J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

196 WEST HIGIILAXD TALES.
reached Miu'achadh. MmachacUi blessed Hm in the
FisNiCHE Faisniche — soft, flowing, peaceful words of
%visdonL The lad answered him in better words, and
if no better they were no worse.
"What man art thou?" says Mm-achadh. "A
good lad am I, seeking a master," said he. " What
wages wait thou be asking?" " Two-tliirds of thy
counsel to be mine,* and thyself to have but one, till
we come from chasing the maiden."
" K thou gett'st that," said llurachadh, " man got
it not before, and no man will get it after thee, but
sure if thou wouldst not honour it, thou wouldst not
ask it."
When they had agreed he took a race after the
maiden, and he was not long gone when he came back.
" Almighty of the world against thee," said Brian Borr.
" Dost thou wish to be hanged with a sea of blood
about thine eyes 1 I knew he was without a gillie
in the first of the day the man that hired thee, and
had he taken my counsel he had not liired thee."
" I will not do a good tui'n to-day till the buttons
come off my bigcoat." Then they got a tailor, and
the tailor had not as much skill as would take the
buttons off the greatcoat. Then he took shears out of
the rim of his little hat, and he took the buttons off
his greatcoat in a trice.
Then he took another race after the maiden, and
he was not long away when he came back. "Almighty
of the great world against thee," said Brian Borr. " Dost
thou wish to be hanged with a sea of blood about
thine eyes ? I knew that he was without a gUlie
in the first of the day the man that hired thee, and
had he taken my coimsel he had not hired thee."
* " Da dhrian de d' comhairle." I am not sure of this trans-
lation.