of them all; but if they did, they lost a good many of their own
men.

CHAPTER VI. THE MARCH OF THE FIANNA

Ana Finn and the Fianna were at the house of Credhe yet, and they saw
Taistellach coming towards them. It was the custom, now, with Finn when
he sent any one looking for news, that it was to himself it was to be
told first, the way that if he got bad news he would let on not to mind
it; and if it was good news he got, he would have the satisfaction of
telling it himself. So Taistellach told him how the foreigners were come
to the harbour of the White Strand.

Then Finn turned to his chief men, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland,
there never came harm or danger to Ireland to be put aside this great
danger that is come against us now. And you get great tribute and great
service from the chief men of Ireland," he said, "and if you take that
from them it is right for you to defend them now."

And the Fianna all said they would not go back one step from the defence
of Ireland. And as to Credhe, she gave every one of them a battle dress,
and they were taking leave of her, and Finn said: "Let the woman come
along with us till we know is it good or bad the end of this journey
will be." So she came with them, bringing a great herd of cattle; and
through the whole length of the battle, that lasted a year and a day,
she had new milk for them, and it was to her house the wounded were
brought for healing.

Then the Fianna set out, and they went to the borders of Ciarraighe
Luachra and across by the shores of the Bannlid with their left hand to
Slieve Mis, and they made shelters for themselves that night, and
kindled fires.

But Caoilte and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son said to one another they would
go on to the harbour, the way they would have time to redden their hands
in the blood of the foreigners before the rest of the Fianna would come.

And at that time the King of the World bade some of his chief men to go
on shore and to bring him back some spoils. So they went to land and
they gave out a great shout, and the people of the ships gave out a
great shout at the same time. "I swear by the oath my people swear by,"
said Caoilte, "I have gone round the whole world, but I never heard so
many voices together in the one place." And with that he himself and
Oisin and Lugaidh's Son made an attack on the strangers, and struck
great blows at them. And when Conn Crither and Glas, son of Bremen,
heard the noise of those blow