And the gillie that was with him told the tale of the adventure.
Now there was a law in Ireland that no man might be king who was disfigured by any bodily blemish.

His people, therefore, loving Fergus, kept from him all knowledge of his condition, and the Queen let all mirrors that were in the palace be put away.

But one day it chanced that a bondmaid was negligent in preparing the bath, and Fergus being impatient, gave her a stroke with a switch which he had in his hand.

The maid in anger turned upon him, and cried, "It would better become thee to avenge thyself on the riverhorse that hath twisted thy mouth, than to do brave deeds on women." Fergus then bade a mirror be fetched, and when he saw his face in it, he said, "The woman spake truth; the riverhorse of Loch Rury has done this thing." [Illustration: "Fergus goes down into the lake"] The next day Fergus put on the shoes of Iubdan and went forth to Loch Rury, and with him went the lords of Ulster.

And when he reached the margin of the lake he drew his sword and went down into it, and soon the waters covered him.
After a while those that watched upon the bank saw a bubbling and a mighty commotion in the waters, now here, now there, and waves of bloody froth broke at their feet.