Finn and his warriors left behind on the hill stared awhile, and then resolved to go to Ben Edar, now Howth, there to seek for a ship to follow after Gilla Dacker and his horse, and the fourteen heroes.  And on their way they met two bright-faced youths wearing mantles of scarlet silk, fastened by brooches of gold, who, saluting the king, told him their names were Foltlebar and Feradach, and that they were the sons of the king of Innia, and each possessed an art, and that as they walked they had disputed whose art was the greater.  “And my art,” said Feradach, “is this.  If at any time a company of warriors need a ship, give me only my joiner’s axe and my crann-tavall[2], and I am able to provide a ship without delay.  The only thing I ask them to do is this—­to cover their heads close and keep them covered, while I give the crann-tavall three blows of my axe.  Then I tell them to uncover their heads, and lo, there lies the ship in harbour, ready to sail!”

[2] A sling for projecting stones, strung rather like a cross-bow.

The Foltlebar spoke and said, “This, O king, is the art I profess:  On land I can track the wild duck over nine ridges and nine glens, and follow her without being once thrown out, till I drop upon her in her nest.  And I can follow up a track on sea quite as well as on land, if I have a good ship and crew.”

And Finn replied, “You are the very men I want; and now I take you both into my service.  Though our own trackmen, the Clan Naim, are good, yet we now need some one still more skilful to follow the Gilla Dacker through unknown seas.”

To these unknown seas they went, starting from Ben Edar, and sailed away west for many days over the Atlantic, seeing many strange sights and passing many unknown islands.  But at last the ship stopped short in front of an island with vast rocky cliffs towering high above their heads as steep as a sheet of glass, at which the heroes gazed amazed and baffled, not knowing what to do next.  But Dermot O’Dynor—­called also Dermot of the Bright-face—­undertook to climb it, for of all the Fermi he was the most learned in Druidical enchantments, having been early taught the secret of fairy lore by Mananan Mac Lir, who ruled over the Inis Manan or Land of Promise.

Dermot accordingly took leave of his friends and climbed the great cliff, and when he reached the top he found that it was flat and covered with tall green grass, as is often the case in these desolate wind-blown Atlantic islets.  And in the very centre he found a well with a tall pillar stone beside it, and beside the pillar stone a drinking-horn chased with gold.  And he took up the drinking-horn to drink, being thirsty, but the instant he touched the brim with his lips, lo! a great Wizard Champion armed to the teeth, sprang up out of the earth, whereupon he and Dermot O’Dynor fought together beside the well the livelong day until the dusk fell.  But the moment the dusk fell, the wizard champion sprang with a great bound into the middle of the well, and so disappeared, leaving Dermot standing there much astonished at what had befallen him.