Page:Heroes of the dawn.djvu/30

 leadership of the Fianna Eireann, and sometimes one would conquer, sometimes the other.

At this time Conn of the Hundred Battles was high king over Ireland and over the provincial kings; but Owen Mor, king of the southern province, rebelled and declared war on him, and Cumall with his Fians fought for Owen against Conn and the Fians of Goll mac Morna. The battle was held at Castle Knock, near Dublin, where the southern king was defeated and Cumall with many of his Fians were slain. The remnant of the Clan Basna fled to the hills and deep forests, but the Clan Morna pursued and destroyed them wherever they were found.

Fionn, the son of Cumall his—real name was Deimne, but I will tell you later how he gained the name of Fionn—was a small baby when his father was killed, and he, too, would have surely fallen a victim to the swords of the Clan Morna had not two Druidesses mysteriously appeared one day, and carried him away with them to the heights and forest fastnesses of the Slieve Bloom mountains.