"Yes, as you must trust mine to leave no fuse in the powder when I am gone."
Then fell silence. Brian hated O'Donnell, as he knew he was hated in return; and so great was the hatred between them that he felt instinctively he could trust the Dark Master to send him out free. It seemed to him that the other would sooner have him go broken and crushed than do him to death, for that would be a greater revenge. Moreover, the Dark Master could know nothing of those men at Gorumna and would have little fear of the Bird Daughter.
And it befell exactly as Brian thought.
"I agree," cried the Dark Master, stepping out in the dawn-light boldly. "You shall go forth empty as you came, Yellow Brian. What of those two-score men you owe me?"
"The time is not yet up," returned Brian, beginning to unbar the door, and he laughed at the mocking voice.
CHAPTER XIX.
BRIAN MEETS THE BLACK WOMAN.
"The storm is over, master, or will be by this night."
"Too late now, Turlough."
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 latter turned to Brian with a mocking sneer.