there used a wall of fire to be
around them, the way no one could look at them.

And the third time the sons of the King of Ulster made the round of the
camp, they saw the fiery wall, and Donn said: "It is a wonder the way
those three young men are through the length of a year now, and their
hound along with them, and no one getting leave to look at them."

With that he himself and his brother took their arms in their hands, and
went inside the wall of fire, and they began looking at the three men
and at the hound. And the great hound they used to see every day at the
hunting was at this time no bigger than a lap-dog that would be with a
queen or a high person. And one of the young men was watching over the
dog, and his sword in his hand, and another of them was holding a vessel
of white silver to the mouth of the dog; and any drink any one of the
three would ask for, the dog would put it out of his mouth into the
vessel.

Then one of the young men said to the hound: "Well, noble one and brave
one and just one, take notice of the treachery that is done to you by
Finn." When the dog heard that he turned to the King of Ulster's sons,
and there rose a dark Druid wind that blew away the shields from their
shoulders and the swords from their sides into the wall of fire. And
then the three men came out and made an end of them; and when that was
done the dog came and breathed on them, and they turned to ashes on the
moment, and there was never blood or flesh or bone of them found after.

And the three battalions of the Fianna divided themselves into companies
of nine, and went searching through every part of Ireland for the King
of Ulster's two sons.

And as to Finn, he went to Teamhair Luachra, and no one with him but the
serving-lads and the followers of the army. And the companies of nine
that were looking for the King of Ulster's sons came back to him there
in the one night; but they brought no word of them, if they were dead or
living.

But as to the three sons of the King of Iruath and the hound that was
with them, they were seen no more by Finn and the Fianna.

CHAPTER IV. RED RIDGE

There was another young man came and served Finn for a while; out of
Connacht he came, and he was very daring, and the Red Ridge was the name
they gave him. And he all but went from Finn one time, because of his
wages that were too long in coming to him. And the three battalions of
the Fianna came trying to quiet him, but h