Matheson Collection > Popular tales of the west Highlands > Volume 1

302 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
The Champion leaped on the point of his pins, and
he went over toj) and turret of court and city of
O'Domhnuill.
The Galloglach threw the plough-board that was in
his hand, and he slew four and twenty persons of the
very people of O'Domhnuill.
Whom should the Champion meet, but the tracking
lad of O'Domhnuill, and he said to him —
" Here's for thee a little sour grey weed, and go in
and rub it to the mouths of those whom it killed and
bring them alive again, and earn for thyself twenty
calving cows, and look behind thee Avhen thou partest
from me, whom thou shalt see coming."
When the tracking lad did this he saw no being
coming, but he saw the Champion thirteen miles on the
other side of Luimineach (Limerick).
" He moved as sea- heaps o' sea-heaps,
And as playballs o' playballs.
As a furious winter wind —
So swiftly, sprucely, cheerily,
Eight proudly,
Through glens and high tops,
And he made no stoj)
Until he reached
MacSeathain,* the Southern Earl."
He struck in the door. Said MacSeathain, the
southern Earl, " Who's that in the door ?"
"I am Duradan o' Duradan, Dust of Dust," said the
Champion.
"Let in Dust of Dust," said MacSeathain, the
southern Earl ; " no being must be in my door without
getting in."
* Seathain is sujiposed to be John, therefore Johnson.