was near--was shut violently, and the bolts were shot home. They
hurried anxiously round him to lift him up, but found him in a
death-like swoon. Meantime the uproar outside became greater than
ever; round and round the house it tore, a roaring whirlwind with
shouts and yells of rage, and great trampling, as if there was a whole
company of horsemen. At length, however, the noises seemed to move
away farther and farther off from the house, and gradually died away
in the distance. At the same time the storm ceased, and the night
became calm and beautiful.

The daylight was shining in through the windows when Fergus recovered
from his swoon, and then he told his fearful story; but many days
passed over before he had quite recovered from the horrors of that
night. When the family came forth in the morning there was fearful
waste all round and near the house, trees and bushes torn from the
roots, and the ground all trampled and torn up. After this the revelry
of the demons was never again heard from the rock; and it was believed
that they had left it and betaken themselves to some other haunt.

THE MAN WHO NEVER KNEW FEAR

TRANSLATED FROM THE GAELIC BY DOUGLAS HYDE

There was once a lady, and she had two sons whose names were Louras
(Lawrence) and Carrol. From the day that Lawrence was born nothing
ever made him afraid, but Carrol would never go outside the door from
the time the darkness of the night began.

It was the custom at that time when a person died for people to watch
the dead person's grave in turn, one after another; for there used to
be destroyers going about stealing the corpses.

When the mother of Carrol and Lawrence died, Carrol said to Lawrence--

'You say that nothing ever made you afraid yet, but I'll make a bet
with you that you haven't courage to watch your mother's tomb
to-night.'

'I'll make a bet with you that I have,' said Lawrence.

When the darkness of the night was coming, Lawrence put on his sword
and went to the burying-ground. He sat down on a tombstone near his
mother's grave till it was far in the night and sleep was coming upon
him. Then he saw a big black thing coming to him, and when it came
near him he saw that it was a head without a body that was in it. He
drew the sword to give it a blow if it should come any nearer, but it
didn't come. Lawrence remained looking at it until the light of the
day was coming, then the head-without-body went, and Lawrence came
home.