and the weasel that was
bitten rose up and was sound and swift again.

Sigmund went searching for the herb he saw the weasel carry to his
comrade. And as he sought for it he saw a raven with a leaf in her beak.
She dropped the leaf as he came to her, and behold! It was the same leaf
as the weasel had brought to his comrade. Sigmund took it and laid it on
the wound he had made in Sinfiotli's throat, and the wound healed, and
Sinfiotli was sound once more. They went back to their hut in the
forest. And the next day they burnt the wolfskins, and they prayed the
Gods that they might never be afflicted with the wolf's evil nature
again. And Sigmund and Sinfiotli never afterwards changed their shapes.

[Illustration]

THE STORY OF THE VENGEANCE OF THE VOLSUNGS AND
OF THE DEATH OF SINFIOTLI

And now Sinfiotli had come to his full strength and it was time to take
vengeance on King Siggeir for the slaying of Volsung and the dread doom
he had set for Volsung's ten sons. Sigmund and Sinfiotli put helmets on
their heads and took swords in their hands and went to King Siggeir's
Hall. They hid behind the casks of ale that were at the entrance and
they waited for the men-at-arms to leave the Hall that they might fall
upon King Siggeir and his attendants.

The younger children of King Siggeir were playing in the Hall and one
let fall a ball. It went rolling behind the casks of ale. And the child
peering after the ball saw two men crouching with swords in their hands
and helmets on their heads.

The child told a servant who told the King. Then Siggeir arose, and he
drew his men-at-arms around him, and he set them on the men who were
hiding behind the barrels. Sigmund and Sinfiotli sprang up and fought
against the men of King Siggeir, but they were taken captives.

Now they might not be slain there and then, for it was unlawful to slay
captives after sunset. But for all that, King Siggeir would not leave
them above ground. He decreed that they should be put in a pit, and a
mound made over them so that they would be buried alive.

The sentence was carried out. A great flagstone was put down to divide
the pit in two, so that Sigmund and Sinfiotli might hear each other's
struggle and not be able to give help to each other. All was done as the
King commanded.

But while his thralls were putting sods over the pit, one came amongst
them, cloaked and hooded, and dropped something wrapped in straw into
the side of the pit whe