And the first day we
came back to Ireland," he said, "we killed sixteen hundred men, and no
lie in it, and not a man of them but would be keened by a hundred. And
we took their duns after that," he said, "and we went on till we were
all around one house in Munster of the red walls. But so great was the
bravery of the man in that house, that was your father, that it was
easier to find him than to kill him. And we killed all that were of his
race out on the hill, and then we made a quick rush at the house where
Cumhal was, and every man of us made a wound on his body with his spear.
And I myself was in it, and it was I gave him the first wound. And
avenge it on me now, Finn, if you have a mind to," he said.
* * * * *
It was not long after that, Finn gave a feast at Almhuin for all his
chief men, and there came to it two sons of the King of Alban, and sons
of the kings of the great world. And when they were all sitting at the
feast, the serving-men rose up and took drinking-horns worked by skilled
men, and having shining stones in them, and they poured out strong drink
for the champions; and it is then mirth rose up in their young men, and
courage in their fighting men, and kindness and gentleness in their
women, and knowledge and foreknowledge in their poets.
And then a crier rose up and shook a rough iron chain to silence the
clowns and the common lads and idlers, and then he shook a chain of old
silver to silence the high lords and chief men of the Fianna, and the
learned men, and they all listened and were silent.
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