s horse were first
perceived to where Finn was standing, it was long ere they traversed
it. At last, however, he came into the presence of Finn and louted
before him, doing obeisance. Finn lifted his hand over him and bade
him speak, and declare his business and his name and rank. "I know
not," said the fellow, "of what blood I am, gentle or simple, but only
this, that I am a wight from oversea looking for service and wages.
And as I have heard of thee, O Finn, that thou art not wont to refuse
any man, I came to take service with thee if thou wilt have me."

"Neither shall I refuse thee," said Finn; "but what brings thee here
with a horse and no horseboy?"

"Good enough reason," said the stranger. "I have much ado to get meat
for my own belly, seeing that I eat for a hundred men; and I will not
have any horseboy meddling with my ration."

"And what name dost thou bear?"

"I am called the Gilla Dacar (the Hard Gillie)," replied he.

"Why was that name given thee?" asked Finn.

"Good enough reason for that also," spake the stranger, "for of all
the lads in the world there is none harder than I am for a lord to get
any service and obedience from." Then turning to Conan the Bald he
said, "Whether among the Fianna is a horseman's pay or a footman's the
highest?"

"A horseman's surely," said Conan, "seeing that he gets twice the pay
of a footman."

"Then I am a horseman in thy service, Finn," said the gillie. "I call
thee to observe that I have here a horse, and moreover that as a
horseman I came among the Fianna. Have I thy authority," he went on,
"to turn out my steed among thine?"

"Turn her out," quoth Finn.

Then the big man flung his mare the rope and immediately she galloped
off to where the Fian horses were grazing. Here she fell to biting and
kicking them, knocking out the eye of one and snapping off another's
ear and breaking the leg of another with a kick.

"Take away thy mare, big man," cried Conan then, "or by Heaven and
Earth were it not that Finn told thee to let her loose I would let
loose her brains. Many a bad bargain has Finn made but never a worse
than thou."

"By Heaven and Earth," said the gillie, "that I never will, for I have
no horseboy, and I will do no horseboy's work."

Then Conan mac Morna took the iron halter and laid it on the
stranger's horse and brought the beast back to Finn and held it there.

Said Finn to Conan, "I have never seen thee do horseboy's service even
to far be