d Lomna Druth had said to Ingcel, to
wit, that the folk of every room would sally forth still and deliver
their combat, and after that escape. So that none were left in the
Hostel in Conaire's company save Conall and Sencha and Dubthach.

Now from the vehement ardour and the greatness of the contest which
Conaire had fought, his great drouth of thirst attacked him, and he
perished of a consuming fever, for he got not his drink. So when the
king died those three sally out of the Hostel, and deliver a wily stroke
of reaving on the reavers, and fare forth from the Hostel, wounded,
to-broken and maimed.

Touching Mac cecht, however, he went his way till he reached the Well of
Casair, which was near him in Crich Cualann; but of water he found not
therein the full of his cup, that is, Conaire's golden cup which he had
brought in his hand. Before morning he had gone round the chief rivers
of Erin, to wit, Bush, Boyne, Bann, Barrow, Neim, Luae, Laigdae,
Shannon, Suir, Sligo, Samair, Find, Ruirthech, Slaney, and in them he
found not the full of his cup of water.

Then before morning he had travelled to the chief lakes of Erin, to wit,
Lough Derg, Loch Luimnig, Lough Foyle, Lough Mask, Long Corrib, Loch
Laig, Loch Cuan, Lough Neagh, Morloch, and of water he found not therein
the full of his cup.

He went his way till he reached Uaran Garad on Magh Ai. It could not
hide itself from him: so he brought thereout the full of his cup, and
the boy fell under his covering.

After this he went on and reached Da Derga's Hostel before morning.

When Mac cecht went across the third ridge towards the house, 'tis there
were twain striking off Conaire's head. Then Mac cecht strikes off the
head of one of the two men who were beheading Conaire. The other man
then was fleeing forth with the king's head. A pillar-stone chanced to
be under Mac cecht's feet on the floor of the Hostel. He hurls it at the
man who had Conaire's head and drove it through his spine, so that his
back broke. After this Mac cecht beheads him. Mac cecht then spilt the
cup of water into Conaire's gullet and neck. Then said Conaire's head,
after the water had been put into its neck and gullet:

"A good man Mac cecht! an excellent man Mac cecht!
A good warrior without, good within,
He gives a drink, he saves a king, he doth a deed.
Well he ended the champions I found.
He sent a flagstone on the warriors.
Well he hewed by the door of the Ho