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 made by our armourers, and a shield that will resist the strongest blows."

Another Fian hurried away to the hill-top, and soon recognized the approaching figure as that of the Carle. The Fians hailed his arrival with shouts and exclamations of relief and delight, asking for news of Gael, but the Carle placed his load of blackberries on the ground and sat down beside it, saying:

"Whatever information I possess I will impart to you when I have satisfied my hunger. Coming along the road I picked a quantity of bramble-berries, and now I should like a good-sized pot of porridge so that I may mix the two together, and have a plentiful supper."

He was in the midst of the meal when Cael appeared, charging furiously along the hill-road, his sword bare in his hand and his eyes blazing-red, like the eyes of an angry dog.

"Surely he will do some one a damage if he comes nearer," said the Carle, and seizing a mass of the mixed corn and berries in his enormous hands quickly kneaded it up into a hard ball, and threw it with such precision of aim that it struck Cael on the head, hitting