Page:Celtic Stories by Edward Thomas.djvu/13

 The bark of the hound wakened Conachoor's memory in the midst of the feast.

'This is an unlucky day!' he exclaimed.

'Why?' they asked.

'Because Dectora's boy, Setanta, promised to come after me, and there he is—or rather was, for he is no more than a mouthful to Culann's hound.'

The feasters rushed out to see what was happening. Fergus was the first to reach Setanta and raising him upon his shoulder bore him to Conachoor. All were glad save Culann, who followed the others back into the house and said to the king:

'It was an evil day when I asked you to that feast, O Conachoor. My dog is dead and there is none now to protect my house and flocks and herds. I shall get no sleep for thieves and at last I shall starve on this miserable plain.'

'Be not angry or alarmed, O Culann,' said Setanta. 'If any pups of the same breed are left in Ireland I will rear one to be his equal, and until he is trained I will guard your house.'

The smith was calmed.

'Good!' said Conachoor, 'very good'; and Cathbad the Druid said that henceforth Setanta should be called Cu Chulainn, Culann's hound. The name stuck to the boy and from that day he was called Cohoolin.

Some time after this, on a summer morning, Cathbad was teaching magic, and one of the students asked the master what that day was good for, as one day was good for setting out on a journey, another for building a house, another for marrying a wife. Cathbad answered that any lad who should take arms on that day for the first time would make a name above all others in Ireland: only his life would be short. Now Cohoolin was not