Then, not knowing what else to do with him in his sore plight they
clapped upon his back the nearest thing they could find, which was the
skin of a black sheep that they took from a peasant's flock hard by,
and it grew there, and Conan wore it till his death.
Though Conan was a coward and rarely adventured himself in battle with
the Fianna, it is told that once a good man fell by his hand. This was
on the day of the great battle with the pirate horde on the Hill of
Slaughter in Kerry.[21] For Liagan, one of the invaders, stood out
before the hosts and challenged the bravest of the Fians to single
combat, and the Fians, in mockery, thrust Conan forth to the fight.
When he appeared, Liagan laughed, for he had more strength than wit,
and he said, "Silly is thy visit, thou bald old man." And as Conan
still approached, Liagan lifted his hand fiercely, and Conan said,
"Truly thou art in more peril from the man behind than from the man in
front." Liagan looked round; and in that instant Conan swept off his
head and then threw down his sword and ran for shelter to the ranks of
the laughing Fians. But Finn was very wroth because he had won the
victory by a trick.
[21] The hill still bears the name, Knockanar.
And one of the chiefest of the friends of Finn was Dermot of the Love
Spot.
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