In the morning he woke early and gave a mighty shout.
Even though their ears were filled with wax the Fenians could not fail to hear his voice. They struggled from their sleep and rubbed their eyes in astonishment to see, not a heap of smoking ruins, but Tara, resplendent in the morning sun.
They came with all speed, Conn and Gaul in the lead, to the spot where Finn stood pointing at the head of their late enemy.
“Who are you, brave youth?” asked Conn. “You are no common man since you have done what no one else could do.”
Then Finn drew himself up and in a loud voice cried:
“I claim my inheritance—the castle of Alma and the leadership of the Fenians. I am Finn, son of Cool, and these things belong to me in my right.”
“What I have promised I will fulfill,” declared Conn. “I give you your inheritance the more willingly because your father was my friend and loyal subject until I decided unfairly against him.”
Then Gaul of Morna gave up the leadership of the Fenians and put his hand in that of Finn to show that he was willing to be his friend and follower. The other leaders followed his example. It must have gone hard with some of these mighty chiefs to swear fealty to a ten year old boy. The only thing that made such a thing possible was that Finn had done something no other of them could do and had entered the class of a champion by killing the giant.
Thus Finn MacCool became the leader of the Fenians.