se lands."

"Regard this lightly," spake then Siegfried, "and calm your mood. Do
as I pray you. Let me gain for you both worship and advantage and do ye
command your knights, that they gather to your aid. Should your mighty
foes be helped by thirty thousand (3) men, yet could I withstand them,
had I but a thousand; for that rely on me."

Then spake King Gunther: "For this I'll serve you ever."

"So bid me call a thousand of your men, since of mine own I have
but twelve, and I will guard your land. Faithfully shall the hand of
Siegfried serve you. Hagen shall help us and also Ortwin, Dankwart,
and Sindolt, your trusty men. Folker, the valiant man, shall also ride
along; he shall bear the banner, for to none would I liefer grant it.
Let now the envoys ride home to their masters' lands. Give them to
understand they soon shall see us, that our castles may rest in peace."

Then the king bade summon both his kinsmen and his men. The messengers
of Liudeger betook them to the court. Fain they were that they should
journey home again. Gunther, the good king, made offrance of rich gifts
and gave them safe-convoy. At this their spirits mounted high. "Now say
unto my foes," spake then Gunther, "that they may well give over their
journey and stay at home; but if they will seek me here within my lands,
hardships shall they know, and my friends play me not false."

Rich gifts men bare then for the envoys; enow of these had Gunther to
bestow, nor durst the men of Liudeger refuse them. When at last they
took their leave, they parted hence in merry mood.

Now when the messengers were come to Denmark and King Liudegast had
heard how they parted from the Rhine, as was told him, much he rued, in
sooth, their (4) proud defiance. The envoys said that Gunther had full
many a valiant man-at-arms and among them they saw a warrior stand,
whose name was Siegfried, a hero from Netherland. Little liked it
Liudegast when he heard aright this tale. When the men of Denmark
had heard these tidings told, they hasted all the more to call their
friends; till Sir Liudegast had gathered for his journey full twenty
thousand knights from among his valiant men. Then King Liudeger, also,
of Saxon land, sent forth his summons, till they had forty thousand men
and more, with whom they thought to ride to the Burgundian land.

Likewise at home King Gunther got him men-at-arms among his kin and the
liegemen of his brothers, and among Hagen's men whom they wishe