id not eat the Dragon's heart. When he came to where he had
left it roasting he found that the fire had burnt it utterly.

[Illustration]

THE STORY OF SIGMUND AND SIGNY

He called to Grani, his proud horse; he stood up on a mound in the Heath
and he sent forth a great shout. And Grani heard in the cave where Regin
had left him and he came galloping to Sigurd with flowing mane and eyes
flashing fire.

He mounted Grani and he rode to Fafnir's cave. When he went into the
place where the Dragon was wont to lie he saw a door of iron before him.
With Gram, his mighty sword, he hewed through the iron, and with his
strong hands he pulled the door back. Then, before him he saw the
treasure the Dragon guarded, masses of gold and heaps of shining jewels.

But as he looked on the hoard Sigurd felt some shadow of the evil that
lay over it all. This was the hoard that in the far-off days the
River-Maidens watched over as it lay deep under the flowing water. Then
Andvari the Dwarf forced the River-Maidens to give it to him. And Loki
had taken it from Andvari, letting loose as he did Gulveig the Witch who
had such evil power over the Gods. For the sake of the hoard Fafnir had
slain Hreidmar, his father, and Regin had plotted death against Fafnir,
his brother.

Not all this history did Sigurd know. But a shadow of its evil touched
his spirit as he stood there before the gleaming and glittering heap. He
would take all of it away, but not now. The tale that the birds told was
in his mind, and the green of the forest was more to him than the
glitter of the treasure heap. He would come back with chests and load it
up and carry it to King Alv's hall. But first he would take such things
as he himself might wear.

He found a helmet of gold and he put it on his head. He found a great
armring and his put it around his arm. On the top of the armring there
was a small fingerring with a rune graved upon it. Sigurd put it on his
finger. And this was the ring that Andvari the Dwarf had put the curse
upon when Loki had taken the hoard from him.

He knew that no one would cross the Heath and come to Fafnir's lair, so
he did not fear to leave the treasure unguarded. He mounted Grani, his
proud horse, and rode toward the forest. He would seek the House of
Flame where she lay sleeping, the maiden who was the wisest and the
bravest and the most beautiful in the world. With his golden helmet
shining above his golden hair Sigurd rode on.