arding it and guarding my right of hunting?" And
Goll saw there was anger on Finn, and he said: "It is a long time, Finn,
I have that rent on the men of Lochlann, from the time your father put
war and quarrels on me, and the King of Ireland joined with him, and I
was made to quit Ireland by them. And I went into Britain," he said,
"and I took the country and killed the king himself and did destruction
on his people, but Cumhal put me out of it; and from that I went to
Fionnlochlann, and the king fell by me, and his household, and Cumhal
put me out of it; and I went from that to the country of the Saxons, and
the king and his household fell by me, and Cumhal put me out of it. But
I came back then to Ireland, and I fought a battle against your father,
and he fell by me there. And it was at that time I put this rent upon
the men of Lochlann. And, Finn," he said, "it is not a rent of the
strong hand you have put on them, but it is a tribute for having the
protection of the Fianna of Ireland, and I do not lessen that. And you
need not begrudge that tribute to me," he said, "for if I had more than
that again, it is to you and to the men of Ireland I would give it."

There was great anger on Finn then, and he said: "You tell me, Goll," he
said, "by your own story, that you came from the city of Beirbhe to
fight against my father, and that you killed him in the battle; and it
is a bold thing you to tell that to me." "By your own hand," said Goll,
"if you were to give me the same treatment your father gave me, I would
pay you the same way as I paid him." "It would be hard for you to do
that," said Finn, "for there are a hundred men in my household against
every man there is in your household." "That was the same with your
father," said Goll, "and I avenged my disgrace on him; and I would do
the same on yourself if you earned it," he said.

Then Cairell of the White Skin, son of Finn, said: "It is many a man of
Finn's household you have put down, Goll!" And Bald Conan when he heard
that said: "I swear by my arms, Goll was never without having a hundred
men in his household, every one of them able to get the better of
yourself." "And is it to them you belong, crooked-speaking, bare-headed
Conan?" said Cairell. "It is to them I belong, you black, feeble,
nail-scratching, rough-skinned Cairell; and I will make you know it was
Finn was in the wrong," said Conan.

With that Cairell rose up and gave a furious blow of his fist to Conan