He did not, nor could he, overtake her, and on seeing again how far she was in advance of him, he said, “I am weary with yesterday’s reaping, wait for me, wait for me.” She answered, “I ascended the round hill of steep summits (_màm cas nan leac_), overtake me, overtake me;” but he could not. He then said, “My sickle would be the better of being sharpened (_air a bhleath_), wait for me, wait for me.” She answered, “My sickle will not cut garlic, overtake me, overtake me.” At this she reached the head of the furrow, finished reaping, and stood still where she was, waiting for him. When he reached the head of his own furrow, he caught the last handful of corn,[29] to keep it, as was the custom, it being the “Harvest Maiden” (_a’ mhaighdean-bhuana_), and stood with it in one hand and the sickle in the other. Looking at her steadily in the face, he said, “You have put the old woman far from me, and it is not my displeasure you deserve.” (_Chuir thu a’ chailleach fada uam ’s cha b’ e mo ghruaim a thoill thu._)[30] She said, “It is an evil thing early on Monday to reap the harvest maiden.” (_’S dona ’n ni_ (var., _mì-shealbhach_) _moch Di-luain dol a bhuain maighdein._) On her saying this, he fell dead on the field and never more drew breath. The Maiden of the Cairn was never afterwards seen, nor heard of; and that was how the sister’s wishes ended. NOTES: [23] Boats made of twigs and covered with hides, the hairy side of the skin being uppermost, could go long distances over rough seas. [24] This name is sometimes rendered in English, Margaret. Erraid Isle (_Eilean earraid_) is in the Sound of Iona, south of Mull. [25] The rock of Ailsa in the firth of Clyde is called in Gaelic _Creag Ealasaid_, and _Ealasaid a’ chuain_ (Ailsa of the sea). A round grey rock lying near the shore in Mannal, south side of Tiree, is called _Sgeir Ealasaid_, the Ailsa rock. The name _Ealasaid_ is in English also Elizabeth and Elspeth. [26] _Odhar_, dun or grey, is applied to cattle; as, _bò mhaol odhar_, a dun hornless cow; _gabhar mhaol odhar_, a grey goat: it is sometimes used as an expression of contempt, as _creutair odhar_, a dun creature. The diminutive of _odhar_, _odhrag_, is a pet name for a cow. [27] The words of the first four lines of “the wishes,” are, as regards their form in the Gaelic text, almost unintelligible; they merely represent the sounds uttered by the reciter, without being correct either in form or composition. The sounds belonging to the first line might, for instance, have been represented thus:--_’Na ana-chìnnt ’s ’n a an-shocair dhuit d’ ùidh_: perhaps the utterance was intentionally ambiguous.--(Ed.) [28] _Gruagach_, the supernatural being, in this instance was said to be a woman; but _gruagach_ usually meant a chief. (See Vol. IV., Argyllshire series, p. 193.)