Now King Atli eggs on his folk to set on fiercely,
and eagerly they fight; but the Giukings fell on so hard that King Atli
gave back into the hall, and within doors was the fight, and fierce beyond
all fights.
That battle was the death of many a man, but such was
the ending thereof, that there fell all the folk of those brethren,
and they twain alone stood up on their feet, and yet many more must
fare to hell first before their weapons.
And now they fell on Gunnar the king, and because of
the host of men that set on him was hand laid on him, and he was cast
into fetters; afterwards fought Hogni, with the stoutest heart and the
greatest manlihood; and he felled to earth twenty of the stoutest of
the champions of King Atli, and many he thrust into the fire that burnt
amidst the hall, and all were of one accord that such a man might scarce
be seen; yet in the end was he borne down by many and taken.
Then said King Atli, "A marvellous thing how many men
have gone their ways before him! Cut the heart from out of him, and
let that be his bane!"
Hogni said, "Do according to thy will; merrily will
I abide whatso thou writ do against me; and thou shalt see that my heart
is not adrad, for hard matters have I made trial of ere now, and all
things that may try a man was I fain to bear, whiles yet I was unhurt;
but now sorely am I hurt, and thou alone henceforth will bear mastery
in our dealings together."
Then spake a counsellor of King Atli, "Better rede I
see thereto; take we the thrall Hjalli, and give respite to Hogni; for
this thrall is made to die, since the longer he lives the less worth
shall he be."
The thrall hearkened, and cried out aloft, and fled
away anywhither where he might hope for shelter, crying out that a hard
portion was his because of their strife and wild doings, and an ill
day for him whereon he must be dragged to death from his sweet life
and his swine-keeping. But they caught him, and turned a knife against
him, and he yelled and screamed or ever he felt the point thereof.
Then in such wise spake Hogni as a man seldom speaketh
who is fallen into hard need, for he prayed for the thrall's life, and
said that these shrieks he could not away with, and that it were a lesser
matter to him to play out the play to the end; and therewithal the thrall
gat his life as for that time: but Gunnar and Hogni are both laid in
fetters.
Then spake King Atli with Gunnar the king, and bade
him tell out concerning the gold, and where it was, if he would have
his life.
But he answered, "Nay, first will I behold the bloody
heart of Hogni, my brother."
So now they caught hold of the thrall again, and cut
the heart from out of him, and bore it unto King Gunnar, but he said
--
"The faint heart of Hjalli may ye here behold, little
like the proud heart of Hogni, for as much as it trembleth now more
by the half it trembled whenas it lay in the breast of him."
So now they fell on Hogni even as Atli urged them, and
cut the heart from out of him, but such was the might of his manhood,
that he laughed while he abode that torment, and all wondered at his
worth, and in perpetual memory is it held sithence. (1)
Then they showed it to Gunnar, and he said --
"The mighty heart of Hogni, little like the faint heart
of Hjalli, for little as it trembleth now, less it trembled whenas in
his breast it lay! But now, O Atli, even as we die so shalt thou die;
and lo, I alone wot where the gold is, nor shall Hogni be to tell thereof
now; to and fro played the matter in my mind whiles we both lived, but
now have I myself determined for myself, and the Rhine river shall rule
over the gold, rather than that the Huns shall bear it on the hands
of them."
Then said King Atli, "Have away the bondsman;" and so
they did.
But Gudrun called to her men, and came to Atli, and
said --
"May it fare ill with thee now and from henceforth,
even as thou hast ill held to thy word with me!"
So Gunnar was cast into a worm-close, and many worms
abode him there, and his hands were fast bound; but Gudrun sent him
a harp, and in such wise did he set forth his craft, that wisely he
smote the harp, smiting it with his foes, and so excellently well he
played, that few deemed they had heard such playing, even when the hand
had done it. And with such might and power he played, that all worms
fell asleep in the end, save one adder only, great and evil of aspect,
that crept unto him and thrust its sting into him until it smote his
heart; and in such wise with great hardihood he ended his life days.