Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

I 46 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
would not turn for all who were in Albuin, or Eirinn,
or Sassun. " It is strange thou, man, that wert <
with me throughout the battle, to be against me ?" I
will not believe but that thou hast taken the drunken-
ness of battle," said Boinne Breat.
" I am quite beside myself."
" Well, then," said he, " though I am unarmed, and
thou under arms, remember that thou art no more to
me than what I can hold between these two fingers."
" I will not be a traitor to thee, there beliind thee
are three of the best heroes in Albuin, or Eirinn, or
Sassun."
He gave a turn to see the three heroes, and when
he turned Lagh an Laidh struck off his heatl.
"My torture," said Eearghus, "I had rather my
own head were there. An Eireannach is not to be
taken at his word as long as a man shall live. It is a
stone in thy shoe every day for ever, and a pinch of the
land of Eirinn thou shalt not have."
Lagh an Laidh went away and he went to the moun-
tain. He made a castle for himself there, and he
stayed in it.
The smith's daughter came on well till she bore a
babe- son. She gave him the name of Conal Mac
Righ Eirinn. She nourished him well, and right well.
When speech came and he could wallv well, she took
him with her on a wet misty day to the mountain ■
amongst high moors and forests. She left him there
astray to make out a way for himself, and she went
home.
He did not know in the world what he should do,
as he did not know where to go, but he found a finger
of a road. He followed the road. What should he
see but a little hut at the evening of the day at the
wayside. He went into the hut : there was no man