and would
have crushed the life out of her, but Finn thrust his sharp sword into
its throat. "Keep back your hand," said the worm then, "and you will not
have the curse of a lonely woman upon you." "It is what I think," said
Finn, "that you would not leave me my life if you could take it from me;
but go out of my sight now," he said, "and that I may never see you
again."

Then she made herself into a Red Woman again, and went away into the
wood.

All the Fianna were gone on the track of the beast while Finn was
talking and fighting with the Red Woman; and he did not know in what
place they were, but he went following after them, himself and Bran. It
was late in the evening when he came up with a share of them, and they
still on the track of the beast. The darkness of the night was coming
on, but the two moons in the sides of the beast gave a bright light, and
they never lost it from sight. They followed it on always; and about
midnight they were pressing on it, and it began to scatter blood after
it, and it was not long till Finn and his men were red from head to
foot. But that did not hinder them, and they followed him on till they
saw him going in at the foot of Cnoc-na-righ at the breaking of day.

When they came to the foot of the hill the Red Woman was standing there
before them. "You did not take the beast," she said. "We did not take
it, but we know where it is," said Finn.

She took a Druid rod then, and she struck a blow on the side of the
hill, and on the moment a great door opened, and they heard sweet music
coming from within. "Come in now," said the Red Woman, "till you see the
wonderful beast." "Our clothing is not clean," said Finn, "and we would
not like to go in among a company the way we are," he said.

She put a horn to her mouth and blew it, and on the moment there came
ten young men to her. "Bring water for washing," she said, "and four
times twenty suits of clothes, and a beautiful suit and a crown of
shining stones for Finn, son of Cumhal." The young men went away then,
and they came back at the end of a minute with water and with clothing.

When the Fianna were washed and dressed, the Red Woman brought them into
a great hall, where there was the brightness of the sun and of the moon
on every side. From that she brought them into another great room; and
although Finn and his men had seen many grand things up to that time,
they had never seen any sight so grand as what they saw in this place.