the eagle
surpasses all birds of the air. Now the stories of Finn and his
generosity and great deeds had reached her since she was a child, and
she had set her love on him, though she had never seen his face till
now.

When the hosts were met, the King of the Greeks said, "Who of my men
will stand forth and challenge the best of these men of Erinn to
single combat that their metal may be proved, for to us it is unknown
what manner of men they be." The son of the King of the Greeks said,
"I will go."

So on the side of Finn, Oscar, son of Oisin, was chosen to match the
son of the Greek King, and the two hosts sat down peacefully together
to watch the weapon-play. And Tasha the princess sat by Finn, son of
Cumhal.

Then Oscar and the King's son stepped into their fighting place, and
fierce was the combat that arose between them, as when two roaring
surges of the sea dash against each other in a fissure of the rocks,
and the spray-cloud bursts from them high into the air. Long they
fought, and many red wounds did each of them give and receive, till at
last Oscar beat the Greek prince to the earth and smote off his head.
Then one host groaned for woe and discouragement, while the other
shouted for joy of victory, and so they parted for the night, each to
their own camp.

And in the camp of the folk of Sorca they found Conan the Bald and the
fourteen men that had gone with him on the mare's back.

But when night had fallen, Tasha stole from the wizard of the Greek
King his branch of silver bells that when shaken would lay asleep a
host of men, and with the aid of this she passed from the camp of the
Greeks, and through the sentinels, and came to the tent of Finn.

On the morrow morn the King of the Greeks found that his daughter had
fled to be the wife of Finn, son of Cumhal, and he offered a mighty
reward to whosoever would slay Finn and bring Tasha back. But when the
two armies closed in combat the Fians and the host of the King of
Sorca charged so fiercely home, that they drove their foes before them
as a winter gale drives before it a cloud of madly whirling leaves,
and those that were not slain in the fight and the pursuit went to
their own lands and abode there in peace; and thus was the war ended
of the King of Sorca and the Lord of the Well.

Then the King of Sorca had Finn and his comrades before him and gave
them praise and thanks for their valour. "And what reward," he said,
"will ye that I make you for