the ford." And again the fateful charioteer forebodes darkly for his master:—
"Woe to him who is on the hillock,
Awaiting the hound of valor!
I foretold last year
That there would come a heroic hound—
The hound of Emain Macha—
The hound of a territory, the hound of battle.
I hear, I have heard!"
Ferdiad reproached his charioteer as unfaithful, and as having received bribes from Cuchulaind.
Then they saw the chariot of Cuchulaind; "the beautiful four-peaked chariot, with a green pavilion, drawn by two fleet, broad-chested, high-flanked, wide-hoofed, slender-legged, broad-rumped horses; one of which was gray, the other black."
"And Cuchulaind reached the ford. Ferdiad came on the south side; Cuchulaind on the north side of the ford." The champions saluted each other; Cuchulaind said he was sorry to have to meet his friend in battle. Ferdiad replied, searching for a reason for disagreement, that when they were pupils in the war-schools of Scáthach and Uathach and Aife, Cuchulaind had been his attendant, to tie up his spears and prepare his bed.
"It is true, indeed." said Cuchulaind, "but it was then as thy junior I did this for thee; and this is not the story to be told hereafter. For there is not in the world a champion I would not fight this day."
