Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/69

 Rh at all, who is a good man, that it is not in Greece he is, in company with the king.”

Bioultach took leave of the king, and raised his ship with him, and stopped not till he came to Greece. The King of Greece was on a height (above the sea), and with him a pair of champions—his own son, Splendour, and Splendour-of-the-Sun, son of the King of the Castle of the Stream.

“Go down,” said the king to Splendour-of-the-Sun, “and bring me word who is the champion that has come in without permission.”

He went down at the command of the king, and saluted the man in the ship. Said he, “The king has sent me to get word who you are.”

“Well, I never took from my ship word to give you, unless you get it from me by force.”

“I would get it if I had you here.”

“I will be there now, but I must secure my ship, that neither storm nor sun may hurt her.”

Bioultach went out, and he and the man on shore took hold of each other. Bioultach threw him and tied him tightly, and he fastened the five knots together, and threw him behind him. The king was looking on.

“Go down, Splendour, son of the King of Greece,” said he, “and bring me word who is the champion that has tied the other man.”

The son of the King of Greece went down, and he and Bioultach took hold of each other, and