give him forgiveness now, and peace." "I will not do
that," said Finn, "to the end of life and time; and he will not get
peace or rest for ever till I get satisfaction from him for every
reproach he has put on me." "It is a great shame and a great sign of
jealousy you to say that," said Osgar. "And I give the word of a true
champion," he said, "that unless the skies come down upon me, or the
earth opens under my feet, I will not let you or any one of the Fianna
of Ireland give him cut or wound; and I take his body and his life under
the protection of my valour, and I will keep him safe against all the
men of Ireland." "Those are big words you have, Osgar," said Goll then,
"to say you would bring a man away in spite of all the men of Ireland."
"It is not you will raise them up against me, Goll," said Osgar, "for
none of them would mind what you would say." "If that is what you are
saying, you champion of great fights," said Goll, "let us see now what
you can do." "You will have to go through with the fight you have taken
on yourself," said Corrioll, son of Goll, in a loud voice. And Osgar
answered him fiercely: "If I do I will shorten your bones, and your
father's bones along with them. And come down now, Diarmuid," he said,
"since Finn has no mind to leave you in peace, and I promise on my body
and my life there will no harm be done to you to-day."

Then Diarmuid stood up on a high bough of the boughs of the tree, and he
rose with a light leap by the shaft of his spear, and lit on the grass
far beyond Finn and the Fianna. And he himself and Osgar went towards
one another, in spite of the Fianna that went between them, and Diarmuid
struck down those that were in his way; and as to Osgar, the throwing of
his spears as he scattered the Fianna was like the sound of the wind
going through a valley, or water falling over flag-stones. And Conan,
that was always bitter, said: "Let the sons of Baiscne go on killing one
another." But Finn, when he saw Diarmuid was gone from him, bade them
put their weapons up, and turn back again to Almhuin.

And he sent those of his men that could be healed to places of healing,
and the nine Garbhs, and the others of his men that were killed, he put
into wide-sodded graves. And it is tired and downhearted and sorrowful
he was after that, and he made an oath he would take no great rest till
he would have avenged on Diarmuid all that he had done.

CHAPTER V. THE QUARREL

And as to Osg