rice
fifty bridles of red enamel upon them."

"I swear by what my tribe swears," says the man of the long sight,
"these are the cattle of some good lord. This is my judgment thereof: it
is Conaire, son of Eterscel, with multitudes of the men of Erin around
him, who has travelled the road."

Back then they go that they may tell it to the reavers. "This," they
say, "is what we have heard and seen."

Of this host, then, there was a multitude, both on this side and on
that, namely, thrice fifty boats, with five thousand in them, and ten
hundred in every thousand. Then they hoisted the sails on the boats, and
steer them thence to shore, till they landed on the Strand of Fuirbthe.

When the boats reached land, then was Mac cecht a-striking fire in Da
Derga's Hostel. At the sound of the spark the thrice fifty boats were
hurled out, so that they were on the shoulders of the sea.

"Be silent a while!" said Ingcel. "Liken thou that, O Fer rogain."

"I know not," answers Fer rogain, "unless it is Luchdonn the satirist in
Emain Macha, who makes this hand-smiting when his food is taken from him
perforce: or the scream of Luchdonn in Temair Luachra: or Mac cecht's
striking a spark, when he kindles a fire before a king of Erin where he
sleeps. Every spark and every shower which his fire would let fall on
the floor would broil a hundred calves and two half-pigs."

"May God not bring that man (even Conaire) there to-night!" say Donn
Desa's sons. "Sad that he is under the hurt of foes!"

"Meseems," says Ingcel, "it should be no sadder for me than the
destruction I gave you. This were my feast that Conaire should chance to
come there."

Their fleet is steered to land. The noise that the thrice fifty vessels
made in running ashore shook Da Derga's Hostel so that no spear nor
shield remained on rack therein, but the weapons uttered a cry and fell
all on the floor of the house.

"Liken thou that, O Conaire," says every one: "what is this noise?"

"I know nothing like it unless it be the earth that has broken, or the
Leviathan that surrounds the globe and strikes with its tail to overturn
the world, or the barque of the sons of Donn Desa that has reached the
shore. Alas that it should not be they who are there! Beloved
foster-brothers of our own were they! Dear were the champions. We
should not have feared them tonight."

Then came Conaire, so that he was on the green of the Hostel.

When Mac cecht heard the tumultuous noise, i