Page:The Nibelungenlied - tr. Shumway - 1909.pdf/267

Rh High upon his spear he offered him an arm band, bright and fair it was, of ruddy gold, that one should ferry him over to Gelfrat’s land. The haughty ferryman, the which was newly wed himself, did take the oar in hand. As he would earn Hagen’s gold so red, therefore he died the sword-grim death at the hands of the knight. The greed for great goods doth give an evil end. Speedily the boatman rowed across to the sandy bank. When he found no trace of him whose name he heard, wroth he grew in earnest. When he spied Hagen, with fierce rage he spake to the hero: “Ye may perchance hight Amelrich, but ye are not like him whom I weened here. By father and by mother he was my brother. Sith ye have bewrayed me, ye may stay on this hither shore.”

“No, by the mighty God,” spake then Hagen, “I am a stranger knight and have warriors in my care. Now take ye kindly my meed to-day and ferry me over. I am in truth your friend.”

The ferryman replied: “This may not be. My dear lords have foes, wherefore I never ferry strangers to this land. If ye love your life, step out quickly on the sand.”

“Now do it not,” spake Hagen; “sad is my mind. Take this good gold from me as a token of my love and ferry us across: a thousand horse and just as many men.”

The grim boatman answered: “’T will ne’er be done.” He raised a mighty rudder oar, mickle and broad, and struck at Hagen (full wroth he grew at this), so that he fell upon his knees in the boat. The lord of Troneg had never met so fierce a ferryman.