“I will go,” said the second brother. “I have the best right.” He went and met the same fate as his brother.
“I will go this time,” said Conal.
The Yellow King’s daughter, Donach the Druid, and the Short Dun Champion seized Conal to keep him from going.
“If I do not live but a moment, I must go and knock satisfaction out of the herdsman for what he has done to my men,” cried out Conal. So he went, and walking up to the herdsman, asked the same questions as the two brothers.
“Come here and touch my finger tips.”
Conal walked up to the herdsman, caught his fingers, then ran under the rod and seized the herdsman; but if he did, the herdsman had him that moment on the flat of his back. But Conal was up, and had the herdsman down, and, drawing his sword, said, “I’ll have your head now unless you tell me why these three castles are here close together.”
“I will tell you, but do you remember, young Conal, when in our father’s castle how I used to get the first blow on you?”
“Are you my brother?” asked Conal.
“I am,” said the herdsman.
“Why did you kill my men?”