e messenger from beyond the world," he said; "and
I came to your help because your own heart is hot to come to the help of
another."

So Diarmuid did as he bade him, and he brought the water and the cup and
the drops of blood to the woman, and she drank them, and at the third
draught she was healed. And no sooner was she healed than the love he
had for her was gone, and he turned away from her. "O Diarmuid," she
said, "your love is gone from me." "O, it is gone indeed," said he.

Then there was music made in the whole place, and the lamenting was
stopped, because of the healing of the king's daughter. And as to
Diarmuid, he would take no reward and he would not stop there, but he
asked for a ship to bring him home to Ireland, to Finn and the Fianna.
And when he came where they were, there was a joyful welcome before him.

CHAPTER IV. THE HARD SERVANT

The Fianna went hunting one time in the two proud provinces of Munster.
They went out from Almhuin by the nearest paths till they came to the
Brosna river in Slieve Bladhma, and from there to the twelve mountains
of Eiblinne, and on to Aine Cliach, the harp of Aine.

They scattered themselves then and hunted through the borders of the
forest that is called Magh Breogain, through blind trackless places and
through broken lands, over beautiful level plains and the high hills of
Desmumum, under pleasant Slieve Crot and smooth Slieve na Muc, along the
level banks of the blue Siuir and over the green plain of Feman and the
rough plain of Eithne, and the dark woods of Belach Gabrain.

And Finn was at the side of a hill, and the chief men of the Fianna
along with him, to watch the hunting; for they liked to be listening to
the outcry of the hounds and the hurried cries of the boys, and the
noise and the whistling and the shouts of the strong men.

Finn asked then which of the men that were with him would go and keep
watch on the side of the hill where they were. And Finnbane, son of
Bresel, said he would go. And he went on to the top of the hill, where
he could see about him on all sides. And he was not long there till he
saw coming from the east a very big man, ugly and gloomy and deformed;
and it is how he was, a dark-coloured shield on his back, a wide sword
on his crooked left thigh, two spears on his shoulder, a torn loose
cloak over his limbs, that were as black as a quenched coal. A sulky
horse he had with him that had no good appearance, bony and thin as to