tween
Siegmund and the sword of Hunding, and cried:

"Thrust, Siegmund! Thy sword shall preserve thee!" Instantly the whole
earth was filled with a dazzling fire, in which Wotan appeared,
foaming with rage. He thrust his spear to catch the blow of the
wolfling's sword, which broke in half upon it; while Hunding's point
pierced Siegmund's breast. Bruennhilde fell at Wotan's feet, while with
a shriek Sieglinde in the glade below fell as if dead. While Wotan
faced Hunding, Bruennhilde rushed down the mountain to save Sieglinde.
Taking her in her arms she sprang upon Grane and flew for the rock of
the Valkyries.

"Now go, thou miserable being," Wotan thundered at Hunding, and waving
his spear at him, the man fell dead.

"Now Bruennhilde, for thee! and for thy punishment!" he cried in an
awful voice, and amidst the crashing of Donner's hammer against the
sides of the universe and flames from heaven, Wotan disappeared.

ACT III

Away on a far mountain, the Valkyries were waiting for Bruennhilde's
coming. They were her sisters: Gerhilde, Ortlinde, Waltraute and
Schwertleite, seated upon a high place, dressed in their armour. From
time to time they gave the cry of the Valkyries:

"Ho-jo-to-ho! Ho-jo-to-ho! Heia-ha, heia-ha, heia-ha!" Soon this call
was answered by Helmwige, who could be seen coming on her horse, with
a slain warrior tied to her saddle.

The Valkyries were arriving from the four quarters of the earth--each
bearing a slain warrior. At last, all but Bruennhilde had come.

"We cannot go to Wotan without her," they said among themselves. "She
is his favourite and she brings to him those heroes he most desires.
We must not start for Walhall till she has come." Thus they talked
among themselves, now and then sounding their cry and laughing over
the misfortunes of mortals. At last one called:

"Look! Bruennhilde is coming in wildest haste. Look, look! Her pace is
so furious that the horse staggers. What lies on her saddle?" All
peered in amazement into the vale below.

"It is no man," one cried.

"It is a maid," shouted another.

"She does not greet us." They ran to help her from her horse, shouting
their war-cry as they went, and returned supporting Sieglinde, while
they surrounded Bruennhilde and questioned her wildly.

"Shield us!" she cried to them. "I am pursued. The war-father is
coming after me. He is foaming with rage. Hide us, shield us." All
looked at her in consternation.

"What hast tho