All this, mind ye, was before Patrick had got ready to attind to the snakes. The land was full of thim. As for fairies, good an’ bad, at the time whin the good Patrick landed at Wicklow they were thicker than the people—which is worth raymimberin’, for there were tin times as many Irishmin in Ireland then than iver has been since. In those days ’twas a case of Ireland for the Irish, with the rist of the world lookin’ on in envy an’ covetousness, but takin’ care to kape their hands off to save their heads. [Illustration] [Illustration] There was no nade for Keth to carry meat or drink—which was another fine thing about Ireland in those days. At ivery crossroads was an inn maintained at the public expinse, for the intertainmint of travellers without money an’ without price, an’ the pot always a-bilin’ day an’ night. ’Twas the shanachies an’ poets who travelled about thicker than thieves, singin’ their songs an’ tellin’ their tales at the courts of the kings, that were the cause of all this hospitality, for these gentry put on even more airs in those days than they do now, havin’ free graft iverywhere, so eager were the people to hear all the news an’ the romances. [Illustration] * * * * * ’Tis already towld how Keth was a bit of a shanachy himsilf, an’ well versed in all the wizardry of Patrick’s Druid inemies. ’Twas a full grown man’s job, by this token, that old Lochru took on himsilf in layin’ his plans to save Wurra-Wurra from the vi’lint hands of Patrick’s strong man. An’ ’twill iver be to the credit of Lochru’s divilish subtlety that he so near finished for poor Keth by transformin’ himsilf into a false shanachy an’ tacklin’ the lad on his soft side. [Illustration] Through County Armagh an’ well into Fermanagh Keth Mac Maragh passed safely, livin’ free on the fat of the land an’ kapin’ an eye opin for signs of the old idol Wurra-Wurra. ’Tis true that wance Lochru tried to beguile him with a venomous banshee in the guise of a beautiful maiden all smiles an improper alluremints; but Finola’s white shoulder was still so fresh in his mind that he only laughed an’ bid her the time of day an’ passed on his way. [Illustration] Wance, too, Lochru sint a swarm of sheevras—which are the most impish of all the bad fairies—with orders to choke Keth to death on salmon bones as he ate his avenin’ meal; but ’twas all in vain, for Keth was wise an’ kept his fingers crossed. [Illustration] [Illustration] Havin’ seen the failure of these poor experimints, Lochru changed his face out of all raysimblance to himsilf, an’ took a small Irish harp an’ wint an’ sat on a hillside among the shamrocks close beside the broad road along which he knew Keth was soon to pass. This was his preparation for the grand schame that was to hocus-pocus the idol-hunting strong man for good an’ all.