And there is not so much as a blade of grass
or a grain of sand to be seen," he said, "with the bodies of fighting
men that are stretched on them; and there is no man of the two armies
that is not stretched in that bed of blood, but only the chief man of
the household of the King of the World, and your own foster-son, Cael,
son of Crimthan of the Harbours." "Rise up and go to him," said Finn. So
Fergus went where Cael was, and asked what way was he. "It is a pity the
way I am," said Cael, "for I swear by my word that if my helmet and my
armour were taken from me, there is no part of my body but would fall
from the other; and by my oath," he said, "it is worse to me to see that
man beyond going away alive than I myself to be the way I am. And I
leave my blessing to you, Fergus," he said; "and take me on your back to
the sea till I swim after the foreigner, and it is glad I would be the
foreigner to fall by me before the life goes out from my body." Fergus
lifted him up then and brought him to the sea, and put him swimming
after the foreigner. And Finnachta waited for him to reach the ship, for
he thought he was one of his own people. And Cael raised himself up when
he came beside the ship, and Finnachta stretched out his hand to him.
And Cael took hold of it at the wrist, and clasped his fingers round it,
and gave a very strong pull at him, that brought him over the side. Then
their hands shut across one another's bodies, and they went down to the
sand and the gravel of the clear sea.
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