at-tails, to say nothing of your weighty
boots."

"By my hand," the man cried, "there is no person in Ireland but myself
can win that race. I claim a chance."

Fionn agreed then. "Be it so," said he. "And now, tell me your name?"

"I am known as the Carl of the Drab Coat."

"All names are names," Fionn responded, "and that also is a name."

They returned then to Ben Edair.

CHAPTER III

When they came among the host the men of Ireland gathered about the vast
stranger; and there were some who hid their faces in their mantles so
that they should not be seen to laugh, and there were some who rolled
along the ground in merriment, and there were others who could only hold
their mouths open and crook their knees and hang their arms and stare
dumbfoundedly upon the stranger, as though they were utterly dazed.

Cael of the Iron came also on the scene, and he examined the stranger
with close and particular attention.

"What in the name of the devil is this thing?" he asked of Fionn.

"Dear heart," said Fionn, "this is the champion I am putting against you
in the race."

Cael of the Iron grew purple in the face, and he almost swallowed his
tongue through wrath.

"Until the end of eternity," he roared, "and until the very last moment
of doom I will not move one foot in a race with this greasy, big-hoofed,
ill-assembled resemblance of a beggarman."

But at this the Carl burst into a roar of laughter, so that the eardrums
of the warriors present almost burst inside of their heads.

"Be reassured, my darling, I am no beggarman, and my quality is not more
gross than is the blood of the most delicate prince in this assembly.
You will not evade your challenge in that way, my love, and you shall
run with me or you shall run to your ship with me behind you. What
length of course do you propose, dear heart?"

"I never run less than sixty miles," Cael replied sullenly.

"It is a small run," said the Carl, "but it will do. From this place
to the Hill of the Rushes, Slieve Luachra of Munster, is exactly sixty
miles. Will that suit you?"

"I don't care how it is done," Cael answered.

"Then," said the Carl, "we may go off to Slieve Luachra now, and in the
morning we can start our race there to here."

"Let it be done that way," said Cael.

These two set out then for Munster, and as the sun was setting they
reached Slieve Luachra and prepared to spend the night there.

CHAPTER IV

"Cael, my pulse," said the C