he King!'"

Longfellow's Saga of King Olaf.

In the old story the scalds relate with great gusto every phase of
attack and defence during cruise and raid, and describe every blow
given and received, dwelling with satisfaction upon the carnage and
lurid flames which envelop both enemies and ships in common ruin. A
fierce fight is often an earnest of future friendship, however, and
we are told that Halfdan and Viking, having failed to conquer Njorfe,
a foeman of mettle, sheathed their swords after a most obstinate
struggle, and accepted their enemy as a third link in their close
bond of friendship.

On returning home from one of these customary raids, Viking lost
his beloved wife; and, entrusting her child, Ring, to the care of a
foster father, after undergoing a short period of mourning, the brave
warrior married again. This time his marital bliss was more lasting,
for the saga tells that his second wife bore him nine stalwart sons.

Njorfe, King of Uplands, in Norway, also rejoiced in a family of
nine brave sons. Now, although their fathers were united in bonds of
the closest friendship, having sworn blood brotherhood according to
the true Northern rites, the young men were jealous of one another,
and greatly inclined to quarrel.

The Game of Ball

Notwithstanding this smouldering animosity, the youths often met;
and the saga relates that they used to play ball together, and gives
a description of the earliest ball game on record in the Northern
annals. Viking's sons, as tall and strong as he, were inclined to be
rather reckless of their opponents' welfare, and, judging from the
following account, translated from the old saga, the players were
often left in as sorry a condition as after a modern game.

"The next morning the brothers went to the games, and generally had
the ball during the day; they pushed men and let them fall roughly,
and beat others. At night three men had their arms broken, and many
were bruised or maimed."

The game between Njorfe's and Viking's sons culminated in a
disagreement, and one of Njorfe's sons struck one of his opponents
a dangerous and treacherous blow. Prevented from taking his revenge
then and there by the interference of the spectators, the injured
man made a trivial excuse to return to the ground alone; and, meeting
his assailant there, he slew him.

The Blood Feud

When Viking heard that one of his sons had slain one of his friend's
children, he w