e of Fovor's arm when it was raised to strike, and Oisin
saw his enemy's blood. Then the fight raged hither and thither about
the wide courtyard, with trampling of feet and clash of steel and
ringing of armour and shouts of onset as the heroes closed; Oisin,
agile as a wild stag, evading the sweep of the mighty axe and rushing
in with flickering blade at every unguarded moment, his whole soul
bent on one fierce thought, to drive his point into some gap at
shoulder or neck in Fovor's coat of mail. At length, when both were
weary and wounded men, with hacked and battered armour, Oisin's blade
cut the thong of Fovor's headpiece and it fell clattering to the
ground. Another blow laid the giant prostrate, and Oisin leaned, dizzy
and panting, upon his sword, while Fovor's serving-men took off their
master in a litter, and Niam came to aid her lord. Then Oisin stripped
off his armour in the great hall, and Niam tended to his wounds,
healing them with magic herbs and murmured incantations, and they saw
that one of the seven rusty chains that had bound the princess hung
loose from its iron staple in the wall.

All night long Oisin lay in deep and healing slumber, and next day he
arose, whole and strong, and hot to renew the fray. And the giant was
likewise healed and his might and fierceness returned to him. So they
fought till they were breathless and weary, and then to it again, and
again, till in the end Oisin drove his sword to the hilt in the
giant's shoulder where it joins the collar bone, and he fell aswoon,
and was borne away as before. And another chain of the seven fell from
the girdle of the captive maiden.

Thus for seven days went on the combat, and Oisin had seven nights of
healing and rest, with the tenderness and beauty of Niam about his
couch; and on the seventh day the maiden was free, and her folk
brought her away, rejoicing, with banners and with music that made a
brightness for a while in that forlorn and evil place.

But Oisin's heart was high with pride and victory, and a longing
uprose in his heart with a rush like a springtide for the days when
some great deed had been done among the Fianna, and the victors were
hailed and lauded by the home-folk in the Dun of Allen, men and women
leaving their toil or their pleasure to crowd round the heroes, and to
question again and again, and to learn each thing that had passed; and
the bards noting all to weave it into a glorious tale for after days;
and more tha