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 of a horn, foretelling that if he ever forgot that prohibition and did so drink the day of his death would be near.

He quickly dressed himself, and going to the door called Oisin, who was watching a number of long-legged young lambs gambolling in the meadows below.

"Only this moment have I remembered something that it would have been ill indeed for me to forget," said Fionn. "Nine nights I have slumbered here, and, as you know, I am forbidden to stay beyond that time. Now gather together a battalion of the Fianna, and we will visit the King of Munster. If we start at midday we can easily reach a good camping-ground before dusk."

At noon Fionn and his men, with a number of hounds, set out on their journey, but as they were passing a rath near the level plain of Femen they saw, sitting on its grassy slope, three young men, accompanied by an immense dog whose skin had all the colours of the rainbow over it.

"What a strange-looking hound!" said Fionn to Oisin; "never before have I seen one