l
from the other; and by my oath," he said, "it is worse to me to see that
man beyond going away alive than I myself to be the way I am. And I
leave my blessing to you, Fergus," he said; "and take me on your back to
the sea till I swim after the foreigner, and it is glad I would be the
foreigner to fall by me before the life goes out from my body." Fergus
lifted him up then and brought him to the sea, and put him swimming
after the foreigner. And Finnachta waited for him to reach the ship, for
he thought he was one of his own people. And Cael raised himself up when
he came beside the ship, and Finnachta stretched out his hand to him.
And Cael took hold of it at the wrist, and clasped his fingers round it,
and gave a very strong pull at him, that brought him over the side. Then
their hands shut across one another's bodies, and they went down to the
sand and the gravel of the clear sea.

CHAPTER XIII. CREDHE'S LAMENT

Then there came the women and the musicians and the singers and the
physicians of the Fianna of Ireland to search out the kings and the
princes of the Fianna, and to bury them; and every one that might be
healed was brought to a place of healing.

And Credhe, wife of Cael, came with the others, and went looking
through the bodies for her comely comrade, and crying as she went. And
as she was searching, she saw a crane of the meadows and her two
nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching the nestlings; and
when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, he would make a rush
at the other bird, the way she had to stretch herself out over the
birds; and she would sooner have got her own death by the fox than her
nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was looking at that, and she
said: "It is no wonder I to have such love for my comely sweetheart, and
the bird in that distress about her nestlings."

Then she heard a stag in Druim Ruighlenn above the harbour, that was
making great lamentations for his hind from place to place, for they had
been nine years together, and had lived in the wood at the foot of the
harbour, Fidh Leis, and Finn had killed the hind, and the stag was
nineteen days without tasting grass or water, lamenting after the hind.
"It is no shame for me," said Credhe, "I to die for grief after Cael,
since the stag is shortening his life sorrowing after the hind."

Then she met with Fergus of the True Lips. "Have you news of Cael for
me, Fergus?" she said. "I have news," sa