rment away from him who was her husband.
Over Loki Siguna stood, holding in her hands a cup into which fell the
serpent's venom, thus sparing him from the full measure of anguish. Now
and then Siguna had to turn aside to spill out the flowing cup, and then
the drops of venom fell upon Loki and he screamed in agony, twisting in
his bonds. It was then that men felt the earth quake. There in his bonds
Loki stayed until the coming of Ragnaroek, the Twilight of the Gods.

PART IV

THE SWORD OF THE VOLSUNGS AND THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

[Illustration]

SIGURD'S YOUTH

In Midgard, in a northern Kingdom, a King reigned whose name was Alv; he
was wise and good, and he had in his house a fosterson whose name was
Sigurd.

Sigurd was fearless and strong; so fearless and so strong was he that he
once captured a bear of the forest and drove him to the King's Hall. His
mother's name was Hiordis. Once, before Sigurd was born, Alv and his
father who was King before him went on an expedition across the sea and
came into another country. While they were yet afar off they heard the
din of a great battle. They came to the battlefield, but they found no
living warriors on it, only heaps of slain. One warrior they marked: he
was white-bearded and old and yet he seemed the noblest-looking man Alv
or his father had ever looked on. His arms showed that he was a King
amongst one of the bands of warriors.

They went through the forest searching for survivors of the battle. And,
hidden in a dell in the forest, they came upon two women. One was tall
with blue, unflinching eyes and ruddy hair, but wearing the garb of a
serving-maid. The other wore the rich dress of a Queen, but she was of
low stature and her manner was covert and shrinking.

When Alv and his father drew near, the one who had on her the raiment of
a Queen said, "Help us, lords, and protect us, and we will show you
where a treasure is hidden. A great battle has been fought between the
men of King Lygni and the men of King Sigmund, and the men of King Lygni
have won the victory and have gone from the field. But King Sigmund is
slain, and we who are of his household hid his treasure and we can show
it to you."

"The noble warrior, white-haired and white-bearded, who lies yonder--is
he King Sigmund?"

The woman answered, "Yes, lord, and I am his Queen."

"We have heard of King Sigmund," said Alv's father. "His fame and the
fame of his race, the Volsungs, is over the