J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

7 6 -VTEST niGHLAM) TALES.
black dog of the people of Danan -with him, seeking a
battle of dogs. Every one of them had a pack of dogs,
and a dozen in every pack. The first one of them
Avent and shpped the first dozen. Tlie black dog killed
the dozen ; he killed them by the way of dozen and
dozen, till there was left but Bran in loneliness.
Said Fioim to Conan, " Let slip Bran, and, unless
Bran makes it out, we are done." He loosed liim.
The two dogs began at each other. It was not long
till Bran began to take driving ; they took fear when
they saw that ; but what was on Bran but a venemous
claw. There was a golden shoe on the claw of Venom,
and they had not taken off the shoe. Bran was look-
ing at Conan, and now Conan took off the shoe ; and
now he went to meet the black dog again ; and at the
third " spoch" he struck on him ; he took Ms throat
out. Then he took the heart and the liver out of his
chest. The dog took out to the knoll ; he knew that
foes were there. He began at them. A message came
in to Fionn that the dog was doing much harm to the
people Avithout. " Come," said Fionn to one of the
gillies, "and check the dog." The gillie went out,
and (was) together with the dog; a message came in
that the gilHe was working worse than the dog. From
man to man they went out till Fionn was left within
alone. The Feen killed the people of Danan alto-
gether. The lads of the Feen went out altogether, and
they did not remember that they had left Fionn
within. When the children of the king saw that the
rest were gone, they said that they would get the head
of Fionn and his heart. They began at him, and they
drove him backwards till he reached a crag of rock.
At tlie end of the house he set his back to it, and he
was keeping them off. Xow he remembered the dream.
He was tiglitly tried. Fionn liad the " Ord Fianna,"