r it, for he remained standing stiff and
immovable as before. They found, moreover, that their seat was not at
all an easy one--the animal's back was so sharp and bony.

When the Gilla Dacker saw the Feni beating his horse at such a rate he
seemed very angry, and addressed the King in these words:

"King of the Feni, I now see plainly that all the fine accounts I heard
about you and the Feni are false, and I will not stay in your
service--no, not another hour. You can see for yourself the ill usage
these men are giving my horse without cause; and I leave you to judge
whether anyone could put up with it--anyone who had the least regard for
his horse. The time is, indeed, short since I entered your service, but
I now think it a great deal too long; so pay me my wages and let me go
my ways."

But Finn said, "I do not wish you to go; stay on till the end of your
year, and then I will pay you all I promised you."

"I swear," answered the Gilla Dacker, "that if this were the very last
day of my year, I would not wait till morning for my wages after this
insult. So, wages or no wages, I will now seek another master; but from
this time forth I shall know what to think of Finn Mac Cumal and his
Feni!"

With that the Gilla Dacker stood up as straight as a pillar, and,
turning his face towards the south-west, he walked slowly away.

When the horse saw his master leaving the hill he stirred himself at
once and walked quietly after him, bringing the fifteen men away on his
back. And when the Feni saw this they raised a loud shout of laughter,
mocking them.

The Gilla Dacker, after he had walked some little way, looked back, and,
seeing that his horse was following, he stood for a moment to tuck up
his skirts. Then, all at once changing his pace, he set out with long,
active strides; and if you know what the speed of a swallow is flying
across a mountain-side, or the dry fairy wind of a March day sweeping
over the plains, then you can understand the swiftness of the Gilla
Dacker as he ran down the hill-side towards the south-west.

Neither was the horse behindhand in the race; for though he carried a
heavy load, he galloped like the wind after his master, plunging and
bounding forward with as much freedom as if he had nothing at all on his
back.

The men now tried to throw themselves off; but this, indeed, they were
not able to do, for the good reason that they found themselves fastened
firmly, hands and feet and all, to t