t _was_ pity?" and swift anger leaped into her face.

"Was it pity that drove Cathbarr to proffer his life for mine?" parried
Brian, his eyes grave. He felt a great impulse to speak out all that was
in him, but crushed it down. Her eyes met his, and held there for a long
moment. Then she spoke very calmly:

"When will you take that cruise with me, Yellow Brian?"

"When I have won my Spanish blade again," he smiled, and after that they
talked no more of intimate things, yet Brian's heart was glad within
him.

With the next morning the Bird Daughter said farewell and went aboard
Lame Art's carack. Sorry was Brian to see her go, for he had come to
count much on her fine backing and inspiring courage, and knew not if he
would ever see her again. As the ships raised anchor, Cathbarr suddenly
let off the bastards with a great roar and raised on the shattered
flag-pole an ensign he had secretly obtained from Shaun the Little. The
ship-cannon barked out in brave answer and hoisted ensigns likewise; but
as Brian looked up at the flag overhead, his despondent mood was not
heartened. The three-masted ship of the O'Malleys flew above him, where
he had much rather flown the red hand of his own house.

"When I have slain the Dark Master," he thought, watching from those
same sea-facing battlements where he and Cathbarr had descended, as the
two caracks leaped off to the south, "and when I have established myself
in some hold, be it never so small, then I shall take back my name again
and let the red hand hold what it has gripped. But not until these
things have been done, for Brian O'Neill will give fealty to none--no,
not even to the Bird Daughter herself."

Thus he thought in his proud bitterness, reckoning not on what the
future was to bring forth. However, he had lost his idea that Nuala
might love Cathbarr, and had great gladness of it.

Now there was work to be done, and Brian soon found himself too busy to
bother his mind with thoughts of bitterness. Cathbarr had done no little
drinking, so that his wound was turning bad, and in no little alarm
Brian banished all liquors from him and tended him carefully. Taking a
lesson from Red Murrough, he washed out the wound with vinegar, and
found that this had its effect.

Since Brian was irked at having to rely on others for his supplies, he
rode to all the outlying farms and sent off the families there under
escort, with sufficient money to keep them and take them to their hom