"
When Finn heard that, he said no word at all, but he struck his breast
over and over again with his shut hands. And he went then to his own
inside room, and his people saw him no more for that day, or till the
sun rose over Magh Life on the morrow.
And through the length of seven years from that time, whenever he was
not out fighting against the enemies of Ireland, he went searching and
ever searching in every far corner for beautiful Sadbh. And there was
great trouble on him all the time, unless he might throw it off for a
while in hunting or in battle. And through all that time he never
brought out to any hunting but the five hounds he had most trust in,
Bran and Sceolan and Lomaire and Brod and Lomluath, the way there would
be no danger for Sadbh if ever he came on her track.
But after the end of seven years, Finn and some of his chief men were
hunting on the sides of Beinn Gulbain, and they heard a great outcry
among the hounds, that were gone into some narrow place. And when they
followed them there, they saw the five hounds of Finn in a ring, and
they keeping back the other hounds, and in the middle of the ring was a
young boy, with high looks, and he naked and having long hair. And he
was no way daunted by the noise of the hounds, and did not look at them
at all, but at the men that were coming up. And as soon as the fight was
stopped Bran and Sceolan went up to the little lad, and whined and
licked him, that any one would think they had forgotten their master.
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