ran out of the house. All the time he was running the cat-o'-the-mountain was
trying to tear his eyes out. He made his way through woods and thickets, and
mighty glad he was when he saw the tank at the gable-end of the house. The
cat-'o-the-mountain dropped from his back then. He got into the tank and
waited and waited. No message came from Fedelma. He was a long time there,
stiff and sore and hungry, before the sun rose and the Enchanter of the Black
Back-Lands came out of the house.



V

I hope you had a good night's rest," said the Enchanter of the Black Back-
Lands, when he came to where the King of Ireland's Son was crouched, just at
the rising of the sun. "I had indeed," said the King's Son. "And I suppose you
feel fit for another task," said the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands. "More
fit than ever in my life before," said the King of Ireland's Son.

The Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands took him past the goat-house and to
where there was an open shelter for his bee-hives. "I want this shelter
thatched," said he, "and I want to have it thatched with the feathers of
birds. Go," said he, "and get enough feathers of wild birds and come back and
thatch the bee-hive shelter for me, and let it be done before the set of sun."
He gave the King's Son arrows and a bow and a bag to put the feathers in, and
advised him to search the moor for birds. Then he went back to the house.

The King of Ireland's Son ran to the moor and watched for birds to fly across.
At last one came. He shot at it with an arrow but did not bring it down. He
hunted the moor ail over but found no other bird. He hoped that he would see
Fedelma before his head was taken off.