Page:Celtic Stories by Edward Thomas.djvu/71

 took back word of the slaughter. Midac was enraged. He chose a band of warriors and himself went with them to the ford.

At first Midac spoke softly to Ficna, but Ficna answered him with reproaches for his ingratitude and with defiance.

'Quit the ford!' shouted Midac.

'I am only one,' Ficna laughed; 'you are a hundred, and surely it matters not to such a band whether I go or stay.'

Midac's knights now set upon Ficna. Not one of them got near enough except to be killed, until Midac himself crept up over their bodies. They were piled so high that he was upon a level with Ficna, and the two fought until they were on the other side of the ford. The noise of sword upon sword, and sword upon mail and bone reached to the palace where other messengers, Dermat and Fatha, had arrived from Ossian.

'I hear the war cry of Ficna,' said one, 'and I hear the ravens and the glen goblins calling for his blood. Hasten.'

They ran until they came above the ford, and looked down on the pavement of dead men and the two warriors fighting. Dermat hesitated with spear in hand lest he should kill Ficna instead of Midac with so long a cast. Then he threw it. He had made no mistake; the spear had pierced Midac's body. But before Dermat could cross the ford the wounded man had raised his spear for the last and worst throw and struck down Ficna. Ficna lay dying while Dermat smote off Midac's head. Leaving Fatha to guard the ford, he ran up to the palace and shouted and struck at the door with his bloody spear. Finn anxiously forbade him to enter the place of spells.

'What,' he asked, 'was the battle at the ford?'