[4]There was a wonderful warrior of the Ulstermen present at that covenant, and that was Fergus macRoig.  Fergus betook him to his tent.  “Woe is me, for the deed that will be done on the morning of the morrow!” “What deed is that?” his tent-folk asked.  “My good fosterling Cuchulain will be slain!” “Good lack! who makes that boast?” “Not hard to say:  None other but his dear, devoted foster-brother, Ferdiad son of Daman.  Why bear ye not my blessing,” Fergus continued, “and let one of you go with a warning and mercy to Cuchulain, if perchance he would leave the ford on the morn of the morrow?” “As we live,” said they; “though it were thyself was on the ford of battle, we would not go near him to seek thee.”  “Come, my lad,” cried Fergus, “get our horses for us, and yoke the chariot!"[4]

    [4-4] YBL. fo. 36a, 21-36.

Then were Fergus’ horses fetched for him and his chariot was yoked, and he came forward to the place [5]of combat[5] where Cuchulain was, to inform him [6]of the challenge, that Ferdiad was to fight with him.[6]

    [5-5] YBL. fo. 36a, 38.

    [6-6] Eg. 209.

[7]"A chariot cometh hither towards us, O Cuchulain!” cried Laeg.  For in this wise was the gilla, with his back towards his lord.  He used to win every other game of draughts and of chess from his master.  Watch and guard of the four airts was he besides.  “What manner of chariot is it?” asked Cuchulain.  “A chariot like to a royal fort, huge, with its yoke, strong, golden; with its great board of copper; with its shafts of bronze; with its thin-framed, dry-bodied box (?) ... set on two horses, black, swift, stout, strong-forked, thick-set, under beautiful shafts.  One kingly, broad-eyed warrior is the combatant in the chariot.  A curly, forked beard he wears that reaches below outside over the smooth lower part of his soft tunic, which would shelter fifty warriors on a day of storm and rain under the heavy shield of the warrior’s beard.  A bent buckler, white, beautiful, of many colours, he bears, with three stout-wrought chains, so that there is room from edge to edge for four troops of ten men behind the leather of the shield which hangs upon the broad back of the warrior.  A long, hard-edged, broad, red sword in a sheath woven and twisted of white silver, over the ... of the battle-warrior.  A strong, three-ridged spear, wound and banded with all-gleaming white silver he has lying across the chariot.”

    [7-7] YBL. fo. 36a, 39-36b, 15.

“Not difficult to recognize him,” said Cuchulain:  “’tis my master Fergus that cometh hither with a warning and with compassion for me, before all the four provinces of Erin.”