st at him, and took his head off. Druim was
the name of that place henceforth.

'Great is the mockery to you,' said Medb, 'not to hunt the deer
of misfortune yonder that is killing you.'

Then they start hunting him, till they broke the shafts of their
chariots thereat.

_The Death of Orlam_

They go forth then over Iraird Culend in the morning. Cuchulainn
went forward; he overtook the charioteer of Orlam, son of Ailill
and Medb, in Tamlacht Orlaim, a little to the north of Disert
Lochait, cutting wood there. (According to another version, it is
The shaft of Cuchulainn's chariot that had broken, and it is to cut
a shaft that he had gone when he met Orlam's charioteer. It is the
charioteer who cut the shafts according to this version.)

'It is over-bold what the Ulstermen are doing, if it is they who
are yonder,' said Cuchulainn, 'while the host is behind them.' He
goes to the charioteer to reprove him; he thought that he was of
Ulster, and he saw the man cutting wood, that is the chariot shaft.

'What are you doing here?' said Cuchulainn.

'Cutting chariot-shafts,' said the charioteer. 'We have broken our
chariots hunting the wild deer Cuchulainn yonder. Help me,' said
the charioteer. 'Look only whether you are to select the shafts, or
to strip them.'

'It will be to strip them indeed,' said Cuchulainn.

Then Cuchulainn stripped the shafts through his fingers in the
presence of the other, so that he cleared them both of bark and
knots.

'This cannot be your proper work that I put on you,' said the
charioteer; he was greatly afraid.

'Whence are you?' said Cuchulainn.

'The charioteer of Orlam, son of Ailill and Medb,' said he. 'And
you?' said the charioteer.

'My name is Cuchulainn,' said he.

'Alas!' said the charioteer.

'Fear nothing,' said Cuchulainn. 'Where is your master?' said he.

'He is in the trench yonder,' said the charioteer.

'Go forth then with me,' said Cuchulainn, 'for I do not kill
charioteers at all.'

Cuchulainn goes to Orlam, kills him, cuts his head off, and shakes
his head before the host. Then he puts the head on the charioteer's
back, and said to him:

'Take that with you,' said Cuchulainn, 'and go to the camp thus. If
you do not go thus, a stone will come to you from my sling.'

When he got near the camp, he took the head from his back, and told
his adventures to Ailill and Medb.

'This is not like taking birds,' said she.

And he said, 'Unless I brought it on m