And
what it was that fell there in the night, and what it was that passed
like the shadow of a shadow into the Fairy Mound, none can tell, but
Finn bore back with him next day a pale, sorrowful head on the point
of Fiacha's spear, and the goblin troubled the folk of royal Tara no
more.
But Conn of the Hundred Battles called the Fianna together, and he set
Finn at his right hand and said, "Here is your Captain by birth-right
and by sword-right. Let who will now obey him hence-forward, and who
will not, let him go in peace and serve Arthur of Britain or Arist of
Alba, or whatsoever King he will." And Goll, son of Morna, said, "For
my part I will be Finn's man under thee, O King," and he swore
obedience and loyalty to Finn before them all. Nor was it hard for any
man to step where Goll had gone before, so they all took their oaths
of Fian service to Finn mac Cumhal. And thus it was that Finn came to
the captaincy of the Fianna of Erinn, and he ruled the Fianna many a
year till he died in battle with the Clan Urgrenn at Brea upon the
Boyne.
CHAPTER XI
Finn's Chief Men
With the coming of Finn did the Fianna of Erinn come to their glory,
and with his life their glory passed away. For he ruled them as no
other captain ever did, both strongly and wisely, and never bore a
grudge against any, but freely forgave a man all offences save
disloyalty to his lord.
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