. 37b, 24.

[3-3] YBL. 37b, 25-38a, 25.

Ferdiad came to the ford of combat. "Look, my lad!" said Ferdiad, "is
Cuchulain on the ford?" "That he is not," replied the gilla. "Look well for
us," said Ferdiad. "Cuchulain is not a little speck where he would be in
hiding," answered the gilla. "'Tis true, then, my lad; till this day
Cuchulain hath not heard of a goodly warrior coming to meet him on the
Cow-spoil of Cualnge, and now when he has heard of one, he has left the
ford."

"Shame for thee to slander Cuchulain in his absence. Rememberest thou not
when ye gave battle to German Garbglas above the borders of the Tyrrhene
Sea, thou leftest thy sword with the hosts, and it was Cuchulain who slew a
hundred warriors till he reached it and brought it to thee? And mindest
thou well where we were that night?" the gilla asked further. "I know not,"
Ferdiad answered. "At the house of Scathach's steward," said the other;
"and thou wentest ... and proudly in advance of us all into the house. The
churl gave thee a blow with his three-pointed fork in the small of the
back, so that thou flewest like a bolt out over the door. Cuchulain came in
and gave the churl a blow with his sword, so that he made two pieces of
him. I was their house-steward whilst ye were in that place. If it were
that day, thou wouldst not say thou wast a better warrior than Cuchulain."
"Wrong is what thou hast done, O gilla," said Ferdiad; "for I would not
have come to the combat, hadst thou spoken thus to me at first. Why dost
thou not lay the chariot-poles at my side and the skin-coverings under my
head, that so I may sleep now?" "Alas," said the gilla, "'tis a sorry sleep
before deer and packs of wolves here!" "How so, gilla? Art thou not able to
keep watch and guard for me?" "I am," the gilla answered; "unless they come
in clouds or in the air to attack thee, they shall not come from east or
from west to attack thee without warning, without notice."[3] "Come,
gilla," said Ferdiad, [1]"unharness the horses and[1] [W.3285.] spread for
me the cushions and skins of my chariot under me here, so that I sleep off
my heavy fit of sleep and slumber here, for I slept not the last part of
the night with the anxiousness of the battle and combat."

[1-1] Stowe.

The gilla unharnessed the horses; he unfastened the chariot under him,
[1]and spread beneath him the chariot-cloths.[1] He slept off the heavy fit
of sleep that was on him. [2]The gilla remained on watc