lain privily in the porch through the night. So they ran thither
and would lay hands on them, but they stood on their defence well
and manly, and long he remembered it who was the nighest to them;
but in the end they were borne down by many men and taken, and
bonds were set upon them, and they were cast into fetters wherein
they sit night long.

Then the king ponders what longest and worst of deaths he shall
mete out to them; and when morning came he let make a great
barrow of stones and turf; and when it was done, let set a great
flat stone midmost inside thereof, so that one edge was aloft,
the other alow; and so great it was that it went from wall to
wall, so that none might pass it.

Now he bids folk take Sigmund and Sinfjotli and set them in the
barrow, on either side of the stone, for the worse for them he
deemed it, that they might hear each the other's speech, and yet
that neither might pass one to the other. But now, while they
were covering in the barrow with the turf-slips, thither came
Signy, bearing straw with her, and cast it down to Sinfjotli, and
bade the thralls hide this thing from the king; they said yea
thereto, and therewithal was the barrow closed in.

But when night fell, Sinfjotli said to Sigmund, "Belike we shall
scarce need meat for a while, for here has the queen cast swine's
flesh into the barrow, and wrapped it round about on the outer
side with straw."

Therewith he handles the flesh and finds that therein was thrust
Sigmund's sword; and he knew it by the hilts as mirk as it might