htly hers. Giselher and Gernot went for it.
Kriemhild sent eighty hundred men to fetch it from where it lay hid, and
where Albric with his nearest kinsmen guarded it.

When they saw the men of the Rhine come for the treasure, bold Albric
spake to his friends, "We dare not refuse her the treasure, for it is the
noble queen's wedding gift. Yet we had never parted with it, if we had
not lost with Siegfried the good _Tarnkappe_. At all times it was worn
by fair Kriemhild's husband. A woeful thing hath it proved for Siegfried
that he took from us the _Tarnkappe_, and won all this land to his
service."

Then the chamberlain went and got the keys. Kriemhild's men and some of
her kinsmen stood before the mountain. They carried the hoard to the
sea, on to the ships, and bare it across the eaves from the mountain to
the Rhine.

Now hear the marvels of this treasure. Twelve wagons scarce carried it
thence in four days and four nights, albeit each of them made the journey
three times. It was all precious stones and gold, and had the whole
world been bought therewith, there had not been one coin the less.
Certes, Hagen did not covet it without cause.

The wishing-rod lay among it, the which, if any discovered it, made him
master over every man in all the world.

Many of Albric's kinsmen went with Gernot. When Gernot and Giselher the
youth got possession of the hoard, there came into their power lands, and
castles, also, and many a good warrior, that served them through fear of
their might.

When the hoard came into Gunther's land, and the queen got it in her
keeping, chambers and towers were filled full therewith. One never heard
tell of so marvelous a treasure. But if it had been a thousand times
more, but to have Siegfried alive again, Kriemhild had gladly stood bare
by his side. Never had hero truer wife.

Now that she had the hoard, it brought into the land many stranger
knights; for the lady's hand gave more freely than any had ever seen.
She was kind and good; that must one say of her.

To poor and rich she began to give, till Hagen said that if she lived but
a while longer, she would win so many knights to her service that it must
go hard with the others.

But King Gunther said, "It is her own. It concerneth me not how she
useth it. Scarcely did I win her pardon. And now I ask not how she
divideth her jewels and her red gold."

But Hagen said to the king, "A wise man would leave such a treasure to n