The Agreement
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Ebbutt, M. I. (Maud Isabel)
“What is the agreement?” asked King Conor.
“Behold my axe!” quoth the stranger. “The man who will grasp it to-day may cut my head off with it, provided that I may, in like manner, cut off his head to-morrow. Now you men of Ulster, heroes of the Red Branch, have won the palm through the wide world for courage, honour, strength, truth, and generosity; do you, therefore, find me a man to keep this agreement. King Conor is excepted, because of his royal dignity, but no other. And if you have no champion who dare face me, I will say that Ulster has lost her courage and is dishonoured.”
“It is not right for a whole province to be disgraced for lack of a man to keep his word,” said King Conor, “but I fear we have no such champions here.”