"What will we do with that many ships?"
said Finn. "We will do away with all you make no use of," he said.
Caoilte rose up then and let out three great shouts, and all the Fianna
of Ireland, in whatever places they were, heard them, and they thought
Finn and his people to be in some kind of danger from men from beyond
the sea.
They came then in small companies as they chanced to be, till they came
to the stepping-stones of the Cat's Head in the western part of Corca
Duibhne. And they asked news of Finn, what had happened that he called
them away from their hunting, and Finn told them all that had happened.
Then Finn and Oisin went into council together, and it is what they
agreed; that as but fifteen of his people were brought away from Finn,
he himself with fifteen others would go on their track; Oisin to be left
at the head of the Fianna to guard Ireland.
And they said farewell to one another, and a grand ship was made ready
for Finn and his people, and there was food put in it for using and gold
for giving away. The young men and the heroes took to their seats then,
and took hold of the oars, and they set out over the restless hills and
the dark valleys of the great sea.
And the sea rose up and bellowed, and there was madness on the broken
green waters; but to Finn and his people it was a call in the morning
and a sleepy time at night to be listening to the roaring and the
crooning that was ever and always about the sides of the ship.
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