nalds of the Isles, who loved
freebooting better than army work. So out of them all only ten men chose
to ride to Ennis again, and Cathbarr shook his head as they departed.

"It seems to me that ill shall come of this," he said, and wiped his ax
clean.

Brian laughed shortly and dismounted. He found that the wagons contained
powder, stores, and muskets; so after placing the wounded in them, he
rode north to Corrofin that day with close to two hundred men at his
back. Staying that night at Corrofin, he hanged ten of the Scots for
plundering, rested his horses for two days, and set his face homeward
with the surety that his men knew him for master.

The storm of men was gathering fast.

CHAPTER VI.

BRIAN TAKES CAPTIVES.

"_Failte abhaile!_ Welcome, Yellow Brian!"

"So you won back before me, eh?" Brian swung down from his horse and
gripped hands with old Turlough Wolf. "Get the men camped, Cathbarr,
then join us."

Turlough's cunning eyes rested on the wagons and weary horsemen, and he
nodded approvingly as Brian told him of what had chanced.

"Said I not that you were a master of men?" he chuckled quietly, as he
turned to follow into Cathbarr's tower. "But it is easier to master men
than women, Brian. I bear you a bitter rede from the Bird Daughter,
master."

"Hard words fare ill on empty stomachs," quoth Brian. "Keep it till I
have eaten."

When Cathbarr had joined them and they had dined well on Royalist stores
and wine, Turlough made report on his mission. It seemed that he had met
with a party of the O'Malleys at the head of Kilkieran Bay at the close
of his first day's ride, and after hearing his errand they had taken him
in their ship out to Gorumna Isle, where stood the hold of Nuala, the
Bird Daughter. And somewhat to his own amazement, Turlough had found
that by this same name she was known along the whole coast.

He reported that it was a strong place, for the castle had been built by
her father; that she had two large ships and five small ones, and that
both ships and castle were defended by all manner of "shot"--meaning
cannon. She had just returned from Kinsale, where she had been aiding
Blake hold Prince Rupert's fleet in the bay. Now Rupert had slipped
away, and after plundering a French ship with wines, she had come home
again.

"She seems a woman of heart," smiled Brian. "What of her looks?"

"I did not see her." Turlough shook his head. "She ordered my message
written out, so