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

4l6 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
above us ; he said it was better for our like of swift,
strong, light men to be hunting the deer, than to be
fislxing any one pert trout that is here ; and thou Caoilte
go and chase the deer."
" Well, then, many is the day that I have given
to chasing him, and it is little I have for it but my
grief that I never got a hold of him," said Caoilte.
Caoilte went away, and he took to speed.
" How will Caoilte be when he is at his full
speed?" said the Fair Chief.
" There will be three heads on Caoilte when he is
at his full speed," said Fionn.
" And how many heads vnll there be on the deer?"
said the Chief
" There will be seven heads on him when he is at
full swiftness," said Fionn.*
" What distance has he before he reaches the end
of his journey ?" said the Chief
" It is seven glens and seven hills, and seven sum-
mer seats," said Fionn ; " he has that to make before
he reaches a place of rest."
" Let us take a hand at dragging the net," said the
Chief.
The Fair Chief gave a glance from him, and he said
to Fionn, " Een, son of Cumhail, put thy finger under
thy knowledge tooth, too see what distance Caoilte is
from the deer."
Fionn put liis finger under his knowledge tooth.
" There are two heads on Caoilte, and on the deer
there are but two heads yet," said Fiorm.
" How much distance have they put past ? " said
the Fair Chief.
* What this means I do not know. Perhaps a bead may be
the height of a man, a fathom— three and seven fathoms at a
stride.