They came to land then, and they asked had he news of the grandson of Duibhne.  “I saw him not long ago,” said Diarmuid.  “If that is so, let us know where is he,” said they, “till we bring his head to Finn, son of Cumhal.”  “I would be keeping bad watch for him if I did that,” said Diarmuid, “for his life and his body are under the protection of my valour, and by reason of that I will do no treachery on him.”  “Is that true?” said they.  “It is true indeed,” said Diarmuid.  “Let you yourself quit this place, so,” they said, “or we will bring your head to Finn since you are an enemy to him.”  “It is in bonds I would be,” said Diarmuid, “the time I would leave my head with you.”  And with that he drew his sword the Mor-alltach out of its sheath, and he made a fierce blow at the head nearest him that put it in two halves.  Then he made an attack on the whole host of the Green Champions, and began to destroy them, cutting through the beautiful shining armour of the men of Muir-na-locht till there was hardly a man but got shortening of life and the sorrow of death, or that could go back to give news of the fight, but only the three kings and a few of their people that made their escape back to their ships.  Diarmuid turned back then without wound or hurt on him, and he went to where Crania and Muadhan were.  They bade him welcome, and Grania asked him did he hear any news of Finn and the Fianna of Ireland, and he said he did not, and they ate their food and spent the night there.

He rose up again with the early light of the morrow and went back to the hill, and when he got there he struck a great blow on his shield that set the strand shaking with the sound.  And Dubh-chosach heard it, and he said he himself would go fight with Diarmuid, and he went on shore there and then.

And he and Diarmuid threw the arms out of their hands and rushed on one another like wrestlers, straining their arms and their sinews, knotting their hands on one another’s backs, fighting like bulls in madness, or like two daring hawks on the edge of a cliff.  But at the last Diarmuid raised up Dubh-chosach on his shoulder and threw his body to the ground, and bound him fast and firm on the spot.  And Fionn-chosach and Treun-chosach came one after the other to fight with him then, and he put the same binding on them; and he said he would strike the heads off them, only he thought it a worse punishment to leave them in those bonds.  “For there is no one can free you,” he said.  And he left them there, worn out and sorrowful.

The next morning after that, Diarmuid told Grania the whole story of the strangers from beginning to end, and of all he had done to them, and how on the fifth day he had put their kings in bonds.  “And they have three fierce hounds in a chain ready to hunt me,” he said.  “Did you take the heads off those three kings?” said Grania, “I did not,” said Diarmuid, “for there is no man of the heroes of Ireland can loosen those bonds but four only, Oisin, son of Finn, and Osgar, son of Oisin, and Lugaidh’s Son of the Strong Hand, and Conan, son of Morna; and I know well,” he said, “none of those four will do it.  But all the same, it is short till Finn will get news of them, and it is best for us to be going from this cave, or Finn and the three hounds might come on us.”