ast borne the
child on thy knee, and thou canst murder him if thou wilt, but thou
canst not make an end of all King Harald's sons by so doing."

Then the viking, with his men, left the hall and strode down to the
river, where they embarked, and at once set sail for Norway.

When Hauk reached Norway and told the King all that he had done,
Harald was well content, for the King of England had been forced to
become the foster-father of his little son.

Athelstan's anger against his royal foster-child was soon forgotten,
and ere long he loved him better than any of his own kin.

He ordered the priest to baptize the little prince, and to teach him
the true faith.

III

THE SEA-FIGHT OF THE JOMSVIKINGS

While King Harald was reigning in Denmark, he built on the shores of
the Baltic a fortress which he called Jomsburg. In this fortress dwelt
a famous band of vikings named the Jomsvikings. It is one of their
most famous sea-fights that I am going to tell you now.

The leader of the band was Earl Sigvald, and a bold and fearless
leader he had proved himself.

It was at a great feast that Sigvald made the rash vow which led to
this mighty battle. After the horn of mead had been handed round not
once or twice only, Sigvald arose and vowed that, before three winters
had passed, he and his band would go to Norway and either kill or
chase Earl Hakon out of the country.

In the morning Sigvald and his Jomsvikings perhaps felt that they had
vowed more than they were able to perform, yet it was not possible
to withdraw from the enterprise unless they were willing to be called
cowards. They therefore thought it would be well to start without
delay, that they might, if possible, take Earl Hakon unawares.

In a short time therefore the Jomsviking fleet was ready, and sixty
warships sailed away toward Norway. No sooner did they reach Earl
Hakon's realms than they began to plunder and burn along the coast.
But while they gained booty, they lost time. For Hakon, hearing of
their doings, at once split a war-arrow and sent it all over the
realm.

It was in this way that Hakon heard that the Jomsvikings were in his
land. In one village the vikings had, as they thought, killed all the
inhabitants. But unknown to them a man had escaped with the loss of
his hand, and hastening to the shore he sailed away in a light boat in
search of the earl.

Hakon was at dinner when the fugitive stood before him.

"Art thou sure that tho