d bounded upwards upon his javelin, coming
down lightly beyond the host.

'If you call that a feat, then you have never seen a feat,' said a
young warrior of the green Fenians--for so were they called from the
colour of their armour. And he rose in like manner on his javelin and
came down heavily on it, and it pierced his heart. Diarmid drew out
the javelin, and another man took it and tried to do the same thing,
and he also was slain, and so to the number of fifty. And they went to
their ships while Diarmid returned to Muadan and Grania.

As soon as Diarmid awoke he went to the forest and cut two forked
poles, which he took to the hill and placed upright, and he balanced
the sword of Angus across the top. Then he rose lightly over and came
down safely over it. 'Is there any man among you who can do that?'
asked he of the men who had come up from their ships.

'That is a foolish question,' answered one, 'for no man ever did a
feat in Erin which one of us could not do,' and he arose and leapt
over the sword, but his foot caught in it, and he was cut in half.
After that others tried, but none jumped that sword and lived. 'Have
you any tidings of the son of O'Dowd?' asked the rest at last.

'I have seen him that saw him to-day,' answered Diarmid. 'I will seek
tidings of him to-night.' And he returned to Grania.

When the sun rose Diarmid put on his coat of mail which no sword could
pierce, and girded on the sword of Angus, and took his two javelins,
whose stroke none could cure. Grania trembled at this brave sight, but
Diarmid soothed her fears, and went off to meet the Fenians.

'What tidings of the son of O'Dowd?' said they. 'Show us where he is,
that we may take his head to Fionn.'

'The body and life of Diarmid are under my protection, and I will not
betray him.'

'Then we will take your head, as Fionn is your enemy,' said they.

'Take it if you can,' answered Diarmid, and he drew his sword and
struck at the head of the man next him, and it rolled away from the
body. Then he rushed on the host, and slew them right and left, and
none lived to tell the tale but the three green chiefs and a few men
who went back to their ships. And they returned the next morning and
renewed the fight, but Diarmid vanquished them, and binding them fast,
left them where they were. For he knew that there were only four men
in the world that could loose them.

After this Diarmid called to Grania and Muadan to come with him, and
th