said Sigmund, "and men will think
well of themselves when they take thee."

Then each went his way, but before Sigmund had gone far he was
attacked by a band of eight men. Then he gave forth the long wolf
howl, and Sinfiotli came and slew them all, and returned his way
again.

A few hours later eleven men met Sinfiotli in the woods and tried to
kill him, but he fought them in such wise that they were all slain.
Then, being weary, he crawled under an oak to take his rest. Soon came
Sigmund, and seeing the dead men lying on the ground, he asked: "Why
didst thou not call for help?"

But Sinfiotli only yawned and said: "I was loth to call on thee to
help me slay so few as eleven men."

These words so offended Sigmund that he sprang upon Sinfiotli and bit
him in the throat so sorely that he lay dead upon the ground.

Then was Sigmund heavy at heart, for he had grown to love the boy, and
he cursed the wolf skin, from which he could not get free. With much
difficulty, however, he succeeded in dragging the body to the hut,
where he crouched beside it, howling for grief.

Now, as he sat, he saw two weasels come from behind a tree, and one
bit the other in the throat, so that it lay to all appearance dead
upon the ground. Then the first weasel ran into a thicket and brought
a leaf in its mouth and laid it upon the wound; and immediately its
companion sprang up and scampered off, perfectly cured. A moment later
a raven, in his flight overhead, dropped a leaf of the same kind at
Sigmund's feet.

Then he knew that Odin had sent to his aid, and he took the leaf and
drew it over Sinfiotli's hurt, and the lad sprang up quite well and
strong again.

So they lay down together in their earth-house till the time came to
put off their wolf skins; and then they burnt them with fire and
prayed the Asa folk to let no further harm come through the spell of
the evil shapes.

Now when Sinfiotli was grown to manhood, Sigmund having tried him
fairly and found him of true Volsung blood, plotted with him to avenge
his kinsmen and exact the penalty from King Siggeir. Wherefore, on a
certain day they left the earth-house and came to the palace of the
king; and they gained, unperceived, a lurking-place amongst the casks
of ale which were stacked in the entrance to the hall.

Now Signy and the king were sitting in the hall, and two of their
younger children were trundling a golden ball along the floor.
Suddenly a golden ring came off the b