d. "And as to myself," he said, "I was
one time getting wages from Finn, son of Cumhal, in Ireland, and I never
put a year over me that pleased me better. And tell me now," he said,
"what is the journey or the work that is before you?"

And Diarmuid told him the story of the Hard Servant then from beginning
to end.

Now, as to Finn and his people, when they thought Diarmuid was too long
away from them, they made ladders of the cords of the ship and put them
against the rock, looking for him.

And after a while they found the leavings of the meat he had eaten, for
Diarmuid never ate meat without leaving some after him.

Finn looked then on every side, and he saw a rider coming towards him
over the plain on a dark-coloured beautiful horse, having a bridle of
red gold. Finn saluted him when he came up, and the rider stooped his
head and gave Finn three kisses, and asked him to go with him. They went
on a long way till they came to a wide, large dwelling-place full of
arms, and a great troop of armed men on the green before the fort. Three
nights and three days Finn and his people stopped in the dun, and the
best feast they ever got was served out to them.

At the end of that time Finn asked what country was he in, and the man
that brought him there told him it was the land of Sorcha, and that he
himself was its king. "And I was with yourself one time, Finn, son of
Cumhal," he said, "taking your wages through the length of a year in
Ireland."

Then Finn and the King of Sorcha called a great gathering of the people
and a great meeting. And when it was going on they saw a woman-messenger
coming to them through the crowd, and the king asked news of her. "I
have news indeed," she said; "the whole of the bay and the harbour is
full of ships and of boats, and there are armies all through the country
robbing all before them." "I know well," said the king, "it is the High
King of Greece is in it, for he has a mind to put the entire world under
him, and to get hold of this country like every other." The King of
Sorcha looked at Finn then, and Finn understood it was help from him he
was asking, and it is what he said: "I take the protection of this
country on myself so long as I am in it." He and his people rose up
then, and the King of Sorcha along with them, and they went looking for
the strange army. And when they came up with it they made great
slaughter of its champions, and those they did not kill ran before them,
and ma