Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/127

 Rh came up to the hall door. She rose out. She caught him by the hand. He said he was fatigued after the battle. They went into the house. She opened a cupboard; she gave him a cup of drink. He drank her health. When he raised the cup of drink he bent his head backwards. She drew a sword from under her apron. She lopped the head from him.

“If you had not been so quick doing it, I would have done the same to you as to him,” said the champion of the red belt.

He went then to the place where his brother was killed. When he came to it he was troubled. There came a lump of mist out of the head. Some one spoke to him out of the mist:

“Go to the Eastern World; the children of Kanikinn have a bottle of the water of healing that brings the dead to life.”

It put great joy on him. He went then towards the Eastern World. He could get no information of it. He then went on three days. He could get no information of it. Then he went on for three days more. Every one had information to give him then. An old man was putting bad spirits on him.

“There is a yard around the court ten feet high. It is written on the gate: “If you go in you will never come out alive.”

He went up to the gate. He cleared it at a