D001l-JAM.lt*. 



fought with great valour and manliness, and killed twenty of 

 King Atli's greatest champions ; he threw many into the fire 

 which had been kindled in the hall ; all agreed that' such a 

 man could hardly be found, but nevertheless at last. he was 

 overpowered and taken. King Atli said : ' It is a great wonder 

 that so many have been slain by him here ; cut out his heart, 

 and that shall be his death.' Hogni answered: 'Do as thoii 

 likest, I will gladly bear what you do, and you shall see that 

 my heart is not afraid, I have stood hard things before. I 

 liked to go into trials while unwounded, but now I am badly 

 wounded, and you will yet have your will on me.' The 

 counsellor of King Atli said : ' I have better advice ; let us 

 rather take the thrall Hjalli, but spare the life of Hogni ; that 

 thrall is death-fated, live he ever so long he will always be as 

 bad as now.' The thrall heard this and screamed loudly, and 

 ran away to where he thought he was safe. He said he was to 

 suffer on account of their light, and that it was undeservedly ; 

 that the day was evil on which he was to die and give up his 

 swine-keeping. They seized him and threatened him with a 

 knife ; he cried loudly before he felt its point. 



"Hogni did what is unusual in such personal peril, inter- 

 ceded for the thrall's life, saying he did not want to hear his 

 screaming, and that he preferred to be the sufferer himself ; 

 the thrall was glad to get his life. Hogni and (lunnar were 

 both put in fetters. Atli bade Gunnar tell where the gold 

 was, if he wished to live. He answered : ' I will sooner see the 

 bloody heart of my brother Hogni.' They seized the thrall a 

 second time, and cut his heart out, and show* d it to King 

 Gunnar. He said : 'Here you may see the heart of Hjalli the 

 coward, and it is unlike the heart of Hogni the brave, tor now 

 it trembles much, but it trembled twice as much when it lay 

 in his breast.' They went to Hogni, urged by King Atli, and 

 cut out his heart, but such was his strength of mind that he 

 smiled while he suffered this torture, and everybody wondered 

 at his firmness ; and the deed is ever since held in remem- 

 brance. They showed to Gunnar the heart of Hogni the 

 brave, who said : ' It is unlike the heart of Hjalli, for now it 

 quivers little, but less while it was in his breast ; thou wilt 

 lose thy life, Atli, as we do now. 1 alone know where the gold 

 is, for Hogni cannot tell thee now. I was sometimes going to 

 tell it while both of us lived, but now I am left to myself; the 

 Rhine shall keep the gold, rather than the Hunar wear it on 

 their arms. King Atli told them to take away the prisoner, 

 and it was done. Gudrun with some men went to Atli, and 

 said : ' Mayest thou fare as ill as thou didst keep thy word 

 to me.' 



