d give fealty to
any, Lady Nuala. I am Brian O'Neill, of right The O'Neill and Earl of
Tyr-owen, though these are empty titles. And this night you and I shall
fall on Bertragh together, Bird Daughter, and when we have won it again
it shall be yours as of old."

And amid a great roar of shouts welling up around him Brian bowed to
Nuala.

"Then, Brian O'Neill," she said, quieting the tumult a little, "am I to
understand that you wish to make pact with me, and to receive no
reward?"

For a moment he gazed openly and frankly into her eyes, and under his
look the red crept into her cheeks again; yet her own eyes did not
flinch.

Brian laughed out.

"Yes, lady! It may be that I shall have a reward to ask of you, but that
may not be until I have won back what I have lost for you."

"And what if the reward be too great?"

"Why, that shall be for you to say!" and Brian laughed again. "Is it
agreed, Bird Daughter?"

For an instant he thought she meant to refuse, as she drew herself up
and met his level eyes; the men around held their breaths, and the
O'Malley chiefs glanced at each other in puzzled wonder. Then her quick
laugh rippled out and she gave him her hand.

"Agreed, Brian--and I hope that you can shave that yellow beard of yours
by to-morrow!"

And the great yell that went up from the men drowned all else in Brian's
ears.

CHAPTER XX.

THE STORM BURSTS.

"Now, the first thing is to see what force of men we have," said Brian,
after the midday meal. They were all gathered in Cathbarr's tower before
a log fire, and were preparing the plan of campaign.

"I have my hundred and eighty men," said Nuala. "When that last pigeon
came from you I set out at once. With the hundred men under Cathbarr, we
have close to three hundred. You can take them all, for my kinsmen here
have enough and to spare to handle my two ships as well as theirs."

"Good!" exclaimed Brian, as the two O'Malleys nodded. "I think that by
striking at dawn we shall find most of the O'Donnells ashore or in the
castle, and if you time your sailing to strike on their four ships at
the same time we may easily take castle, camp, and ships at one blow."

"If all went as men planned we would not need to pray Heaven for aid,"
quoth Shaun the Little sententiously. Brian glanced at him.

"Eh? What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," returned the wide-shouldered seaman with a shrug. "Except
that there may be more to it than we think, Brian."