“Drive them off thyself,” said Laeg.

He sought to do that, but owing to the behaviour of the steeds, he desisted right soon, and turned again to Laeg.

“Who is the sleeping youth?” said he, “and wherefore hath he come hither in an evil hour?”

“He is a certain mild and gentle youth of the Ultonians,” replied Laeg, “who yester morning prosperously assumed his arms of chivalry for the first time, and hath come hither to prove his valour upon the sons of Nectan.”

“Many youths of his nation have come hither with the same intent,” said the giant, “but they did not return.”

“This youth will,” said Laeg, “after having slain the sons of Nectan, and after having sacked their dun and burned it with fire.”

Foil hearing that word became very angry, and he gripped his great staff and advanced to make a sudden end of Laeg first, and then of the sleeper, Laeg, on his side, drew Cuculain’s sword.  Hardly and using all his strength, could he do so and at the same time hold himself in an attitude of defence and attack, but he succeeded.  His aspect, too, was high and warlike, and his eyes shone menacingly the while his heart trembled, for he knew too well that he was no match for the man.

“Go back now for thy weapons of war,” he cried, “and all thy war-furniture, and thy instruments of sorcery and enchantment.  Truly thou art in need of them all.”

When Foil saw how the enormous sword flashed in the lad’s hand, and saw the fierceness of his visage and heard his menacing words, he returned to the dun.  The people of the dun were now awake, and they clustered like bees on the slope of the mound, and in the covered ways beneath the eaves and along the rampart, and they hissed and roared and shouted words of insult and contumely, lewd and gross, concerning Laeg and concerning that other youth who slept in such a place and at such a time.  But Laeg stood still and silent, with his eyes fixed on the dun, and with the point of his sword leaning on the ground, for his right hand was weary on account of its great weight.  Very ardently he longed that his master should awake out of that unreasonable slumber.  Yet he made no attempt to rouse him, for it was unlawful to awake Cuculain when he slept.  Conspicuous amongst the people of the dun were Foil’s brethren, Tuatha and Fenla, Tuatha vast in bulk, and Fenla, tall and swift, wearing a mantle of pale blue.  Around Fenla stood the three cup-bearers, who drew water from the magic well, Flesc, Lesc, and Leam were their names.  At the same time that Foil reappeared in the doorway of the dun, fully armed and equipped for battle, Cuculain awoke and sat up.  At first he was dazed and bewildered, for divine voices were sounding in his ears, and fleeting visionary presences were departing from him.  Then he heard the people how they shouted and saw his enemy descending the slope of the dun, sights and sounds indeed diverse from those his dreams and visions.  With a cry he started from his bed, like a deer starting from his lair, and the people of the dun fell suddenly silent when they beheld the velocity of his movements, the splendour of his beauty, and the rapidity with which he armed himself and stood forth for war.