l dead on the
ground. He then cut off its scaly head, which he added to those of his
former enemies.

[Illustration: "The dragon sank towards him, opening its terrible
jaws"]

The Giant Worsted by Cuchulain

Towards daybreak, when feeling quite worn out and very sleepy, he
became slowly aware of a great shadow coming to him westward from the
sea. The shadow, as before, became a giant, who greeted him in a surly
tone with, "This is a bad night." "It will be worse yet for you," said
Cuchulain. The giant, as he had done with the other heroes, threw
oaks, but just missed him; and when he tried to grapple with him the
hero leaped up with drawn sword. In his anger the hero-light shone
round him, and he sprang as high as the giant's head, and gave him a
stroke that brought him to his knees. "Life for life, Cuchulain," said
the giant, and vanished at once, leaving no trace.

Cuchulain Re-enters the Dun

Now Cuchulain would gladly have returned to the fort to rest, but
there seemed no way of entrance, and the hero was vexed at his own
helplessness, for he thought his comrades had jumped over the magic
walls. Twice he boldly essayed to leap the lofty wall, and twice he
failed; then in his wrath his great strength came upon him, the
hero-light shone round him, and he took a little run and, leaning on
his spear, leaped so high and so far that he alighted in the middle of
the court, just before the door of the hall.

As he sighed heavily and wearily, Curoi's wife said: "That is the sigh
of a weary conqueror, not of a beaten man"; and Cuchulain went in and
sat down to rest.

The Decision

The next morning Curoi's wife asked the champions: "Are you content
that the Championship should go to Cuchulain? I know by my magic skill
what he has endured in the past night, and you must see that you are
not equal to him."

"Nay, that we will not allow," quoth they. "It was one of Cuchulain's
friends among the People of the Hills who came to conquer us and to
give him the Championship. We are not content, and we will not give up
our claim, for the fight was not fair."

"Go home now to Armagh, is Curoi's word, and wait there until he
himself brings his decision," said Curoi's wife. So they bade her
farewell, and went back to the Red Branch House in Armagh, with the
dispute still unsettled; but they agreed to await peaceably Curoi's
decision, and abide by it when he should bring it.

Uath, the Stranger

Some time after th