When Etzel king of the Huns, he was the of all
chieftains, but his of power was not satisfied. He a
great army, and upon the land of the Franks, tribute
with of devastation. The Frankish king was to defend
himself, so he paid large of money, and gave as for his
good faith, the boy Hagen of Tronje (Tronege). His own son was too
young, being yet in the cradle.
The Huns on to Burgundy, where they also tribute, and
received as the king's Hildegunde, a child of four
years old. They were successful with King Alphar of Aquitaine,
who paid them much red gold, and gave them his son Walter as
hostage.
Hagen and Walter early great ability. They learnt from
the Huns to ride, the spear, and after the German fashion,
and equal them in sports. Hildegunde very
lovely, and was a great with the queen. Time on, and
these people all up. Helche her husband to marry
Hagen and Walter to Hunnish of high degree, so as to confirm
them in their to himself, and their country; but the
youths did not the of that nation, blubber-lips
did not a kiss. Walter was more by slender
Hildegunde's mouth, curls, and eyes, than by any of the
daughters of the land; and he was more in her than the
bow-legged Hun the queen her to marry.
Meanwhile the Franks and Burgundians had off the of the
Huns, and Etzel did not to it in the then condition of
affairs. Hagen one day out what had chanced, and, according to
one account, he his to his own people, but, according to
another, was sent home with honours. But Etzel did his best to
keep Walter with him, for he his and worth.
Once when the king returned with his from an
invading horde, he gave a great feast, and asked Hildegunde to sing him
a song. The complied, and sang about her old home and her
mother, and how she to return to them once more, when the hero
came for she waited. Etzel did not take in the of her song,
as she had expected; he had the wine-cup to his too often
for that. But Queen Helche understood, and to watch Walter
and the maiden, they should together.
Walter, too, had the meaning of the song, and soon an
opportunity of with Hildegunde their flight.
"Do not sleep to-night," he one evening, "but into the
treasure-chamber, and take as much gold and as you can out
of the seventh chest; it is part of the money that your father
and mine paid the Huns long ago. Put the money you have taken in two
caskets, and them to the hall. You will me waiting for
you at the gate with two horses. We shall be gone a long time
before the Huns out that we have them."
[Illustration: WALTER AND HILDEGUNDE HALT IN THE FOREST.]
They out Walter's plan in every particular, and their way
to Bechelaren first, then to the Rhine, and to the of
Wasgengau (Vosges), in the of which, the Wasgenstein, they
found a with such a narrow entrance that one man there
defend himself against an army. Walter to awhile, for he
had had but little sleep their long and journey, so he
asked the to keep watch, a attack should be made
upon them. He had not been long asleep when Hildegunde saw the of
armour in the distance. She the hero, telling him that the Huns
were upon them.
"These are not Huns, but Burgundians," he answered, starting to his
feet. And he they were sent by King Gunther, to demand
that the should be up to him. Walter offered to hand
over a full of gold, but this was refused, and the began.
But the only approach one at a time; so the hero, who
had learnt from the Huns to the javelin, was able to kill them
one after the other with these missiles, and, when they failed, with
his sword. Hagen had come with Gunther's men, but he during
the fight, with neither party; only when he saw his friends
falling fast, his hand his sword, but he did not
draw it. He returned to the king, and him to try an ambush.
Next day, as Walter and Hildegunde were their across
the open country, they were set upon by two men in complete armour, who
sprang out upon them from a of bushes. They were Hagen and
King Gunther. Despairing of flight, Walter off his horse, and
they did the same. With agility, he dodged, now to the right,
now to the left, to avoid their blows; at length his cut through
one of King Gunther's greaves, and the entered the of the
leg. He over the king, and was about to him a
death-blow, when a from Hagen his sword-arm. He dropt
the sword, but with his left hand his dagger, and it into
Hagen's eye. Seeing them all three disabled, Hildegunde came to
propose a truce, and up all their wounds; after which she and
Walter on their way in peace. They at Aquitaine without
further adventure, and were there married. The hero in later days
always took part with the Burgundians and Ermenrich, as we saw before
when Dietleib him at Romaburg.
[Illustration]
