"Go after them," says Conaire, "and offer them six oxen and six
bacon-pigs, and my leavings, and gifts tomorrow, and so long as they
shall be in my household no one to be among them from fire to wall."
The lad then went after them, and overtook them not; but one of the
three men answered and said:
"Lo, my son, great the news. Weary are the steeds we ride. We ride the
steeds of Donn Tetscorach from the elfmounds. Though we are alive we are
dead. Great are the signs; destruction of life: sating of ravens:
feeding of crows, strife of slaughter: wetting of sword-edge, shields
with broken bosses in hours after sundown. Lo, my son!"
Then they go from him.
"I see that thou hast not detained the men," says Conaire.
"Indeed it is not I that betrayed it," says Le fri flaith.
He recited the last answer that they gave him. Conaire and his
retainers were not blithe thereat: and afterwards evil forebodings of
terror were on them.
"All my tabus have seized me tonight," says Conaire, "since those Three
Reds are the banished folks[6].
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