uestions."

"Well," answered Finn, "according to your own account you are not a very
pleasant fellow to have anything to do with; and of a truth there is not
much to praise in your appearance. But things may not be so bad as you
say; and, anyhow, as I have never yet refused any man service and wages,
I will not now refuse you."

Whereupon Finn and the Gilla Dacker made covenants, and the Gilla Dacker
was taken into service for a year.

"And now," said the Gilla Dacker, "as to this same horse of mine, I find
I must attend to him myself, as I see no one here worthy of putting a
hand near him. So I will lead him to the nearest stud, as I am wont to
do, and let him graze among your horses. I value him greatly, however,
and it would grieve me very much if any harm were to befall him; so,"
continued he, turning to the King, "I put him under your protection, O
King, and under the protection of all the Feni that are here present."

At this speech the Feni all burst out laughing to see the Gilla Dacker
showing such concern for his miserable, worthless old skeleton of a
horse.

Howbeit, the big man, giving not the least heed to their merriment, took
the halter off the horse's head and turned him loose among the horses of
the Feni.

But now, this same wretched-looking old animal, instead of beginning to
graze, as everyone thought he would, ran in among the horses of the
Feni, and began straightway to work all sorts of mischief. He cocked his
long, hard, switchy tail straight out like a rod, and, throwing up his
hind legs, he kicked about on this side and on that, maiming and
disabling several of the horses. Sometimes he went tearing through the
thickest of the herd, butting at them with his hard, bony forehead; and
he opened out his lips with a vicious grin and tore all he could lay
hold on with his sharp, crooked teeth, so that none were safe that came
in his way either before or behind.

At last he left them, and was making straight across to a small field
where Conan Mail's horses were grazing by themselves, intending to play
the same tricks among them. But Conan, seeing this, shouted in great
alarm to the Gilla Dacker to bring away his horse, and not let him work
any more mischief; and threatening, if he did not do so at once, to go
himself and knock the brains out of the vicious old brute on the spot.

But the Gilla Dacker told Conan that he saw no way of preventing his
horse from joining the others, except someone p