CHAPTER III.  THE GREEN CHAMPIONS

Then Diarmuid and Grania went along the right bank of the Sionnan westward till they came to Garbh-abha-na-Fiann, the rough river of the Fianna.  And Diarmuid killed a salmon on the brink of the river, and put it to the fire on a spit.  Then he himself and Grania went across the stream to eat it, as Angus bade them; and then they went westward to sleep.

They rose up early on the morrow, and they travelled straight westward till they came to the marsh of Finnliath.

And on the marsh they met with a young man, having a good shape and appearance, but without fitting dress or arms.  Diarmuid greeted the young man, and asked news of him.  “A fighting lad I am, looking for a master,” he said, “and Muadhan is my name.”  “What would you do for me, young man?” said Diarmuid.  “I would be a servant to you in the day, and watch for you in the night,” he said.  “I tell you to keep that young man,” said Grania, “for you cannot be always without people.”

Then they made an agreement with him, and bound one another, and they went on together westward till they reached the Carrthach river.  And then Muadhan bade Diarmuid and Grania to go up on his back till he would carry them over the stream.

“That would be a big load for you,” said Grania.  But he put them upon his back and carried them over.  Then they went on till they came to the Beith, and Muadhan brought them over on his back the same way.  And they went into a cave at the side of Currach Cinn Adhmuid, the Woody Headland of the Bog, over Tonn Toime, and Muadhan made ready beds of soft rushes and tops of the birch for them in the far end of the cave.  And he went himself into the scrub that was near, and took a straight long rod of a quicken-tree, and he put a hair and a hook on the rod, and a holly berry on the hook, and he went up the stream, and he took a salmon with the first cast.  Then he put on a second berry and killed another fish, and he put on a third berry and killed the third fish.  Then he put the hook and the hair under his belt, and struck the rod into the earth, and he brought the three salmon where Diarmuid and Grania were, and put them on spits.  When they were done, Muadhan said:  “I give the dividing of the fish to you, Diarmuid.”  “I would sooner you to divide it than myself,” said Diarmuid.  “I will give the dividing of the fish to you, so, Grania,” said he.  “I am better satisfied you to divide it,” said Grania.  “If it was you that divided the fish, Diarmuid,” said Muadhan, “you would have given the best share to Grania; and if it was Grania divided it, she would have given you the best share; and as it is myself is dividing it, let you have the biggest fish, Diarmuid, and let Grania have the second biggest, and I myself will have the one is smallest.”

They spent the night there, and Diarmuid and Grania slept in the far part of the cave, and Muadhan kept watch for them until the rising of the day and the full light of the morrow.