The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-06

with his manner O. speech, an she
said:
If We speak as fair as that to Dug
hall, then will We have small need O
my wisdom. But should need come II
shall be for yer helpin, Dermond, son
o. Cormac. An now. hers Is my fatn-
er's house, an bid we welcome
Sure enough, there before them was
a long, low bulldin', woven mostly o.
the rushes. But round it was no sign
o servin man nor maid at all. Inc
door stood wide open, an Etain bent
her head an stepped inside, an Der
mond went afther.
In a great chair by the far end o the
hall sat Dughall, the wise. An his hair
was white, an his long beard rested
on his knees. But his eyes were sharp
an he rose as Dermond came near
waitin' on Etain TO see what she would
be sayin'.
"'Tis one come to hire for seedin'
an harvestin, Dermond o the Bow,
son O. Cormac, the King" said she.
Now Dermond would ha' said nay
to that. for he'd no mind for sueh
work as that, but her eyes were fair
on him, an he'd no will o his own 10
do other than her pleasure.
LAY, that am !" said Dermond;
Then Dughall looked at him well, an
said:
MANY a one has spoken as you
speak, an tried to do what you may
fail in; an no man has yet sowed that
seed or gathered in that harvest, else
would there be rich kingdom where
is naught but desert waste"
"An' how may that beE' asked Der
mond. -
Dughall, most bitterly In the day
when Oisin, son of Lua, came TO this
place. an would match his craft with
mine. An not bein' content with the
life that was mine / made wager that
/ was stronger. An he overthrow me
an laid a spell on all that was mine.
An naught could lift 1t until held
in my hand a grain O. ripe corn
grown on the top o. the mountain
Wonder such O. my men as were will
in to try the sowin' an harvestin
were spared me for the time, but the
othern he changed TO trees. An as
each one failed in the task, he became
a tree. For Oisin angered the Little
People against me. an placed them as
guards round the base o the noun
tain, an none may pass their land IN
safety. One man alone, Bran, was apie
to catch them sleepin', an made his
way to the top; but there was no right
fotohold, an before the seed was
planted he fell an was never seen
more.
"An' we'll may men call me Dughall
the Wise, for have shown great wis
dom an lost the lives o. strong men,"
Well, now. Dermond thought an
thought, rememberin' the laughin' o.
the Little People; yet 1t seemed to
him that there should be way Tor
him to do the task. So he said:
Where is this mountain"
Dughali brought him to the door an
pointed out where it rose toward the
sky; an 1t was terrible steep place,
had there been no Little People guard
in 1t at all.
Then Dermond had a thought, an
turned to Dughall.
AN what for soldiers had We? Were
they strong in sword fights, or were
they betther at bendin' the bowT
Bother with the sword. Dermond,
son o. Cormac No bownen had / but
ten, an all were feared O. the Little
People an became trees"
"Ay," said Dermond. well, tits i'll
thinkin' o. grave matters on an emp
ty stomach. Have We bite o food
handy like, SEEM that ! have tasted
many hours?'
Ftain laughed at his plight, an
brought him what was to be had
roast meat, an cakes, an mead in a
great horn; an when he had eaten an
drunk the last crumb an drop. so that
her eyes were wide with wonderin' at
his appetite--he went out an looked
again at the top o. the mountain,
while Dughall the Wise went back to
his seat. expectin' little.
But Etain stayed near Dermond. an
together they went by the foot o. the
mountain. but not on the land o. the
Little People. Then Dermond measur-
ed with his eyes, an saw that the
nearest spot to the mountain top was