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

MURACHADH MAC BRIAN. 20]
in her stern, sails in her prow, tackle to her ropes, each
rope fast and loose, that could make port and anchor-
age of the sea isle that was there. I anchored my ship,
and I went up, and what was there but the three
monks casting lots for my wife. I swept their three
heads off, I took my wife with me and I set her in the
stern of the ship ; I hoisted the three speckled flapping
sails against the tall tough splintery masts. My music
was the plunging of eels and the screaming of gulls ;
the biggest beast eating the beast that was least, and
the beast that was least doing as she might. The bent
brown buclde that was in the bottom of ocean would play
haig on its mouth, while she would cut a slender corn
straw before her prow, with the excellence of the steer-
ing. Tliere was no stop or rest for me, while I drove
her on till I reached the big town of my mother and
father-in-law. Music was raised, and lament laid
down. There were smooth drunken drinks, and coarse
drinks drunken. Music in fiddle-strings to the ever-
healing of each disease, would set men imder evil eye,
and women in travail, fast asleep in the great town
that night. "With the hero's fatigue and the reek of
the bowl, I slept far from the wife's chamber.
" If it was early that the day came on the morrow,
'twas still earher that my father-in-law arose shouting
to me to go to the hunting liill to hunt badgers, and
vermin, and foxes. At the time of lifting the game
an<l laying it down, I thought that I had left my o-wn
wife Avithout a watchman to look on her. I went
home a hero, stout and seemly, and I found my
mother-in-law weeping. ' What ails thee to-night ? '
' ISIuch ails me, that the wet-cloaked warrior has just
taken away the bride thou didst marry thyself'
" Then took I the good and ill of that on myself, and
I took the track of the duck on the ninth morn I fell