e West. "They have often been seen on their backs on the roads of
rushy Dedah, and many a fat steer have they left with me."

"It was a fat bullock thou didst have with thee once upon a day,"
replied Moonremar of Ulster, "even thine own brother, and by the rushy
road of Conlad he came and went not back."

"'Twas a better man than he, even Irloth, son of Fergus mac Leda, who
fell by the hand of Echbael in Tara Luachra," replied Lugad of
Munster.

"Echbael?" cried Keltchar, son of Uthecar Hornskin of Ulster. "Is it
of him ye boast, whom I myself slew and cut off his head?"

And thus the heroes bandied about the tales and taunts of their
victories, until at length Ket, son of Maga of the Connachtmen, arose
and stood over the boar and took the knife into his hand. "Now," he
cried, "let one man in Ulster match his deeds with mine, or else hold
ye your peace and let me carve the boar!"

For a while there was silence, and then Conor King of Ulster, said to
Logary the Triumphant, "Stay that for me." So Logary arose and said,
"Ket shall never carve the boar for all of us."

"Not so fast, Logary," said Ket. "It is the custom among you Ulstermen
that when a youth first takes arms he comes to prove himself on us. So
didst thou, Logary, and we met thee at the border. From that meeting I
have thy chariot and horses, and thou hadst a spear through thy ribs
Not thus wilt thou get the boar from me." Then Logary sat down on his
bench.

"Ket shall never divide that pig," spake then a tall fair-haired
warrior from Ulster, coming down the hall. "Whom have we here?" asked
Ket. "A better man than thou," shouted the Ulstermen, "even Angus, son
of Lama Gabad." "Indeed?" said Ket, "and why is his father called Lama
Gabad [wanting a hand]?" "We know not," said they. "But I know it,"
said Ket. "Once I went on a foray to the East, and was attacked by a
troop, Lama Gabad among them. He flung a lance at me. I seized the
same lance and flung it back, and it shore off his hand, and it lay
there on the field before him. Shall that man's son measure himself
with me?" And Angus went to his bench and sat down.

"Keep up the contest," then cried Ket tauntingly, "or let me divide
the boar." "That thou shalt not," cried another Ulster warrior of
great stature. "And who is this?" said Ket. "Owen Mor, King of Fermag,"
said the Ulstermen. "I have seen him ere now," said Ket. "I took a
drove of cattle from him before his own house. He put a spear through