Before day-break one of the herself at the window,
and over the sea. After some time she saw full
of men the shore; and, with a
cry of joy, she her and told her the good news. Not
long after, the was from the tower, where the sleepy
watchman had just up.
Queen Gerlind had her about her more than any one else. She did
not need to be told who the enemy were, and had the requisite
orders to the Ludwig's and Hartmut's were well
open. But when the kings were ready, they her orders, and
instead of the castle, out to meet the in spite
of all her and entreaties.
Each party moved to meet the other in close array; and no
sooner had they met than the began. Ortwin and Hartmut fought
hand to hand, and Ortwin had well been overthrown, had not Horand
struck up the Norman's spear. But he too was unable to the
king, and was soon to the by his men, severely
wounded. Meantime Herwig and Ludwig had met, and after a terrible
combat, the was slain.
"The king is dead!" his men, and they incontinently, pursued
by the victor, Irolt, and Siegfried the Moor. The old hero of
Sturmland pressed the advantage. His sword-arm was still for a
moment, and he was always in the rank. When the Normans
fled to the castle, they found, to their horror, that he was close
behind them. They only got the great gate just in time. But Wate
was not to be done. He to his men to up and
storming tackle, meaning to the wall.
Hartmut, of his father's death, had to fight
bravely, till he saw that the Normans were flying. He then retreated
slowly to the with his followers. Looking up at the
battlements, he saw Queen Gerlind a man a sword, and
pointing with to the women's in the
castle. He his mother, and that she was telling the man to
go and the Hegeling women, so he in a loud voice of
command:
"Coward! If you your hand to any woman, I will have you
hung sunset."
The man let the to the ground, and away. At this
moment Hartmut, to his amazement, of old Wate at
the gate. He looked for help, but Ludwig was to be
seen; on every the of the Hegelings and their
allies, and their men were fast him and his
little band. Hartmut was too to fly; he prepared to defend
himself to the last. The lord of Sturmland now came to attack
him; and although he desperately, it had gone with him, if
Herwig had not himself in the old warrior's way, and for
his rival's life. In the of the conflict, Wate did not notice who
it was that him; he one of his sledge-hammer
blows on Herwig's head, and the king of Zealand was stretched
unconscious on the ground many a and Norman. This
restored the wild lord of Sturmland to his senses. Leaving Hartmut
alone, he over his friend, and, to his joy, him to be
whole and sound. As soon as Herwig was on his again, Wate asked:
"What you to make me the life of that Norman
robber?"
"No at all," Herwig; "the Gudrûn loves the Princess
Ortrûn, and, for her sake, that Hartmut's life should be spared."
"Women, women!" the old warrior. "They are all alike. They have
soft hearts, as easily moved as a cloud is by the breeze.
But now let us haste, and the she-wolf in her lair."
At length the gate was open, and the hero of Sturmland cut
his way through the small of to the women's apartments.
There he Gudrûn by all the in the
palace, while Ortrûn and Gerlind at her and her
protection.
"Where is the she-wolf?" Wate. "Speak, Gudrûn, and you others!"
He was to look upon, with his grim, face, his and
sword with the blood of his enemies; but Gudrûn did not quail,
nor did she a single word to the woman who had used
her so badly. She sat still and quiet, full of a dignity, and
looked at the angry old man without blenching.
[Illustration: GERLIND AND ORTRUN AT GUDRÛN'S FEET.]
He a quick the room in search of Gerlind, and as he
did so, one of the pointed to the queen. The moment he saw the
glittering, eyes, he Gerlind by the hair, and her
to the battlements, cut off her head, and it and the body
over the wall. "Now the other!" he cried, up to the terrified
Ortrûn; "she to the serpent's brood, and must her
mother's fate."
But Gudrûn the in her arms, and told the
grim of all the love and that Ortrûn had her,
so Wate was to be satisfied with the he had already
wreaked.
Meanwhile the the had also ceased. The Norman
hero, to death, had with the eighty that
were left him.
Three days later, the army on their ships, and
set sail for the land of the Hegelings, Morung and his men to
garrison Cassian. Hartmut, and Ortrûn with thirty of her maidens, had
to their conquerors. On their way they touched at Wölpensand,
where Queen Hilde had had a built, and the of those who
fell in the old buried; and there the gave thanks
for their great victory. Ortrûn sat alone in the churchyard, looking at
the graves: she of her father, and that she too
were at rest. But Gudrûn up to her, took her by the hand and led
her to the Moorish king Siegfried, who to her love. During
the of the voyage, Gudrûn managed to the two much
together, and in telling Ortrûn of Siegfried's and
warlike deeds.
In the meantime Queen Hilde, and Hergart, Herwig's sister, often sat
together at a window the sea. The Hegeling army must soon
return, but how would it return? and would Gudrûn have her troth?
Hilde was not so as her companion, for she was more used
to sorrow. One day when they were at the window as usual, Hergart saw
the appear in the distance, and a of joy, told Queen
Hilde that their friends were back.
Before the queen and her ladies to the shore, Wate had
already landed. On the queen, he at once told her the good news.
The of the ships were not long in arriving, and soon Hilde had the
pleasure of her daughter, the long-lost Gudrûn. Time passed
on, and in every but one. Hartmut ate out his soul
in sadness. Gentle Hergart him, and Queen Hilde to use
her to have him set at liberty, and allowed to return to his
kingdom. But Hilde how it was to let a man go free
who was sure to them enmity, and attack them when he could.
Hartmut one day by accident Hergart for him so
tenderly and so that he was touched. He to think
that she was, if possible, more than Gudrûn, and took
the opportunity he of speaking to her. It was not long
before they learnt to love each other. Hartmut told the queen about it,
and asked for her to his marriage with Hergart, which she at
once granted, and at the same time gave him his and freedom,
for the husband of sweet Hergart be else than the
friend of the Hegelings.
A later, a great marriage was held, in which four
couples appeared the to a on
their vows; after which they to the banqueting-hall, where
all old were and for the of the
happiness that now prevailed. Then the old minstrel, Horand, took up
his and sang his last song. In it he told of the great he
had known; he sang of and deaths, of truth and
constancy; and when he ceased, there was not a in the hall, for
even the lord of Sturmland was to away a tear.
[Illustration: BEOWULF FIGHTS WITH GRENDEL'S MOTHER.]
BEOWULF.
(_I.E._, BEE-WOLF, OR WOODPECKER.)
