ough him and made him fighting-mad, and he rushed forward shouting
his battle-cry, and swinging the spear aloft. But the Shadow turned
and fled before him, and Finn chased it northward to the Fairy Mound
of Slieve Fuad, and there he drove the spear through its back. And
what it was that fell there in the night, and what it was that passed
like the shadow of a shadow into the Fairy Mound, none can tell, but
Finn bore back with him next day a pale, sorrowful head on the point
of Fiacha's spear, and the goblin troubled the folk of royal Tara no
more.

But Conn of the Hundred Battles called the Fianna together, and he set
Finn at his right hand and said, "Here is your Captain by birth-right
and by sword-right. Let who will now obey him hence-forward, and who
will not, let him go in peace and serve Arthur of Britain or Arist of
Alba, or whatsoever King he will." And Goll, son of Morna, said, "For
my part I will be Finn's man under thee, O King," and he swore
obedience and loyalty to Finn before them all. Nor was it hard for any
man to step where Goll had gone before, so they all took their oaths
of Fian service to Finn mac Cumhal. And thus it was that Finn came to
the captaincy of the Fianna of Erinn, and he ruled the Fianna many a
year till he died in battle with the Clan Urgrenn at Brea upon the
Boyne.

CHAPTER XI

Finn's Chief Men

With the coming of Finn did the Fianna of Erinn come to their glory,
and with his life their glory passed away. For he ruled them as no
other captain ever did, both strongly and wisely, and never bore a
grudge against any, but freely forgave a man all offences save
disloyalty to his lord. Thus it is told that Conan, son of the Lord of
Luachar, him who had the Treasure Bag and whom Finn slew at Rath
Luachar, was for seven years an outlaw and marauder, harrying the
Fians, and killing here a man and there a hound, and firing their
dwellings, and raiding their cattle. At last they ran him to a corner
at Cam Lewy in Munster, and when he saw that he could escape no more
he stole upon Finn as he sat down after a chase, and flung his arms
round him from behind, holding him fast and motionless. Finn knew who
held him thus and said, "What wilt thou Conan?" Conan said, "To make a
covenant of service and fealty with thee, for I may no longer evade
thy wrath." So Finn laughed and said, "Be it so, Conan, and if thou
prove faithful and valiant, I also will keep faith." And Conan served
him for t