"
"The boar is good," said Conor.
"It is a fine boar," said Ailill; "and now, O mac Datho, how shall it
be divided among us?"
There was among the Ulster company one Bricru, son of Carbad, whose
delight was in biting speeches and in fomenting strife, though he
himself was never known to draw sword in any quarrel. He now spoke
from his couch in answer to Ailill:
"How should the boar be divided, O son of Datho, except by appointing
to carve it him who is best in deeds of arms? Here be all the valiant
men of Ireland assembled; have none of us hit each other a blow on the
nose ere now?"
"Good," said Ailill, "so let it be done."
"We also agree," said Conor; "there are plenty of our lads in the
house that have many a time gone round the border of the Provinces."
"You will want them to-night, Conor," said an old warrior from Conlad
in the West. "They have often been seen on their backs on the roads of
rushy Dedah, and many a fat steer have they left with me."
"It was a fat bullock thou didst have with thee once upon a day,"
replied Moonremar of Ulster, "even thine own brother, and by the rushy
road of Conlad he came and went not back."
"'Twas a better man than he, even Irloth, son of Fergus mac Leda, who
fell by the hand of Echbael in Tara Luachra," replied Lugad of
Munster.
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