she has some clerkly learning. She took an hour to
ponder it, master, then set me ashore with this message.

"'Tell Yellow Brian,' she ordered, 'that I claim tribute from Golam Head
to Slyne. I will make no pact with him until he pay me tribute; and if I
find him on my land I will set him in chains above my water-gate.'"

Brian felt no little dismay at this, for he had counted strongly on
alliance with this Bird Daughter.

However, Turlough proceeded to set forth the reasons for such a message,
as he had conceived them within his shrewd mind. First, it seemed that
the pestilence had visited Gorumna in the absence of its mistress, and
that the Dark Master had caught a score of the O'Malleys who had been
wrecked in Bertraghboy Bay, promptly hanging them all. Between the
plague and the hanging Nuala had a bare fourscore men left within the
castle, and she counted Brian's offer as a ruse on the part of
O'Donnell, for she was strongly afraid of treachery.

"There is more pride than power in that message," commented Cathbarr
easily. "The Dark Master has stripped away all her lands along the
coast, and save for Kilkieran Bay she has little left. Let us fall on
her, brother, and take what _is_ left."

Brian laughed at this naive counsel, looking at Turlough. But the old
Wolf said nothing, brooding over the fire, and Brian reflected within
himself.

He had come into a merciless feud, that he knew well. If he was to enter
upon it he must banish all pity from his heart, which was no easy thing
for him; but Turlough related things he had heard which speedily changed
his mind. There were tales of O'Donnell's ridings through the land, of
men slaughtered and women carried off to people his castle; of
treachery, and worse.

It was also whispered that the Dark Master had made alliance with
certain pirates from the north coast.

However, Brian knew that he must reach some decision regarding his own
men, and that speedily. The three talked long that night, setting aside
the question of the O'Malley alliance for the time being. Brian had some
two hundred men to house and horses to feed; he had good store of
provision and powder, but Cathbarr's little tower was utterly useless to
house the tenth of them all, while the stores would have to be
sheltered. Then O'Donnell might fling his men on them at any moment,
which would mean disaster in their present position.

Cathbarr suggested an attack on Bertragh castle, but Turlough dissen