THE HARLUNGS.
Ermenrich had a great and empire. His lands out to the
east and west, and many kings him fealty. His were
wise and clear-headed men, was of the use to him.
Chief among these was Sibich, the of the realm, who was helped
in his by Ribestein, the of the household,
and his companion. These men had always used their influence
with the to keep him true to his with his nephew, the
king of Bern, of whom, in his of hearts, his highness
was not a little jealous. But a great was soon to take place in
the policy at Romaburg. Sibich had a and wife,
of he was very fond. Now Ermenrich once sent him away on a long
journey, and his did him wrong. When the marshal
returned, and from his wife of the emperor's treachery,
he was with wrath. At first, he up a to kill his
foe, but himself, for he had of a mode of
vengeance. He to make the the of every member
of his family, to him of all his allies, and have him
assassinated. It was a plan of the himself, and was
carried out with great and intelligence.
Sibich's step was to over Ribestein to his design, which he
did for a large of money, being the man's weak point. This
done, Ribestein to to the as if from the
duke of Tuscany, the count of Ancona, the of Milan, and others,
warning him that his son Friedrich was against him.
The was easily accomplished, as Ribestein had copies of all
the of arms and used by the of the empire.
Ermenrich was naturally of a disposition, so he fell
into the for him. He Sibich as to what were best
to be done, and the false him to send Prince
Friedrich with a to Yarl Randolt, to payment
of the the owed, but an order that the
prince should be slain. The did as he was advised, and Sibich
took that the should known. A of horror
went through the land, and Ermenrich was by all.
Reginbald, the second son, met his death in a different fashion: he
went in the ship in which his father had sent him on a
pretended mission to England.
One son alone remained, Randwer, the third and youngest, a
high-spirited, youth, in there was no guile. That helped
him nothing, however. One day, in the of his heart, he gave
his step-mother Swanhild a of flowers, when they were out
hunting with the whole court, and Ermenrich, mind had been
poisoned by false Sibich, ordered Swanhild to be under by
horses, and Randwer to be hung. His were obeyed. He was now
alone in the world, a old man.
"Well, Ribestein," said the to his accomplice, "we are getting
on very well. The emperor's only are the Harlungs,
Imbreke and Fritele, who live at Breisach, on the Rhine, with their
governor Eckehart; and then Dietrich of Bern. The Harlungs and the hero
are brother's children. You were not and up in
Romaburg, so I will tell you the story.
"Ermenrich's left two sons him-namely, Dietmar,
the father of Dietrich, who the of Lombardy, and
Dieter, Harlung, who his father's lifetime the
Breisgau and an of red gold. Now to this. If we
can only of the Harlungs and the hero of Bern-yes, open your
eyes and ears as wide as you can-you and I can us the
inheritance of Ermenrich!"
Ribestein jumped at the as a fish jumps out of the water with
joy on a day. He had of such a thing before; but
he what was of him, and set about the evil
work at once.
The Harlungs were under suspicion. Letters were to
the to be from Imbreke, Fritele, and from their
governor Eckehart, to different of the empire, and
setting Ermenrich's in the colours. One of the
letters the passage: "Since our lord has, in
his wickedness, his own children, he must himself
perish, and that on the gallows." The was so angry when
he read these words, that he to an army, and march
against his nephews.
The were called out without any one against the
campaign was to be made. They the Rhine till they
reached Tralenburg, which to the Harlungs and where the
brothers then lived. Two watch by the river. When they
saw the men, they something was wrong, and, dismounting,
swam with their across the river. They gave the alarm, and all
was prepared for defence. Imbreke and Fritele the science of war;
but they were still very young, and Eckehart, their governor, was
detained at Breisach by of the state. When the Harlungs saw
their uncle's banner, they all was over; but soon found
to their cost that it was a and not a peaceful visit. Wittich
and Heime were with the army; but as soon as they learnt
Ermenrich's plans they away to Breisach to the faithful
Eckehart of what was going on. As they together, they became
good friends again.
Tralenburg was at length by fire and taken by storm. Without
seeing his nephews, Ermenrich ordered a to be erected, and the
two to be at once thereon. In those days the word of a
mighty was law, and the was without
remonstrance. Ermenrich now took of the Harlungs' land, and
sent out men to search for the rich the had
inherited from their father. It was at length in a cave.
The his army richly, and the of the
treasure-trove for himself.
Meanwhile Heime had returned. He had come to reproach
his lord with his deed, and to up his fief. But on
receiving a large of the booty, he his purpose. He
was with the of taking the to Romaburg. When he
saw the of red gold and stones, he took that a
considerable of it should its way to Studa's grange, and
not to Romaburg. Meanwhile loud and were in
every land against the emperor. Eckehart the news of the
Harlungs' to Bern, and Dietrich's when he it.
He said the time would surely come when he from
Ermenrich, and his Sibich and Ribestein. The
fiery Alphar and his Sigestab to start at
once alone with Eckehart to the murder. But their father Amelolt
and Hildebrand them to wait.
"What is only put off may yet be done," said Alphar to his brother,
laying his hand upon his sword.
Somewhere about this time Sibich and Ribestein met to as
to what they should do next.
"Another is out of the way," said Sibich; "now we must try to
find to move the great that in our
way."
The that they must be and not push too
fast, for, in the place, the emperor's own was by
the he had committed, and he was alone he was haunted
by the of those death he had
compassed,-and, in the second place, upon the
hero of Bern, they it would be to over as many as
possible of his to their side. But they were on faster
than they wished, for Ermenrich's would not let him
rest-he must have excitement.
The step taken was to of Dietrich of Bern. So
Reinhold of Milan was sent into the land of the Amelungs to the
tribute. The messenger returned in a weeks' time with empty hands.
He said that the had to pay what he demanded,
for they had already paid it to the lord of Bern. And Dietrich had
desired him to tell the of the Harlungs to come himself and
take the tribute, which would be paid him to the last mark at the
spear's point and the sword's edge.
The sent Heime to Bern to tell Dietrich that if he did not pay
the tax, he would come in person and him on the gallows.
Heime was well in Bern. Dietrich that he had come in
memory of old times, but when he delivered the emperor's message, the
hero asked him if he his old of fidelity; to which
Heime that he had out his bond, that he was now a vassal
of the emperor, who had him land and gold, and to he
therefore service. Therewith he took his leave.
Heime was not long gone, when Wittich appeared. He up to the
castle gate.
"Arm, comrades, arm!" he cried, "there is not a moment to lose.
Ermenrich with an army. I on to warn
you of his coming. Faithless Sibich to have taken you by
surprise, and into his hands is not from death."
Dietrich him of his oath, but like Heime he himself,
and away.
The Norns appeared at this time to have their over
the of the hero of Bern. One him after another. From
Wittich he to the queen Virginal. All night long he held
her in his arms. In the she died, and for her loss
prevented his acting with the quick to him. Master
Hildebrand, however, was not idle. He had all the with
their from and wide in the land of the Amelungs. And the
night the queen's death, many joined them;
amongst the number, Berchtung of Pola (in Istria), and the king's
faithful comrade, Dietleib of Styria, with all their men.
In the the old master called the king, and told him that the
time was come to for his land and people. The hero of Bern a
mighty to master his grief. He pressed a last on the pale
lips of his wife, and passed away on his to the great battle.
The had already the of Spoleto, and had advanced
as north as Milan. There he encamped, and not any
surprise, he and his men all to sleep. Meanwhile Dietrich had
arrived a of his camp. While the others rested,
Hildebrand to see what watch the enemy kept, and finding
them unprepared, he an onslaught.
The were by the cry, "Hey for
Bern! Hey for the red lion!" They got for the fray. The
battle furiously. Dietrich and his were outnumbered
by the foe, but that only them with the more desperation.
And which of them have failed to do his under such a leader?
Wolfhart cried, "If we _must_ die, let each man his behind
him, and take his in hands."
He did as he said, and Sigestab and Eckehart his example.
Wittich and Heime as of old, but they their
former chief, and were at length away in the flight.
For the were by a movement by
Hildebrand.
Ermenrich to Romaburg in a very humour. He inclined
to Sibich and Ribestein for leading him into a scrape, yet he
refrained, as he what he have done without them.
Dietrich sent the in Milan home to Bern under the
charge of some of his comrades, and Berchtung of Pola to
provide pack-horses on which to it. The by
forced marches, but when they the of Garden, and saw the
stars in its bosom, and the of the waterfall,
Amelolt thought, that being in the land of the Wolfings, they need no
longer robbers, and might a little needful rest. The wearied
men his with joy, and, after on the
provisions in their wallets, soon asleep on the soft turf.
Hildebrand with ten of his to keep awake, but they were
so that the of the water on them like a
lullaby, and soon they were sleeping as as the rest.
At they were wakened. Wild upon them,
strong hands them, and in their ears.
Four of the warriors, who had to themselves in
hand, were cut down. The others were all and away with
the treasure.
They had not been long the saw that they had
fallen into the hands of their enemy-faithless Sibich. He had
heard of their in of the treasure, and had his
troops by sea to Garden, had in wait near the lake, and had then
fallen upon the sleeping men. Thus it was that the were
conquered by cunning.
One had the common misfortune, and this was Dietleib,
the hero of Styria. He was sleeping in a a little from
the rest, when Sibich's men on the camp. Hearing the noise, he
sprang to his feet, of the men-at-arms, his horse
and to Bern, a of sad tidings. He every one there in
great anxiety. Ermenrich had again the country, had taken
Milan, Raben (Ravenna), and Mantua, and, than that, many of
Dietrich's men had him, and joined the enemy.
The who their faith, and were to die with
their lord if needful, were in number. A message was sent to
Ermenrich that the hero of Bern was to his prisoners
of for his comrades. The answer he was, that he
might do with his as he liked-the the had
taken were all to be hanged. This was the news Dietrich
had heard.
Then the lady Ute, Hildebrand's high-hearted wife, arose, and,
accompanied by other ladies, to the enemy's and entered
the presence of Ermenrich. She offered him in for the
prisoners Sibich had just made, all her jewels, and those of all the
other and of Bern. Ermenrich told her that what
she offered him was his already, and that if the king his
comrades to be set free, he and they must the country as beggars,
on foot, and leading their horses.
Hildebrand's wife not to that. She had on her
knees the emperor; but now she rose, and told him proudly that
the of Bern and their how to die, but not how to
leave their country in dishonour. The left the in deep
sorrow.
When Dietrich the news, he had a long with himself.
He had been with smaller numbers to support him, but
victory was always uncertain, and how he allow his dear old
master, and Berchtung, Wolfhart, Amelolt, Sigeband,
Helmschrot, and Lindolt, to die a death? It was a hard
struggle. At length he his to necessity. He to
Ermenrich's terms.
On being set free from prison, his their and
arms again, and then they, and other souls, three and forty
men in all, their lord on his sad journey. There was not a
dry in Bern when the king away, and in lands the
fate of Dietrich and his was spoken of with breath.
The would not their when they had the
borders of the domains, for the king walked on over
the wild roads. So the small of men wandered
through the Danubian land, and approached Bechelaren, where
Margrave Rüdiger court. There they a welcome.
One day, when they had been some time at Bechelaren, Dietrich, who had
been of the his home and the
smiling land he saw him, said, with a sigh, that everywhere
around him was peace and unity, and he would like to there for
ever and his woes.
Wolfhart him for to his home,
adding, "If that is the case, I shall go and till my last
drop of blood is shed."
"Not so fast, hero," answered the Margrave, "King Etzel owes
thanks for the help once him. I will go with you to the court
at Susat, and am that he will help you to the land of
the Amelungs."
[Illustration: WALTER AND HILDEGUNDE TAKEN AS HOSTAGES BY THE HUNS.]
