lightning ftruck on
Mora in other years. The broad wound in his own breafl is for-
got. The red current flows unperceived. He falls befide his
fi-iend.
" Blessed," he faid, " be the hand that gave the wound ! My
body,0 Gaul, Ihall refl with thine, and our fouls fhall ride on the
fame fair-fkirted cloud. Ovir fathers fee us come : they open the
broad gate of mifl : they bend to hail their fons, and a thoufand
other fpirits are in their courfe. We come, mighty ghofts ; but
afk not how your children fell. Why fliould you know that we
fought, as if we had been foes ? Enough that you know your fons
were brave. But why have we fought together ; why have I heard
the name of Duaran ?"
Gaul heard the voice of his friend. But the fhades of death are
on his eyes : they fee but dimly half the light. " Why did I
fight," he faintly faid, " with Garno; why did I wound my friend ;
why did I hear of Duaran ? O that Annir were near to raife the
gray-ilone of my tomb ! — Bend down, my fathers, from your airy
halls, to meet me !" His words were heard no more. Cold and pale
in his blood he funk.
Annir came. Trembling were her fleps : wild were her looks :
diflraded were her words. " Why fled not Garno ? why fell my
Gaul ? Why was heard the name of Duaran ?" The bow drop-
ped from her hand : the fliield fell from her breafl. Garno faw
her, but turned away his eye. In fllencc he fell afleep.— She
came