“Come, and claim a renown to match mine,” said Ket; “else let me divide this Boar.”

“It shall never be thy part to be the first to divide it,” said a great fair-haired warrior of the men of Ulster.

“Who then is this?” said Ket.

“’Tis Eogan, son of Durthacht,"[FN#15] said they all; “Eogan, the lord of Fernmay.”

“I have seen him upon an earlier day,” said Ket.

“Where hast thou seen me?” said Eogan.

“It was before thine own house,” said Ket.  “As I was driving away thy cattle, a cry of war was raised in the lands about me; and thou didst come out at that cry.  Thou didst hurl thy spear against me, and it was fixed in my shield; but I hurled the same spear back against thee, and it tore out one of thy two eyes.  All the men of Ireland can see that thou art one-eyed; here is the man that struck thine other eye out of thy head,” and he also sat down.

“Make ye ready again for the strife for renown, O ye men of Ulster!” cried Ket.  “Thou hast not yet gained the right to divide the Boar,” said Munremur, Gerrcind’s son.

“Is that Munremur?” cried Ket; “I have but one short word for thee, O Munremur!  Not yet hath the third day passed since I smote the heads off three warriors who came from your lands, and the midmost of the three was the head of thy firstborn son!” and Munremur also sat down.

“Come to the strife for renown!” cried Ket.

“That strife will I give to thee,” said Mend the son of Salcholcam (the Sword-heeled).

“Who is this?” asked Ket.

“’Tis Mend,” said all who were there.

“Hey there!” cried Ket.  “The son of the man with the nickname comes to measure his renown with mine!  Why, Mend, it was by me that the nickname of thy father came; ’twas I who cut the heel from him with my sword so that he hopped away from me upon one leg!  How shall the son of that one-legged man measure his renown with mine?” and he also sat down.

[FN#15] Pronounced Yeogan, son of Doorha.

“Come to the strife for renown!” cried Ket.

“That warfare shalt thou have from me!” said an Ulster warrior, tall, grey, and more terrible than the rest.

“Who is this?” asked Ket.

“’Tis Celtchar, the son of Uitechar,” cried all.

“Pause thou a little, Celtchar,” said Ket, “unless it be in thy mind to crush me in an instant.  Once did I come to thy dwelling, O Celtchar, a cry was raised about me, and all men hurried up at that cry, and thou also camest beside them.  It was in a ravine that the combat between us was held; thou didst hurl thy spear against me, and against thee I also hurled my spear; and my spear pierced thee through the leg and through the groin, so that from that hour thou hast been diseased, nor hath son or daughter been born to thee.  How canst thou strive in renown with me?” and he also sat down.

“Come to the strife for renown!” cried Ket.