th with all their
friends. Hildebrand could ask no more for grief. He said, "Grant now,
ye warriors, that for which my master sent me. Give us dead Rudeger from
out the hall, with whom all our joy hath perished, and let us requite him
for all the kindness he hath shown to us and many another. Like him we
are homeless. Why tarry ye? Let us bear him hence, and serve him dead,
as we had gladly served him living."

Then said King Gunther, "No service is better than that of friends to a
dead friend. I approve the true hearth of him that doeth it. Ye have
cause to praise him. He hath shown you much love."

"How long shall we entreat?" cried Wolfhart. "Sith ye have slain our
joy, and we can have him no more, let us bear him hence to bury him."

But Folker answered, "Ye shall get him from none here. Come and take him
out of the house, where he lieth with his death-wounds in the blood. So
shall ye serve Rudeger truly."

Cried bold Wolfhart, "God knoweth, sir fiddler, thou dost wrong to
provoke us further; thou hast done us hurt enow. If I dared before my
master, it would go hard with thee. We may not fight; he hath forbidden
it."

The fiddler said, "He that avoideth all that is forbidden is over
fearful. He hath not the right hero's heart."

Hagen approved the word of his comrade. But Wolfhart cried, "Give over
mocking, or I will put thy fiddle-strings out of tune, that thou mayest
have somewhat to tell, if ever thou ridest again to Burgundy. I can no
longer, with honour, endure thine insolence."

The fiddler answered, "If thou spoilest my strings, my hand will dim thy
helmet afore I ride back to Burgundy."

Wolfhart would have run at him, but his uncle, Hildebrand, held him fast
and would not let him. "Thou art mad in thy foolish wrath. We should
come in disgrace forever with my master."

"Let loose the lion that is so grim, sir knight. But if he fall into my
hand," said Folker, "I will slay him, though he had laid the whole world
dead. There will be an end of his hot answers."

Wolfhart fell in a fury thereat. He lifted his shield and sprang at him
like a wild lion. His friends followed after. But, quick though he was,
old Hildebrand came before any to the stair-way, that he might not be
second in the fight. They found plenty to meet them among the strangers.

Hagen leapt upon Master Hildebrand. The weapons rang loud in their
hands, for it was well seen they were wroth. A fire-red wind bl