Nuala O'Malley

I. THE BLACK WOMAN. 177 II. THE BEGINNING OF THE STORM. 179 III. THE DARK MASTER. 182 IV. BRIAN LEANS ON HIS SWORD. 186 V. YELLOW BRIAN RIDES SOUTH. 191 VI. BRIAN TAKES CAPTIVES...

VIII. HOW BRIAN WAS NETTED. 419 IX. THE NAILING OF BRIAN. 424 X. IN BERTRAGH CASTLE. 429 XI. THE BAITING OF CATHBARR. 434 XII. HOW THE DARK MASTER WAS RUINED. 438

XIII. BRIAN RIDES TO VENGEANCE. 659 XIV. HOW THE STORM FARED NORTH. 664 XV. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TARN. 670 XVI. BRIAN GETS HIS SWORD AGAIN. 674 XVII. BRIAN GOES A CRUISING. 679

XVIII. BRIAN YIELDS BERTRAGH. 137 XIX. BRIAN MEETS THE BLACK WOMAN. 142 XX. THE STORM BURSTS. 147 XXI. CATHBARR YIELDS UP HIS AX. 151 XXII. THE STORM OF MEN COMES TO REST. 155

The horseman reined in as his jaded steed scrambled up the shelving bank, and for a space sat there motionless, for which the horse gave mute thanks. The moon was struggling to...

The people of every nation--that is, the tillers of the soil, the people who form the backbone of their race--are in continual expectancy of a Man and a Day. Theirs is always th...

"There are two things, Yellow Brian, for you to mind. First, you must have men at your back who know you for their master; second, you must stand alone, giving and receiving aid...

As he had foreseen, Brian was allowed to ride across the narrow neck of land where his men would have had to battle for progress. It was from no mere bravado that he had gone fo...

Outside the castle gates, where cressets flared over the snow, an old seneschal appeared and ordered Brian to leave his men outside. To this the men made some objection, but Bri...

"Said I not that you were a master of men?" he chuckled quietly, as he turned to follow into Cathbarr's tower. "But it is easier to master men than women, Brian. I bear you a bi...

Brian nodded, his eyes shining in the starlight. After a pull of a long seven miles down the bay, the galley had rounded into the northern end of Gorumna Isle, guided by a high...

It was a bad morning, for there was a sweep of wind and black cloud mingled with snow bearing out of the north; and since the great hall, with its huge fireplace, was the warmes...

Brian woke in darkness, with pain tearing at his head and heaviness upon his hands and feet. When he tried to put his hand to his head, that heaviness was explained; for he coul...

Now, of what befell after that nail had been driven through his hand, Brian learned afterward; though at the time he was unconscious and seemed like to remain so. Hardly had he...

The bearded giant still wore the long mail-shirt that reached to his knees, and he paused at the doorway with his eyes roving about the hall. Well did Brian know whom he sought,...

The fear that had come upon the O'Donnells was so great that not until pikemen entered the castle from the camp could the Dark Master get men at the doors of the hall. And this...

"Then I think this is a better plan," spoke up Turlough Wolf. "Give me ten men, Brian, and I will go to Galway. I will soon get traces of O'Donnell; and if he goes into the nort...

Now, it was no easy matter for a band of horsemen to ride from Galway to Sligo in that day, unless they were known men and rode for the king or the Confederacy. Scattered bands...

It had been long, indeed, since Brian had given thought to his meeting with the Black Woman on the other side of Ireland. In that brief meeting, the Black Woman had spoken of se...

Brian pushed the door open, and it gave easily to his fist. Gazing within he saw the Dark Master standing over the shattered bowl, whose liquid flowed down toward the hearth and...

Above the head of Bertraghboy Bay there was a swooping curve in the hill road. It was at this same curve that Brian Buidh had first met the Dark Master, and it was here he had s...

"I dare not trust birds alone in this strait, Cathbarr. Go to that galley with the two O'Malleys and hasten to Gorumna. Bid the Bird Daughter stay and wait further word from me;...

Brian and the old man stood in the courtyard, while the Dark Master was seeing to horses being made ready for them. Drawing his cloak farther about his hunched shoulders, the la...

"Now, the first thing is to see what force of men we have," said Brian, after the midday meal. They were all gathered in Cathbarr's tower before a log fire, and were preparing t...

Brian gazed out at the scene before him in dull despair. So close were the ships that he could clearly make out Nuala's figure, with its shimmering mail and red cloak, on the po...

"Very well, Turlough. Tell Captain Peyton that I will give him an answer to his message to-night, then bid my kinsman Shaun entertain him in the hall, with the other officers. S...