After fleeing the Black Rider, Fin and Bran now went on their way, traveling long leagues until Fin reached the deepest wood. There he saw a thousand horses drawing logs, while men felled trees at a frantic rate.

Said Fin, "What is this?"

The workman oversee said, "We build a dun [castle] for the king; we build a new one every day, and every night fire comes from the unseen and burns his castle to the ground. The king has an only daughter; he offers her to any man who will save his dun from the fires, but if the man try and fail, his life is forfeit by order of the King. The best champaions of Erin have tried and failed; they rest in the king's dungeons, and he will cut off all their heads soon, for failing him in his need." Fin did not say, but he knew then that, on the eastern side of the great world, there lived an old hag with three sons, and it was the youngest of the three she sent each night to burn down the king's dun.

"I can save the king's dun," said Fin. "Well," the overseer said with a shrug, "Better men than you have tried and failed, and died for it." "Oh," said Fin, "I don't mind that; I will have the king's daughter."

Now Fin, followed by Bran, went to the King. He boldly said, "I will save your dun if you will give me your daughter." "I will," said the King, "But if you fail, I will have your head." "I will risk that" said Fin. The King gave Fin food and drink; then as night drew close, Fin went to the Dun and thought on how to save it. Then he saw how, and made Bran go up on the roof to wait for the old woman's son.

The old woman in the east told the youngest son to hurry with his torches, burn down the castle, and return at a run, for the stirabout was boiling and would be spoiled if he lingered. The son nearly flew through the air, he traveled so fast, and as he passed the dun, threw his torch against the thatched roof to set it afire, as usual. Then Bran caught the torch and pushed it off the roof; it fell into the moat and went out. The old woman's son was furious, crying "Who dares to put out my lights and interfere with my rights?"

"I do" said Fin, standing before him. Then a terrible battle began between the two; Bran helped a bit, but Fin was a wonder, truly. After a terrible struggle such as never been in the world before that night, Fin cut off the head of his enemy - but he would not have done it but for Bran.

But the old woman in the east told her second son, "my youngest is late; hurry back, or we'll never get our stirabout for supper." The second son raced off but Fin killed him just as he did his brother, although the second brother was tougher and fiercer. Again, Bran helped Fin to conquer.

Now, the old woman was raging at the delay, and she commanded her eldest son to burn the castle before they could eat. The eldest sat in the corner; he had a cat's head and was nicknamed "Puss in the Corner," but was the strongest of all the brothers. Heeding his mother, the eldest brother shot off through the air to the king's dun, throwing his torches upon the roof. Like the brothers before, Bran caught the torches and *poof!* out they went in the moat. Cathead was so angry, that he fell upon Fin like a devil, scratching and gnawing until he wounded Fin's breast by sinking his teeth there; but still, with Bran's help, Fin cut off the cathead. The body fell to the ground, but horror of horrors, the cathead lived on, fastened to Fin's chest and gnawing away and it could not be killed.

Both Bran and Fin were like to panic when Fin chewed on his thumb, thinking, ad it came to him. Then he saw ahead. He knew the old woman would come seeking her sons with a potion that would bring them all back to life; but that her blood would finally kill the cathead. At black midnight, the hag flew through the air like storm and fire, throwing her torches on the dun; but Bran as before hurled them into the moat. Though weak from pain and injury, Fin roused himself and fell upon the old woman; the potion bottle fell and was broken into ten thousand pieces on the ground, so no more her sons could be brought back to life. Then Fin closed with the hag, who screamed like the end of the world. Then the battle was, that none greater has the world ever seen; thunder crashed and the mountains shook, so great it was. Rushing torrents sprang like springs out of cold grey stone; cows lost their calves, the world turned upside down, do desperate was the fighting between them. Fin again was saved by Bran's help, and as the dawn rose, he struck off the old woman's head; it soaked the cathead in blood, and it too was gone. Fin rubbed his own wounds and Bran's with the blood and they were again right as rain. But so tired was he, that he fell down where he stood in a sleep deeper than thought.

Come the morning, the King's Steward came and saw the Dun standing, and saw Fin sleeping, and knew how it had all come about. Bran tried to wake Fin, but nothing could wake him. The steward was an evil man, and he ran to the king and said "I have saved the dun! Give me your reward and your daughter!" The King looked and saw his castle still standing, and said "That I will!" All this while Fin slept on. But then . . .

TO BE CONTINUED!