Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/217

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
SHIANA
203

appearance. Shiana was there, because every one of the claimants was asking him to go security for him, whether he had given security for anyone else or not.

The claimants and the securities were called up before the military Captain. The owner of the colt was first. He saw the colt long before he was called, and he knew him well. Another man saw the colt too, and thought it was his own. When the claimant of the colt was called for, they both started up.

"He is mine," said one of them.

"He is not yours; he is mine," said the other.

The Captain looked at the securities. Nobody knew what ought to be done. Shiana spoke.

"Let the colt be taken out into the middle of the field," said he. "Let one of these two claimants go to one side of the field and the other to the other side. Then let the colt be turned loose, and let them both call him. I think the colt will come to the lawful claimant."

It was done. As soon as the colt got his head he ran to the man who had fed him.

Soon the horses were distributed, but even then there were still people who had not got their own horses. The searchers had not been able to find all the horses. The people who were at the loss of their property were sad and sorrowful, and everybody said it would be a hard case if they were left in the lurch the second day just as they had been the first day. Everyone was pitying them, and everyone was weighing the pros and cons as to how they ought to bring their case again before the King. Everybody felt sure that if the King knew the true state of the case he would do something for them.

Then it was that the Captain said that he himself