warriors who killed
many faithful friends of King Haakon. He tried to conceal his purpose
until he had gathered a large force, but one man escaped the vigilance of
his guards and brought word of the treachery to Haakon. The latter,
seeing that he must check this rebellion if he wished to sit safely on
his throne, at once took to his fleet, sailed southward with the utmost
speed, and rowed, under cover of a fog, up the Folden fiord to Oslo,
where the rebel was. He had been carousing with his followers the night
before and the wassailers were roused from their drunken sleep by the
war-horns and ran out to see the king's ships driving in towards the
piers.

The rebels were quickly scattered, but Skule escaped, and at length was
traced to the woods, where he was wandering with a few friends. The
friars of a monastery took pity on them and hid them in a tower,
disguised with monkish cowls. Despite their disguise they were traced to
their hiding place, and when the friars refused to give them up the
pursuers set fire to the tower. Driven out by the smoke and heat, Skule
stepped from the gate, holding his shield above his head and saying:

"Strike me not in the face; for it is not right to treat warriors thus."

In a minute more he lay dead, slain by Birchleg swords.

The next act in King Haakon's reign was to have himself crowned king, and
thus to rid himself of the blot on his claim to the throne. After some
negotiations with the Pope, a cardinal was sent from Rome, the ceremony
being performed with much pomp and ceremony, and followed with the most
magnificent feasts and festivities Norway had ever seen.

From this time on King Haakon ruled as a wise, noble and powerful
monarch, making his strength felt by his great fleet and setting Norway
high among the nations of the north. He died at length in 1263, loved by
his people and respected by all outside his realm.

_KING VALDEMAR I. AND BISHOP ABSOLON._

The most brilliant period in the history of Denmark was that of the
reigns of the Valdemars, and especially of Valdemar I. and his sons,
whose names and memories are still cherished in that kingdom, the Danes
regarding them as the greatest and best monarchs they ever had.

There were wretched times in Denmark before 1157, when Valdemar came to
the throne, and his early years were passed in the midst of civil wars
and all kinds of sorrows and troubles. When the new king was crowned and
began the business of gov