y left nine of
their men keeping a watch on him.

And on the first day none of the kings or princes went into the battle,
but only the common fighting men, and they fierce and proud enough.

And the battle went on like that from day to day with no great advantage
to one or the other side. But there was wonder on the Fomor on account
of one thing. Such of their own weapons as were broken or blunted in the
fight lay there as they were, and such of their own men as were killed
showed no sign of life on the morrow; but it was not so with the Tuatha
de Danaan, for if their men were killed or their weapons were broken
to-day, they were as good as before on the morrow.

And this is the way that happened. The well of Slaine lay to the west
of Magh Tuireadh to the east of Loch Arboch. And Diancecht and his son
Octruil and his daughter Airmed used to be singing spells over the well
and to be putting herbs in it; and the men that were wounded to death in
the battle would be brought to the well and put into it as dead men, and
they would come out of it whole and sound, through the power of the
spells. And not only were they healed, but there was such fire put into
them that they would be quicker in the fight than they were before.

And as to the arms, it is the way they were made new every day. Goibniu
the Smith used to be in the forge making swords and spears, and he would
make a spear-head by three turns, and then Luchta the Carpenter would
make the shaft by three cuts, and the third cut was a finish, and would
set it in the ring of the spear. And when the spear-heads were stuck in
the side of the forge, he would throw the shaft and the rings the way
they would go into the spear-head and want no more setting. And then
Credne the Brazier would make the rivets by three turns and would cast
the rings of the spears to them, and with that they were ready and were
set together.

And all this went against the Fomor, and they sent one of their young
men to spy about the camp and to see could he find out how these things
were done. It was Ruadan, son of Bres and of Brigit daughter of the
Dagda they sent, for he was a son and grandson of the Tuatha de Danaan.
So he went and saw all that was done, and came back to the Fomor.

And when they heard his story it is what they thought, that Goibniu the
Smith was the man that hindered them most. And they sent Ruadan back
again, and bade him make an end of him.

So he went back again to the