had
naught to do but sit with the Bird Daughter. He found himself drawn ever
closer to her, admiring her wit and fairness as he did, and he fancied
that she was by no means unwilling to talk with him and open her mind
as she did to few men. Yet he remembered that he was no more than her
vassal, a landless man in truth.

That night the two caracks separated, standing well off the land and
keeping good watch, but no sign did they catch of the O'Donnell pirates.
Toward morning a stiff wind came upon them from the west, and Brian's
men, being all landsmen, got no great joy out of that cruise.

"This wind is like to hold," said Nuala, laughing as she stood on the
poop with Brian that morning and watched the decks. "I am afraid that we
might as well give over this attempt, Brian. Your men will be in no
shape to fight. What think you?"

"Right," nodded Brian slowly, for he saw that those men of his were
worse than useless with their sickness.

So they turned about and drove before the wind, but before ever they had
got past Slyne Head the men aloft descried a sail to the south that
seemed like a large galley. Nuala signaled the other carack to bear down
with her, and presently they made out that it was a large sailing
galley, which headed straight for them.

"That is none of my ships," exclaimed Nuala, watching. "It seems strange
that she does not flee before us, Brian. She bears no ensign, yet she
must be from these parts, and would naturally have some fear of
pirates."

Brian looked at her rather than the ship, and thought her a fine
picture, with her body swinging a little to the sway of the deck and the
wind blowing her red cloak around her. The galley came straight for them
as if seeking speech, however, and when a falconet was fired from the
carack without charge, she lowered her sail and put out her sweeps,
coming straight for them.

Nuala sped a word to her sailing-master, and the men let down the sails
with shouting and great creaking of ropes. The Bird Daughter stood under
the high poop bulwark, and now she turned to Brian.

"Do you speak with them and find their business, for it seems to me that
all is not as it should be, and they would likely know me too well."

Brian nodded, and when the galley had come under their lee he saw that
she was well laden, and had for crew a dozen rough-looking men. One of
these replied to his hail.

"We are come from Galway, lord, with a gift of stores and wines from
O'Do