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 thicket of tall-growing bracken, the fawn disappeared, nor could the dogs pick up its trail or scent it in any direction.

While his hounds nosed round, Fionn walked to the top of the mountain, and came to a lovely little lake, on the brink of which sat a young girl who wept and looked sorrowfully into the water.

"What ails you, maiden," asked Fionn, "that you weep and are sorrowful?"

"A most beautiful ring I had," she answered, "a ring with shining purple stones in it, and as I bathed in the lake it slipped from my finger. I put you under geasa, O Fian-chief for I know well you are Fionn to recover it for me."

"If it is only a ring you sorrow for," said Fionn, "I will give you several to make up for its loss." He did not like being put under geasa for such a trivial thing as this seemed to him; for being under "geasa" meant that he could not refuse this request without his fame and honour suffering.

"If you gave me the hundred best rings in the world they would not be dear to me as