tter men than this gillie. How now if thou wert to leap on
the brute's back and gallop her to death over hill and dale in payment
for the mischief she hath wrought among our steeds?"

At this word Conan clambered up on the back of the big man's mare, and
with all his might he smote his two heels into her, but the mare never
stirred.

"I perceive what ails her," said Finn. "She will never stir till she
has a weight of men on her equal to that of her own rider."

Then thirteen men of the Fianna scrambled up laughing behind Conan,
and the mare lay down under them, and then got up again, they still
clinging to her. At this the big man said,

"It appears that you are making a sport and mockery of my mare, and
that even I myself do not escape from it. It is well for me that I
have not spent the rest of the year in your company, seeing what a
jest ye have made of me the very first day; and I perceive, O Finn,
that thou art very unlike the report that is made of thee. And now I
bid thee farewell, for of thy service I have had enough."

So with downcast head and despondent looks the big gillie shambled
slowly away until he had passed out of view of the Fianna, behind the
shoulder of the hill. Having arrived here he tucked up his coat to his
waist, and fast though be the flight of the swallow, and fast that of
the roe-deer, and fast the rush of a roaring wind over a mountain top
in mid-March, no faster are these than the bounding speed and furious
flight of the big man down the hillside toward the West.

No sooner did the mare see that her master had departed than she too
dashed uncontrollably forward and flew down the hillside after him.
And as the Fians saw Conan the Bald and his thirteen companions thus
carried off, willy nilly, they broke into a roar of laughter and ran
alongside mocking them. But Conan, seeing that they were being carried
off in the wake of the big man of evil aspect, of whom none knew
whence or who he was, he was terrified and began reviling and cursing,
and shouted to Finn, "A palsy seize thee, Finn; may some rascally
churl, that is if possible of worse blood than thyself, have thy head,
unless thou follow and rescue us wheresoever this monster shall bring
us." So Finn and the Fianna ran, and the mare ran, over bare hills and
by deep glens, till at last they came to Corcaguiny in Kerry, where
the gillie set his face to the blue ocean, and the mare dashed in
after him. But ere he did so, Liagan the Sw