It would be hard to tell of the terror that was in Fionn’s breast and in the hearts of the Fianna while they attended the conclusion of that race.
They discussed it unendingly, and at some moment of the day a man upbraided Fionn because he had not found Caelte the son of Rona’n as had been agreed on.
“There is no one can run like Caelte,” one man averred.
“He covers the ground,” said another.
“He is light as a feather.”
“Swift as a stag.” “Lunged like a bull.”
“Legged like a wolf.”
“He runs!”
These things were said to Fionn, and Fionn said these things to himself.
With every passing minute a drop of lead thumped down into every heart, and a pang of despair stabbed up to every brain.
“Go,” said Fionn to a hawk-eyed man, “go to the top of this hill and watch for the coming of the racers.”
And he sent lithe men with him so that they might run back in endless succession with the news.
The messengers began to run through his tent at minute intervals calling “nothing,” “nothing,” “nothing,” as they paused and darted away.
And the words, “nothing, nothing, nothing,” began to drowse into the brains of every person present.
“What can we hope from that Carl?” a champion demanded savagely.
“Nothing,” cried a messenger who stood and sped.
“A clump!” cried a champion.
“A hog!” said another.
“A flat-footed.”
“Little-wlnded.”
“Big-bellied.”
“Lazy-boned.”
“Pork!”
“Did you think, Fionn, that a whale could swim on land, or what did you imagine that lump could do?”
“Nothing,” cried a messenger, and was sped as he spoke.
Rage began to gnaw in Fionn’s soul, and a red haze danced and flickered before his eyes. His hands began to twitch and a desire crept over him to seize on champions by the neck, and to shake and worry and rage among them like a wild dog raging among sheep.
He looked on one, and yet he seemed to look on all at once.
“Be silent,” he growled. “Let each man be silent as a dead man.”
And he sat forward, seeing all, seeing none, with his mouth drooping open, and such a wildness and bristle lowering from that great glum brow that the champions shivered as though already in the chill of death, and were silent.
He rose and stalked to the tent-door.
“Where to, O Fionn?” said a champion humbly.
“To the hill-top,” said Fionn, and he stalked on.
They followed him, whispering among themselves, keeping their eyes on the ground as they climbed.
