He answered
that he had no knowledge who he came from, but only that he was a man of
the Fomor, travelling in search of wages to the kings of the earth, "and
I heard," he said, "that Finn never refused wages to any man." "I never
did indeed," said Finn, "and I will not refuse you. But why is it," he
said, "you are without a boy to mind your horse?" "I have a good reason
for that," said the big man; "there is nothing in the world is worse to
me than a boy to be with me; for it is a hundred men's share of food,"
he said, "that serves me for one day, and it is little enough I think
it, and I would begrudge a boy to be sharing it with me." "What is the
name you have?" said Finn. "The name I have is the Gilla Decair, the
Hard Servant," said he. "Why did you get that name?" said Finn. "There
is a good reason for that," said the big man, "for there is nothing in
the world is harder to me than to do anything at all for my master, or
whatever person I am with. And tell me this, Conan, son of Morna," he
said, "who gets the best wages, a horseman or a man afoot?" "A horseman
gets twice as much," said Conan. "Then I call you to witness, Conan," he
said, "that I am a horseman, and that it was as a horseman I came to the
Fianna. And give me your guarantee now, Finn, son of Cumhal, and the
guarantee of the Fianna, and I will turn out my horse with your horses."
"Let him out then," said Finn.
The big man pulled off the iron halter then from his horse, and it made
off as hard as it could go, till it came where the horses of the Fianna
were; and it began to tear and to kick and to bite at them, killing and
maiming.
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