ur the hatred of two heroes," quoth he.

"You are the best judge of all," replied King Conor.

"Then I must have time--three days and nights--to decide," said
Ailill.

"We can spare our heroes so long," quoth Conor, and therewith the
Ulster men returned to Armagh, leaving the three claimants to the
Championship at Cruachan.

The First Test

That night Ailill put them to an unexpected test. Their feast was
served to them in a separate room, and the king went to his
protectors, the Fairy People of the Hills, in the Good People's Hill
at Cruachan, and begged some help in his judgment. They willingly
aided him, and three magic beasts, in the shape of monstrous cats,
were let into the room where the heroes feasted. When they saw them
Laegaire and Conall rose up from their meal, clambered up among the
rafters, and stayed there all night. Cuchulain waited till one
attacked him, and then drawing his sword, struck the monster. It
showed no further sign of fight, and Cuchulain kept watch all night,
till the magic beasts disappeared at daybreak. When Ailill came into
the room and saw the heroes as they had spent the night he laughed as
he said:

"Are you not content to yield the Championship to Cuchulain?"

[Illustration: "Three monstrous cats were let into the room"]

"Indeed no," said Conall and Laegaire. "We are used to fighting men,
not monstrous beasts."

The Second Test

The next day King Ailill sent the heroes to his own foster-father,
Ercol, to spend a night with him, that he also might test them. When
they arrived, and had feasted, Laegaire was sent out that night to
fight the witches of the valley. Fierce and terrible were these
witches, and they beat Laegaire, and took his arms and armour.

When Conall went to fight them the witches beat him and took his
spear, but he kept his sword and brought it back with honour.
Cuchulain, who was the youngest, went last, and he too was being
beaten, when the taunts of his chariot-driver, who was watching,
aroused him, and he beat the witches, and bore off in triumph their
cloaks of battle. Yet even after this the other two heroes would not
acknowledge Cuchulain's superiority.

Ercol's Defeat

The next day Ercol fought with each champion separately, and conquered
both Laegaire and Conall, terrifying the former so much that he fled
to Cruachan and told Meave and Ailill that Ercol had killed the other
two. When Cuchulain arrived victorious, with Ercol tied capti