Not all the brave fighters in the battle of Ventry Strand were on the Fenian side. Other men could face great odds, too. The three smiths, who had fallen that day, had a brother still on the ship of the High King. When this man saw the result of the fight, he let out a mighty shout of grief and rage. He went straight to the High King.
“Tomorrow I am going to meet the two hundred Fenians,” he said. “What is more, I am going alone. If any of our men try to interfere with me, I shall kill them.”
The High King knew that this man was the greatest champion on his side. He was willing to have him go out and strike terror into the hearts of the Fenians. He gave orders that he should be the only one to land next day.
For the next day’s battle Finn had no great leader for his men. One young Fenian, anxious to gain glory for himself, offered to lead the two hundred. Finn let him go. All day long the two hundred Fenians faced this one champion. By night the foreigner was alone on the field. A shout of victory went up from the ships of the High King. The Fenians were far from joyous to see such valor on the side of the enemy.
The next day this champion again defeated the two hundred Fenians, and for the four days following, the combats ended the same. Finn was getting desperate. He could not go out and meet the man himself, because if he were killed or badly wounded, his men would be leaderless and the forces of the High King would gain the victory.
How he wished for Dermot in this hour of need! The splendid example of this great hero would have done the Fenians more good than a thousand soldiers. Ossian and Oscar, too badly wounded to fight, pled with Finn to relent and send for his one-time champion and dearest friend. But Finn’s pride would not permit him to do this. The thought that Dermot had yielded to a woman’s plea to be false to his chief, cut him to the heart.
All great men have their moments of weakness. The one dark spot on the record of Finn is his treatment of Dermot. One point we find in his favor. It is the fact that he did not send for Dermot during the battle. If he could not forgive him because he felt the justice of his friend’s position, he would not say so because he needed his sword.
In this hour of need another hero arrived on the Fenian side. The son of the King of Ulster heard of this battle and longed to take part in it. Though little more than a boy he went to his father and asked his permission. His father met this request with an angry reply.
“What nonsense!” he exclaimed. “You are only a boy and not fit to go into battle.”
The king not only forbade his going, but he set over him a guard of his twelve foster-brothers to see that he did not go without permission. But the boy was not to be denied. He talked so earnestly with his brothers that he fired them with a desire to take part in the great battle. In the end all thirteen slipped away to the camp of Finn.