food and of drink in it. They did that, and he himself
and a thousand of his men went into the ship; and they were nine days
between sailing and rowing till they came to harbour in the north of
Alban.

They bound the ship to the posts of the harbour then, and Finn with five
of his people went to the dun of the King of Alban, and Finn struck a
blow with the hand-wood on the door, and the door-keeper asked who was
in it, and they told him it was Finn, son of Cumhal. "Let him in," said
the king.

Then Finn and his people went in, and the king made them welcome, and he
bade Finn to sit down in his own place, and they were given strong
pleasant drinks, and the king sent for the rest of Finn's people and
bade them welcome to the dun.

Then Finn told what it was brought him there, and that it was to ask
help and advice against the grandson of Duibhne he was come.

"And you have a right to give me your help," he said, "for it was he
that killed your father and your two brothers, and many of your best men
along with them."

"That is true," said the king; "and I will give you my own two sons and
a thousand men with each of them." Finn was glad when he heard that, and
he and his men took leave of the king and of his household, and left
wishes for life and health with them, and the king did the same by them.

And it was near Brugh na Boinne Finn and his people came to land, and
Finn sent messengers to the house of Angus to give out a challenge of
battle against Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne.

"What should I do about this, Osgar?" said Diarmuid.

"We will both go out and make a stand against them, and we will not let
a serving-man of them escape, but we will make an end of them all," said
Osgar.

So they rose up on the morning of the morrow and they put their suits of
battle on their comely bodies; and it would be a pity for those, be they
many or few, that would meet those two men, and their anger on them. And
they bound the rims of their shields together the way they would not be
parted from one another in the right. And the sons of the King of Alban
said that they themselves and their people would go first to meet them.
So they came to shore, and made a rush to meet Diarmuid and Osgar. But
the two fought so well that they beat them back and scattered them, and
made a great slaughter, and put great terror on them, so that at the
last there was not a man left to stand against them.

And after that, Finn went out again o