well out of it. The Dark Master, he thought, was a man well worth
fighting. To take his castle was not like turning out a chieftain of
some ancient family, with his clan about him for miles around; O'Donnell
had seized upon the place himself, his men were reavers and outlaws, and
the castle was a strong one.

Then there was the O'Malley alliance. Brian had it in mind to beset the
Dark Master by sea and land at once, for all the O'Malley clan had been
seamen and rovers from time immemorial, while he himself preferred men
and horses at his back. In calmer mood now, he reflected that Turlough
might not return for a week, and there was food and fodder for seventy
men and horses to be obtained.

If he rode toward Galway he would have to plunder the patriots, which
went against the grain. But in lower Galway and Clare things were
different. That winter no army held to winter quarters save that of
Cromwell, and between Limerick and Galway there was a wild rout of men
out of half a dozen armies, the plague had swept off all but the
seafaring folk, and men held only what their swords could guard.

So Brian determined that he would ride toward the south.

He realized well that his men must be drawn together by fighting, that
they must learn a perfect confidence in him, and that they must earn
their sustenance for the time being. Cathbarr already knew of old
Turlough's mission, and of course approved, since in his eyes Brian
could do no wrong. What was more, reflected Brian, he could not make
this alliance empty-handed. He must get men and spare horses, stores and
powder, and some muskets or pistols if possible, for few of his men
carried more than sword or perhaps a sorry pistolet or ancient
bombardule out of date a generation since.

"A storm of men!" he muttered as he gazed at the stars. "A storm of men!
Did that Black Woman speak truly, I wonder? And what dark magic was that
which passed to-night?"

But no answer came to his questions save that the cold stars chilled him
to the bone. Since they had no better place to seek, they returned to
Cathbarr's tower, but it was long past midnight when they reached it,
and the men were nodding in their saddles. As barely a dozen could crowd
into the place, the rest were forced to camp outside in the snow, but
roaring fires and some little food put them in good humor and it was no
hardship to any of them.

"It has been a strange two days for us twain," said Brian as he and
Cathba