birds near
by, which exclaimed that Regin was coming behind him to slay him with
his own sword! Enraged at such ingratitude and treachery, Sigurd now
slew Regin, and after piling up most of the treasure in a cave,--where
it continued to be guarded by the dragon's corpse,--Sigurd rode away,
taking with him his sword, the magic helmet, and the ring.

Still guided by the birds, Sigurd next rode up a mountain, crowned by
a baleful light, which he presently discovered emanated from a fire
forming a barrier of flame around a fortress. Setting spurs to his
divine steed, Sigurd rode right through these flames, which then
flickered and died down, and discovered in the centre of the fortress
a mound, whereon lay an apparently lifeless warrior. Using his sword
to cut the armor fastenings, Sigurd discovered, beneath this armor,
the Valkyr or battle-maiden Brynhild, who, on recovering
consciousness, hailed her return to life and light with rapture and
warmly thanked her deliverer. Then the two, having fallen in love with
each other at first sight, explained to each other who they were; and
Sigurd, after relating his own origin and adventures, learned that
Brynhild, a Valkyr, having defied Odin by saving a man he had doomed
to death, had been condemned to mate with any mortal who claimed her
hand. Dreading to become the prey of a coward, Brynhild implored Odin
to surround her with a barrier of fire which none save a brave man
could cross. Although a goddess, she admits she loves her rescuer, and
gladly accepts the magic ring he tenders and promises to be his wife.

Then he set the ring on her finger and once, if ne'er again,
They kissed and clung together, and their hearts were full and fain.

The hero, however, doomed to press on in quest of further adventures,
soon left Brynhild in the castle where he had found her, still
protected by the barrier of flame, and rode off to Burgundy, the land
of the Niblungs. Here reigned Guiki, whose fair daughter Gudrun once
dreamt that a falcon, after hovering for some time over her house,
nestled in her bosom, which she soon beheld dyed red by its
life-blood. Disturbed by this ominous dream, Gudrun visited Brynhild
and besought her interpretation, only to learn she would marry a king
who would in time be slain by his foes.

Shortly after this occurrence, Sigurd reached the land of the Niblungs
and challenged Gunnar, brother of Gudrun, to fight. But, rather than
cross swords with the slaye