And the
other two did not fail to do the same, and they gave him their help
bravely till they had made an end of all they met of the people of the
court. And then they found the spear, and its head in a cauldron of
water, the way it would not set fire to the place.

And after a while they said it was time for them to go and look for the
rest of the great fine that was on them, and they asked one another what
way should they go. "We will go to the King of the Island of Siogair,"
said Brian, "for it is with him are the two horses and the chariot the
Ildanach asked of us."

They went forward then and brought the spear with them, and it is proud
the three champions were after all they had done. And they went on till
they were come to the court of the King of Siogair.

"It is what we will do this time," said Brian, "we will go in with the
appearance of paid soldiers from Ireland, and we will make friends with
the king, the way we will get to know in what place the horses and the
chariot are kept." And when they had settled on that they went forward
to the lawn before the king's house.

The king and the chief men that were with him rose up and came through
the fair that was going on there, and they saluted the king, and he
asked who were they. "We are trained fighting men from Ireland," they
said, "and we are earning wages from the kings of the world." "Is it
your wish to stop with me for a while?" said the king. "That is what we
are wanting," said they. So then they made an agreement and took service
with him.

They stopped in the court a fortnight and a month, and they never saw
the horses through that time. Then Brian said: "This is a bad way we are
in, to have no more news of the horses now than the first day we came to
the place." "What is best for us to do now?" said his brothers. "Let us
do this," said Brian, "let us take our arms and gather our things
together, and go to the king and tell him we will leave the country and
this part of the world unless he will show us those horses."

So they went to the king that very day, and he asked them what did they
mean by getting themselves ready for a journey. "You will hear that,
high king," said Brian; "it is because trained fighting men from
Ireland, like ourselves, have always trust put in them by the kings they
guard, and we are used to be told the secrets and the whispers of any
person we are with, and that is not the way you have treated us since we
came to you. F