When the two went up to the head of the bails the woman let a great cry out of her.
“What are you after bringing to this place from among the roots of the lone bush? It has the movement of life in it—and how could the like be treasure at all!”
“Hold your whisht, woman,” says the husband, and he middling vexed at her words.
“Will you look at the bag is turning over on the ground?” says she.
He seen there was truth in her words, but all the while he would not give in to be scared.
“It is likely a rat is after creeping in,” he allows, “and he is having his own times striving to win out.”
“Let you open the sack, and I will be praying aloud for protection on us—for it is no right thing is in it at all,” says herself.
With that he went over and he turned the hundredweight of treasure until he had it propped up against the bails. When he began for to open the bag the cows went fair wild, striving and roaring and stamping to get away from the place entirely.
The head of a great eel looked out from under the man’s hand where he was groping for the treasure. The eyes of it were the colour of flame and as blinding to the sight as the naked sun at noon of a summer’s day.
The man gave one lep that carried him to the door and there the paralysis of dread held him down. Herself let a scream could be heard in the next townland, but she never asked to stir from where she was standing.