And on the last night of the year, Diarmuid was in his sleep at Rath
Grania; and in the night he heard the voice of hounds through his sleep,
and he started up, and Grania caught him and put her two arms about him,
and asked what had startled him. "The voice of a hound I heard," said
he; "and it is a wonder to me to hear that in the night." "Safe keeping
on you," said Grania, "for it is the Tuatha de Danaan are doing that on
you, on account of Angus of Brugh na Boinn, and lie down on the bed
again." But for all that no sleep came to him, and he heard the voice of
the hound again, and he started up a second time to follow after it. But
Grania caught hold of him the second time and bade him to lie down, and
she said it was no fitting thing to go after the voice of a hound in the
night. So he lay down again, and he fell asleep, but the voice of the
hound awakened him the third time. And the day was come with its full
light that time, and he said: "I will go after the voice of the hound
now, since the day is here." "If that is so," said Grania, "bring the
Mor-alltach, the Great Fierce One, the sword of Manannan, with you, and
the Gae Dearg." "I will not," he said; "but I will take the
Beag-alltach, the Little Fierce One, and the Gae Buidhe in the one hand,
and the hound Mac an Chuill, the Son of the Hazel, in the other hand."
Then Diarmuid went out of Rath Grania, and made no delay till he came to
the top of Beinn Gulbain, and he found Finn before him there, without
any one at all in his company.
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