the ground,
and unloosed the cords which bound him; and at the same time the hounds
were unleashed, and set upon the angry, frightened creature. Hemmed in
on every side, the bear rushed blindly forwards, and leaped over the
fires, where the cooks were busy with the dinner. Pots and kettles were
knocked about in great confusion, and the scared cooks thrown sprawling
upon the ground; and many a dainty dish and savory mess was spoiled. The
bear fled fast down the forest road, followed by the baying hounds and
the fleet-footed warriors. But none dared shoot an arrow at him for fear
of killing the dogs; and it seemed as if he would surely escape, so
fast he ran away. Then Siegfried bounded forwards, swifter than a
deer, overtook the bear, and with one stroke of the sword gave him his
death-blow. And all who saw this feat of strength and quickness wondered
greatly, and felt that such a hero must indeed be without a peer.

When Gunther's cooks had made the dinner ready, the company sat down on
the grass, and all partook of a merry meal; for the bracing air and the
morning's sport had made sharp appetites. But, when they had eaten, they
were surprised to find that there was nothing to drink. Indeed, there
was neither wine nor water in the camp.

"How glad I am," said Siegfried gayly, "that I am not a huntsman by
trade, if it is a huntsman's way to go thus dry! Oh for a glass of wine,
or even a cup of cold spring-water, to quench my thirst!"

"We will make up for this oversight when we go back home," said Gunther;
and his heart was black with falsehood. "The blame in this matter should
rest on Hagen, for it was he who was to look after the drinkables."

"My lord," said Hagen, "I fell into a mistake by thinking that we would
dine, not here, but at the Spessart Springs; and thither I sent the
wine."

"And is there no water near?" asked Siegfried.

"Yes," answered Hagen. "There is a cool, shady spring not far from
here, where the water gushes in a clear, cold stream from beneath a
linden-tree. Do but forgive me for the lack of wine, and I will lead you
to it. It is a rare spring, and the water is almost as good as wine."

"Better than wine for me!" cried Siegfried. And he asked to be shown to
the spring at once.

Hagen arose, and pointed to a tree not far away, beneath whose spreading
branches Siegfried could see the water sparkling in the sunlight.

"Men have told me," said the chief, "that the Nibelungen king is very
f