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

41 o WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
" I will not let (him go) ; he is my own beast now,"
said the Gruagach.
" Give me the full of my fist of his bristles, or a
handful of 'his food, or a mouthful of his broth, or a
morsel of his flesh," said the Carlin.
" Any one share thou gettest not," said he.
" The Feen are coming," said she, " and Fionn at
their head, and there shall not be one of them that I do
not bind Ijack to back. ' '
" Do that," said he, " but I am going away."
He went away, and he took the deer with him, and
he was taking on before him till the Een met him.
"Een, son of Cumal, keep that," said he, as he
left the deer with Fionn.
Fionn, son of Cumal, sat at the deer, and the Fair
Chief went away. He reached the smithy of the seven
and twenty smiths. He took out three iron hoops out
of it for every man that was in the Een (Fhinn) ; he
took Avith him a hand hammer, and he put three hoops
about the head of every man that was in the Een, and
he tightened them with the hammer.
The Carlin came out, and let out a great screech.
" Een, son of Cumal, let hither to me the creature
of my love."
The highest hoop that was on the Feeantan burst
with the screech. She came out the second time, and
she let out the next yell, and the second hoop burst.
(Was not the Carlin terrible !) She went home, and
she was not long within when she came the third time, and
she let out the third yell, and the third hoop burst. She
went and she betook herself to a Avood ; she twisted a
withy from the wood ; she took it with her ; she went
over, and she bound every man of the Feeantaichean
back to back, but Fionn.
The Fair Chief laid his hand on the deer, and he