s, they knew they were struck by some of
the Fianna of Ireland, and they came and joined with them, and did great
destruction on the strangers, till there was not one left of all that
had come to land.

CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST FIGHTERS

And in the morning they saw Finn and all his people coming to the rath
that is above the harbour. "My father Finn," said Oisin than, "let us
fight now with the whole of the foreigners altogether." "That is not my
advice," said Finn, "for the number of their armies is too great for us,
and we could not stand against them. But we will send out every day,"
he said, "some son of a king or of a leader against some king of the
kings of the world that is equal in blood to ourselves. And let none of
you redden your arms," he said, "but against a king or a chief man at
first, for when a king is fallen, his people will be more inclined to
give way. And who will give out a challenge of battle from me now?" he
said. "I will do that," said the son of Cuban, leader of the Fianna of
Munster. "Do not go, my son," said Finn, "for it is not showed to me
that you will have good luck in the battle, and I never sent out any man
to fight without I knew he would come back safe to me." "Do not say
that," said Cuban's son, "for I would not for the treasure of the whole
world go back from a fight on account of a bad foretelling. And as it is
my own country they have done their robbery in first," he said, "I will
defend it for you." "It is sorrowful I am for that," said Finn, "for
whichever of the kings of the world will meet you to-day, yourself and
himself will fall together."

Then Glas, son of Dremen, gave out a challenge of fight from Cuban's
son, and the King of Greece answered it. And the two fought hand to
hand, and the King of Greece made a great cast of his thick spear at
Cuban's son, that went through his body and broke his back in two. But
he did not take that blow as a gift, but he paid for it with a strong
cast of his own golden spear that went through the ringed armour of the
King of Greece. And those two fell together, sole to sole, and lip to
lip. "There is grief on me, Cuban's son to have fallen," said Finn, "for
no one ever went from his house unsatisfied; and a man that I would not
keep, or the High King of Ireland would not keep for a week, he would
keep him in his house through the length of a year. And let Follamain,
his son, be called to me now," he said, "and I will give him his