Since all his captives expected no less than a quick death, Brian ordered ten of them bound on spare horses, of which there were plenty.
He himself had lost twenty-three of his Scots, and the remaining score of captives cheerfully took service under him. Then, picking out one of them, he gave the man a horse and told him to ride home.
"Tell your master, O"Donnell Dubh," he said, "that his men made this attack on me, and therefore there is war between us."
The man grinned and departed at a gallop, and word pa.s.sed through the men that the Dark Master had found his match at last. As to this, however, they were fated to change their opinion later.
"Now," said Brian to old Turlough, as between them they bound up a slash in Cathbarr"s thigh, "do you put the wounded in the wagons and begone home again. Set out sentries against an attack from O"Donnell, and scatter a score of men out along the roads to watch for other parties.
You might pick up another score of recruits, Turlough Wolf."
Turlough shook his head and tugged at his beard.
"Best take me with you, master, instead of this overgrown ox. You may need brains in dealing with the Bird Daughter, and he has no more brains than strew his ax-edge. Also he is wounded."
Brian pondered this, while Cathbarr furtively shook a fist at Turlough.
There was wisdom in the advice, but on the other hand Brian did not like to leave his precious two hundred men in care of Cathbarr. If the Dark Master attacked suddenly, as he was like to do, brains would be more needed than brawn.
On the other hand, he counted on Cathbarr"s open face removing the evident suspicion that the smooth-tongued Turlough had raised in Gorumna Isle. It had been a mistake, he saw plainly, to send such an emissary on his mission. Picturing this woman who led her own ships to war, he limned her in his mind as a large-boned, flat-breasted, wide-hipped creature--and with good reason. He had seen women fighting at Drogheda and he had seen them in other places as he rode to the rest, for in those days many a woman took her slain lord"s _skean fada_ and drew blood for Ireland before she was cut down. And when women rode to battle there was no mercy asked or given, from Royalist or Confederate or Parliament man.
Nuala O"Malley was a woman of blood, said Brian to himself, and he would give her blood for her help.
So he curtly refused Turlough"s advice, saw that the ten bridles of his bound and mounted captives were lined together, and beckoned to Cathbarr. Before they rode off, however, they doffed their Scot accouterments and took back their own garments, after which Cathbarr led the way over the hills to Kilkieran Bay, and Turlough took command of the force in sullen ill-humor.
The morning was still young, for the attack had taken place a short two hours after sunrise and had soon been quelled. Beyond a slashed thigh and a red-creased neck, Cathbarr of the Ax was unhurt, and Brian had received no scratch. If the ten captives wondered why they were bound and their comrades freed, they said nothing of it.
Even after seeing what he had of the merciless war in Ireland, Brian had much ado in making up his mind to hold to the plan he had formed on the previous evening. These ten ruffians were scoundrels enough, to judge by looks, and yet they were men; and he had been raised in no such school of war as this, where surrender meant slaughter without pity. However, he determined to do what he could for them, and he would have held to this determination had it not been for what chanced when they rode down to the little fishing village where Turlough had met the O"Malley men.
They arrived just as the evening was darkling, after a hard day"s ride.
As they came within sight of the place, which lay at the head of Kilkieran water, Brian made out that a small galley was pulled up on sh.o.r.e, and there were a number of men about the huts. Upon the approach of the two chiefs with their file of captives there was an instant scurry of figures; women ran to the huts, and a dozen or more roughly clad men appeared with pikes and muskets. Brian held up his hand in sign of peace and rode slowly onward, Cathbarr at his side, to within a dozen paces of the huts.
"Who are you?" cried out one of the musketeers. "Be off!"
"Bark less, dog," said Brian, scorn in his eye. "We seek Nuala O"Malley.
Take us out to Gorumna Isle in your boat."
"What seek ye with the Bird Daughter?" queried the other suspiciously.
"Her business, not yours."
The seamen gazed at them doubtfully, then a number of other men came from the huts, well-armed. One of these set up a cry, pointing at the captives, and a burst of yells answered him from the rest. Next instant Brian and Cathbarr had their weapons out and were facing an excited crowd of men.
"Be silent, dogs!" bellowed Cathbarr, and his voice quelled the uproar.
"What means this attack? Would you have the Bird Daughter strip you with whips, fools?"
The spokesman stood out, his dark face quivering with fury as he pointed.
"That is as it may be, axman, but first those bound men shall die. One is the man who slew my brother, nailing him to his own door till he died; another is he who burned Lame Art"s wife and child last Whit-Sunday--"
"There is he who lopped my husband"s hands and nose! Slay him!" shrieked out a hag as she burst forward. Brian held out his sword and she drew back, but instantly others had taken up the cry.
"And the devil who hung Blind Ulick!"
"There is he who--"
In that brief moment Brian heard things too horrible for speech. The ten bound men had grouped together, some pale as death, others laughing defiantly. But as the crowd surged forward Brian held up his sword, and they paused to listen; he knew now that there was no more pity in his heart for these black ruffians of O"Donnell"s.
"Let the Bird Daughter render judgment upon them," he shouted. "Friends, take us to the Bird Daughter and let her do as she will, for I bear these men to her alone."
At that the crowd fell silent, but their leader gave a rapid order, and half a dozen men ran down to the strand. Another order, and the maddened villagers gave back as the seamen closed about Brian and Cathbarr and their captives.
"Come," said the leader roughly. "You shall go to Gorumna Isle with us, strange men, but I do not think that you shall ever come back again."
"Nor do I," grinned Cathbarr in the ear of Brian, as they left their horses to the fishermen, unbound the prisoners from their steeds, and made their way down to the galley. Brian looked at his friend, and they both smiled grimly.
CHAPTER VII.
THE BIRD DAUGHTER.
"Now, _there_ is a castle worth the taking, Yellow Brian!" said Cathbarr.
Brian nodded, his eyes shining in the starlight. After a pull of a long seven miles down the bay, the galley had rounded into the northern end of Gorumna Isle, guided by a high beacon set among the stars. As they drew nearer Brian made out that this beacon was set on the tower of a high pile of masonry black against the sky, lit here and there by cressets, and it was plain that the Bird Daughter kept good watch since they had more than once been hailed in pa.s.sing the islands.
Once turned into the harbor, Brian found suddenly that they were among ships, many of them small galleys, but two of good size which bore riding-lights. Again they responded to hails, and without warning a few torches blazed out ahead of them. Then it was seen that the castle was built with its lower part close on the water, and its upper part rising on the crag. In reality, as he found later, it was two castles in one, as of necessity it had to be. Were the opposite isles held by an enemy, and hostile ships in the little harbor, the higher towers running up the crag could dominate all, and the lower castle could be abandoned without danger.
Even in the starlight Brian"s trained soldier"s eye made out something of this. Then the leader of the seamen came and stood beside them, for during the two-hours" trip he had talked somewhat with Cathbarr and had come to look with more respect on Brian himself. That was only natural, for seamen ever like those men who talk least.
"Strangers," he said with rough courtesy, "a word in your ear. If you would gain speech with the Lady Nuala, deal not with her as with me.
Send in your names and your business, and you may perchance get to see her in the morning, or a week hence, as she may choose."
"Thanks," answered Brian. "But my will is not like to hang upon hers."
The seaman shrugged his shoulders, the oars were put in, and they floated up to where the torches flared. Here there was a landing-place of hewn stone, with a gate lying open beyond it, and armed men waiting.
One of these, from his bunch of huge keys and air of authority, Brian knew for the seneschal.
"_M"anam go"n Dhia!_" he growled, peering down into the boat as it ground on the stone, "what fish have you there?"
"Two salmon and ten herring, Muiertach," laughed one of the men. Brian and his friend stepped out while the ten prisoners were prodded after them, and Brian found the seneschal looking him over with some wonder, hands on hips.
"Well! A giant with a devil"s ax, and Cuculain, the Royal Hound, come to life again! Who are you, yellow man, and who is this axman, and who are these ten bound men?"
Brian was minded to answer curtly enough, but he looked at the seneschal and remembered the seaman"s kindly warning. Under his eye the laugh withered suddenly on the seneschal"s lips.
"These ten men belong to me, Muiertach. Go, tell the Bird Daughter that Brian Buidh and Cathbarr of the Ax have come to her, bringing tribute as she demanded."