WARLIKE EXERCISES. 383 



cloth was tied round the boy's head, and two men held the 

 ends, so that he could not move his head when he heard the 

 whistling of the arrow. The king went to the place where he 

 was to stand, and made the mark of the cross before himself 

 and before the point of the arrow before he shot ; but Eindridi 

 grew very red in the face. The arrow flew under the piece, and 

 carried it off the boy's head, but so near the skull that blood 

 dripped from the top of his head. The king then told Eindridi 

 to shoot after him if he wished ; but Eindridi's mother and 

 sister begged him, weeping sorely, not to try it. Eindridi said 

 to the king : ' I am not afraid if I risked shooting that I should 

 do the boy any harm, but nevertheless I will not shoot this 

 time.' ' Then,' said the king, ' it seems to me that thou must 

 acknowledge thyself beaten ' " (Olaf Tryggvason's Saga, vol. ii. ; 

 Formnanna Sogur). 



Playing with dirks was a common practice. It consisted in 

 playing simultaneously with three short swords, or dirks, so 

 that one was always in the air, while one was in each hand ; 

 as one was thrown up, the player seized the falling one. 



A very uncommon accomplishment was to run on the oar- 

 blacles around a ship whilst it was being rowed. Among those 

 thus skilled was Olaf Tryggvason, who, while he was walking 

 over his ship, the Long Serpent, on the oar-blades of the rowers, 

 could play with three dirks or short swords. 



" On the third day the king said to Eindridi : ' Now the 

 weather is fine and calm, and we will try the handsax game.' 



" The men went out to look on ; each took two saxes, and they 

 played with them for awhile. 



" Then a third sax was given to each, and they played so 

 that all the time one was in the air and two in their hands ; 

 they always caught them by the handle, and no one could 

 determine who was most skilled. After a long while the king- 

 said : ' This game has not yet had sufficient trial.' 



" They went down to the shore and out on a large longship, 

 and the king bade his men row the ship, and the king then 

 walked outside the board, on the oars along the side of the ship, 

 and there played with three handsaxes as skilfully as before on 

 land ; and Eindridi did the same. The king played first, and 

 Eindridi after him. The king then went again in the same 

 manner along the oars, and thus in front of the stern, not 

 dropping the handsaxes, and not even getting his shoes wet ; 

 he came back along the other side on the oars, and up into the 

 ship. No one could understand how he did this. Eindridi 



