ed his people with his shield. All that slaughter
was done by him."

"The press was too great," Fionn grumbled. "I could not get at him in
time or---"

"Or what?" said Goll with a great laugh.

Fionn shook his head sternly and said no more.

"What is your judgement?" Cormac demanded of his fellow-judges.

Flahri pronounced first.

"I give damages to clann-Morna."

"Why?" said Cormac.

"Because they were attacked first."

Cormac looked at him stubbornly.

"I do not agree with your judgement," he said.

"What is there faulty in it?" Flahri asked.

"You have not considered," the king replied, "that a soldier owes
obedience to his captain, and that, given the time and the place, Fionn
was the captain and Goll was only a simple soldier."

Flahri considered the king's suggestion.

"That," he said, "would hold good for the white-striking or blows of
fists, but not for the red-striking or sword-strokes."

"What is your judgement?" the king asked Feehal. Feehal then pronounced:

"I hold that clann-Morna were attacked first, and that they are to be
free from payment of damages."

"And as regards Fionn?" said Cormac.

"I hold that on account of his great losses Fionn is to be exempt
from payment of damages, and that his losses are to be considered as
damages."

"I agree in that judgement," said Fintan.

The king and his son also agreed, and the decision was imparted to the
Fianna.

"One must abide by a judgement," said Fionn.

"Do you abide by it?" Goll demanded.

"I do," said Fionn.

Goll and Fionn then kissed each other, and thus peace was made. For,
notwithstanding the endless bicker of these two heroes, they loved each
other well.

Yet, now that the years have gone by, I think the fault lay with Goll
and not with Fionn, and that the judgement given did not consider
everything. For at that table Goll should not have given greater gifts
than his master and host did. And it was not right of Goll to take by
force the position of greatest gift-giver of the Fianna, for there was
never in the world one greater at giving gifts, or giving battle, or
making poems than Fionn was.

That side of the affair was not brought before the Court. But perhaps it
was suppressed out of delicacy for Fionn, for if Goll could be accused
of ostentation, Fionn was open to the uglier charge of jealousy. It
was, nevertheless, Goll's forward and impish temper which commenced the
brawl, and the verdict of time must be to