dder oar, which broke over Hagen's head. But the
warrior smote him so fiercely with his sword that he struck his head off
and cast it on the ground. The skiff began to drift down the stream,
and Hagen, wading into the water, had much ado to secure it and bring it
back. With might and main he pulled, and in turning it the oar snapped
in his hand. He then floated down stream, where he found his
lords standing by the shore. They came down to meet him with many
questionings, but Gunther, espying the blood in the skiff, knew well
what fate the ferryman had met with.

Hagen then called to the footmen to lead the horses into the river that
they might swim across. All the trappings and baggage were placed in
the skiff, and Hagen, playing the steersman, ferried full many mighty
warriors into the unknown land. First went the knights, then the
men-at-arms, then followed nine thousand footmen. By no means was Hagen
idle on that day.

On a sudden he espied the king's chaplain close by the chapel baggage,
leaning with his hands upon the relics, and recalling that the wise
women had told him that only this priest would return and none other of
the Nibelungs, he seized him by the middle and cast him from the skiff
into the Danube.

"Hold, Sir Hagen, hold!" cried his comrades. Giselher grew wroth; but
Hagen only smiled.

Then said Sir Gernot of Burgundy: "Hagen, what availeth you the
chaplain's death? Wherefore have ye slain the priest?"

But the clerk struck out boldly, for he wished to save his life. But
this Hagen would not have and thrust him to the bottom. Once more he
came to the surface, and this time he was carried by the force of the
waves to the sandy shore. Then Hagen knew well that naught might avail
against the tidings which the mermaids had told him, that not a Nibelung
should return to Burgundy.

When the skiff had been unloaded of baggage and all the company had been
ferried across, Hagen broke it in pieces and cast it into the flood.
When asked wherefore he had done so, and how they were to return from
the land of the Huns back to the Rhine, Hagen said:

"Should we have a coward on this journey who would turn his back on the
Huns, when he cometh to this stream he will die a shameful death."

In passing through Bavaria the Burgundians came into collision with
Gelfrat and his brother Else, and Gelfrat was slain. They were received
at Bechlarn by Ruediger, who treated them most hospitably and showered
many gifts