"Then behold!" Alberich shouted again, losing all caution in his pique. He turned himself into a slimy crippled toad, which crawled upon the rock, near Wotan's foot. Instantly Wotan set his heel upon the creature and pinned him to the earth, while Loge grasped the Tarnhelm. Then Alberich becoming himself again squirmed and shouted, beneath Wotan's feet.
"Something to bind the imp, quickly," Wotan called to Loge, and in a trice the dwarf was bound, and borne upward by the God and Loge. Again they passed by the smithy lights, heard the ring of the anvils, and soon they were back at the trysting place. The Nibelung, still shrieking and cursing at his own folly, was placed upon a rock, while Loge and Wotan stood looking down at him.
"There, imp, the Gods have conquered thee and thy magic. Thus they conquer the powers of evil and darkness. Thou art henceforth our slave unless you see fit to ransom yourself with the Rhein treasure."
At this, Alberich set up a great howling, but Wotan was impatient.
"Slavery for thee--worse than that of thy Mimes--or else give me the Rheingold quickly." Alberich remembered his ring--the Tarnhelm hung at Loge's girdle--and thought he might safely give up the gold.
"With my ring, I can win it back and more too," he thought; so he said to Loge:
"Well, then, rascal, unbind my arm that I may summon the Nibelungen." Loge loosened one arm for him, Alberich raised the ring to his lips and called upon his host of imps. Instantly they poured from the crevasses of the rocks, laden with the Rheingold, which they dumped in a great heap before Wotan.
"Ah, thou rogues," Alberich shrieked to Loge and the War-god; "wait till my time comes!--I'll make you dance." The awful little fellow roared from his small throat with rage.
"Never mind that: we shall be able to take care of ourselves," the God answered, while Alberich lifted the ring and the Nibelungen rushed pell-mell into the rocks again.
"Being a God, you think you can take what you desire without pay; but even the Gods must pay. The gold was stolen and you need not think to profit by another's roguery."
"We shall chance it," Wotan replied, with a smile--"so take off that ring of thine--" At this Alberich gave a frightful scream.