icholas below, when a half-troop of horse fell upon them. Then in
desperation Brian's men smote for the last time, and put the royalists
to flight; but there Brian lost the most of his men. However, he got
fresh horses, and so fled eastward again when more men were seen
approaching.

What chanced in the six days following is not fully set forth, for Brian
got little glory from it. One by one he lost his men, and at length was
forced north again to the shores of Lough Corrib, with men riding hot
and fast to catch him. With Turlough Wolf alone left to him, he had made
shift to cross the lake in a leaky fisherman's boat, the horses swimming
behind, and so came into the O'Flahertys' country.

There word had also gone forth against him, but because of the pact
between them, Murrough of the Kine sped him in peace through Iar
Connaught, and at length Brian had won home again with joyless heart.

As Turlough said, men were coming, and they were Brian's own men who
watched the roads. From them he got food and wine and two fresh horses,
and with the afternoon they rode down to Bertragh in worse shape than
they had ridden from it. Brian was the less heartened when he saw two of
Nuala O'Malley's ships in the bay, and knew that she must be at the
castle.

Indeed, before they reached the gates the Bird Daughter rode out to meet
them, with Cathbarr striding before her. When the woman saw Brian's face
her violet eyes filled with tears, and when he dismounted and kissed her
hand and would have spoken, she stayed him.

"Nay, we know enough of the story for now, Brian. First rest and eat,
then talk."

Brian guessed straightway that pigeons had come from her men in Galway
telling of those ridings about the city, and that she had come over to
Bertragh in anxiety; and this was the truth indeed.

Turlough Wolf hied him away and slept, but Brian sat about a table in
the hall with Cathbarr and Nuala. He was very worn and weary, but when
he had eaten and drunk he refused to sleep yet a while, and told how
that storm had fared north and what had come of it.

"So I have lost a hundred and fifty hard-won men," he concluded
gloomily. "I would not grudge them if the Dark Master had fallen, but he
is in Galway, and the Millhaven pirates will be down to meet him, and
that means war on Bertragh."

"I will be glad of that," said Cathbarr simply. "I am sound again and
have been sharpening up this ax of mine."

Nuala smiled and put her hand acr