my shield and I flung it back and it tore out one of his eyes, and
one-eyed he is to this day." Then Owen Mor sat down.

"Have ye any more to contest the pig with me?" then said Ket. "Thou
hast not won it yet," said Moonremar, son of Gerrkind, rising up. "Is
that Moonremar?" said Ket, "It is," they cried.

"It is but three days," said Ket, "since I was the last man who won
renown of thee. Three heads of thy fighting men did I carry off from
Dun Moonremar, and one of the three was the head of thy eldest son."
Moonremar then sat down.

"Still the contest," said Ket, "or I shall carve the boar." "Contest
thou shalt have," said Mend, son of Sword-heel. "Who is this?" said
Ket. "'Tis Mend," cried all the Ulstermen.

"Shall the sons of fellows with nicknames come here to contend with
me?" cried Ket. "I was the priest who christened thy father that name.
'Twas I who cut the heel off him, so that off he went with only one.
What brings the son of that man to contend with me?" Mend then sat
down in his seat.

"Come to the contest," said Ket, "or I shall begin to carve." Then
arose from the Ulstermen a huge grey and terrible warrior. "Who is
this?" asked Ket. '"Tis Keltcar, son of Uthecar," cried they all.

"Wait awhile, Keltcar," said Ket, "do not pound me to pieces just yet.
Once, O Keltcar, I made a foray on thee and came in front of Dun. All
thy folk attacked me, and thou amongst them. In a narrow pass we
fought, and thou didst fling a spear at me and I at thee, but my spear
went through thy loins and thou hast never been the better of it
since." Then Keltcar sat down in his seat.

"Who else comes to the contest," cried Ket "or shall I at last divide
the pig?" Up rose then the son of King Conor, named Cuscrid the
Stammerer "Whom have we here?" said Ket. "'Tis Cuscrid son of Conor,"
cried they all. "He has the stuff of a king in him," said Ket. "No
thanks to thee for that," said the youth.

"Well, then," said Ket, "thou madest thy first foray against us
Connachtmen, and on the border of the Provinces we met thee. A third
of thy people, thou didst leave behind thee, and came away with my
spear through thy throat, so that thou canst not speak rightly ever
since, for the sinews of thy throat were severed. And hence is Cuscrid
the Stammerer thy byname ever since."

So thus Ket laid shame and defeat on the whole Province of Ulster, nor
was there any other warrior in the hall found to contend with him.

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