“With all that thou hast here,” says Conaire, “thou shalt go in thy great multitude until thou alight in the midst of the house.”

“If so be,” answers Mac cecht, “that thou goest thither, I go on that I may strike fire there ahead of thee.”

When Conaire after this was journeying along the Road of Cualu, he marked before him three horsemen riding towards the house.  Three red frocks had they, and three red mantles:  three red bucklers they bore, and three red spears were in their hands:  three red steeds they bestrode, and three red heads of hair were on them.  Red were they all, both body and hair and raiment, both steeds and men.

“Who is it that fares before us?” asked Conaire.  “It was a tabu of mine for those Three to go before me—­the three Reds to the house of Red.  Who will follow them and tell them to come towards me in my track?”

“I will follow them,” says Le fri flaith, Conaire’s son.

He goes after them, lashing his horse, and overtook them not.  There was the length of a spearcast between them:  but they did not gain upon him and he did not gain upon them.

He told them not to go before the king.  He overtook them not; but one of the three men sang a lay to him over his shoulder: 

“Lo, my son, great the news, news from a hostel....  Lo my son!”

They go away from him then:  he could not detain them.

The boy waited for the host.  He told his father what was said to him.  Conaire liked it not.  “After them, thou!” says Conaire, “and offer them three oxen and three bacon-pigs, and so long as they shall be in my household, no one shall be among them from fire to wall.”

So the lad goes after them, and offers them that, and overtook them not.  But one of the three men sang a lay to him over his shoulder: 

“Lo, my son, great the news!  A generous king’s great ardour whets thee, burns thee.  Through ancient men’s enchantments a company of nine yields.  Lo, my son!”

The boy turns back and repeated the lay to Conaire.

“Go after them,” says Conaire, “and offer them six oxen and six bacon-pigs, and my leavings, and gifts tomorrow, and so long as they shall be in my household no one to be among them from fire to wall.”

The lad then went after them, and overtook them not; but one of the three men answered and said: 

“Lo, my son, great the news.  Weary are the steeds we ride.  We ride the steeds of Donn Tetscorach from the elfmounds.  Though we are alive we are dead.  Great are the signs; destruction of life:  sating of ravens:  feeding of crows, strife of slaughter:  wetting of sword-edge, shields with broken bosses in hours after sundown.  Lo, my son!”

Then they go from him.

“I see that thou hast not detained the men,” says Conaire.

“Indeed it is not I that betrayed it,” says Le fri flaith.

He recited the last answer that they gave him.  Conaire and his retainers were not blithe thereat:  and afterwards evil forebodings of terror were on them.