Page:Heroes of the dawn.djvu/211

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COMING OF THE CARLE
173

on Slieve Luachra for the one night I intend to be here, especially as I have no intention of ever coming here again."

"Now don't give yourself any annoyance, Cael. I can easily manage to put up a little hut myself. But don't imagine either that you are going to share it when it is built; you just keep a far distance outside it."

With that the Carle sauntered away to where a wood clothed the mountain-side, and began to fell a number of young pine-trees, and cut a quantity of rushes. When he had finished he gathered them all together in one vast load, and carrying them down the mountain to where Cael still stood, scornfully watching his proceedings, he soon built himself a house, and had a warm, bright fire blazing in the centre of it. Then he turned to Cael again and said:

"Though you have no desire for a roof to cover your head, perhaps you want some supper. It may be more to your liking to come into the wood yonder with me and hunt the deer or wild boar before the darkness——"

"Whatever I want or don't want," inter-