him with so great a force that his head was twisted sideways on his body, and he could not straighten it again.
"Now, Cael," said the Carle, "was it not a great mistake for you to come here, thinking that you would be allowed to tax Ireland and the Fianna in any manner you chose, and that none would be able to stand against you? The Fianna would be within their rights in putting you to death, but neither Fionn nor the Fians would have it said that they were so unchivalrous as to bring death on a man who had adventured solitary among them. If you will swear by the three powers of sun and moon and wind to send tribute every year from your country to the Fianna, as long as you live, you will be allowed to return to your own land in the condition you are now in."
Cael's spirit was broken by his defeat and the humiliation of his twisted neck, but he was glad enough to escape with his life, when he fully expected death would be his portion. So he solemnly vowed by the three powers that every year, as long as he remained alive, tribute should come from his kingdom to Fionn.
