s he that at
last her wrath broke down, and she agreed to go with him back to his
Fenians.

It was a long while before the Fenians knew who that could be walking
by the side of Fionn, but when they did they laughed and mocked till
Grania bowed her head for shame. 'This time, O Fionn, you will guard
her well,' said Ossian.

For seven years the sons of Diarmid exercised themselves in all the
skill of a warrior, and then they came back to Grania's house. There
they learned how long ago Grania had fled with Fionn, and in wrath
they set out to seek Fionn, and proclaimed battle against him. Fionn
sent Dearing to ask how many men it would take to fight them, and they
answered that each one of them would fight a hundred. So Fionn brought
four hundred men, and the young men rushed under them and through them
and over them, till there was not a man left. 'What shall we do
concerning these youths, O Grania,' said Fionn, 'for I have not men
enough to go through many such fights?'

'I will visit them,' answered Grania, 'and will try to make peace
between you.'

And Fionn bade her offer them terms such as no man then living would
refuse, yet for long the young men did refuse them. But at the last
the prayers of Grania prevailed, and peace was made, and Fionn and
Grania lived together till they died.[3]

[Footnote 3: From the Transactions of the Ossianic Society.]

SOME ADVENTURES

OF

WILLIAM SHORT NOSE

_SOME_

_ADVENTURES OF WILLIAM SHORT NOSE_

William Short Nose was also styled William of Orange, quite a
different man from the one who came to be King of England, although
they both took their title from the same small town in the south of
France. This William of Orange spent his life battling with the
Saracens in the south of France, and a very hard task he had, for
their numbers seemed endless, and as fast as one army was beaten
another was gathered together.

Now by a great effort the Infidels had been driven back south in the
year 732, but before a hundred years had passed they had again crossed
the Pyrenees and were streaming over France, south of the Loire, and,
what was worse, the men of Gascony were rising too. Someone had to
meet the enemy and to crush the rebels, and of all the subjects of
King Louis, the son of the Emperor Charles, no one was so fit to lead
the army of the Franks as William Short Nose, Count of Orange, husband
of the Lady Gibourc.

It was at the Aliscans that he met them