" ThenHarald went away very humble and besought his father to let him go andserve on the Varangian Guard of King Otho at Constantinople, that he mightlearn to be a warrior.So Harald was brought from his Norwegian home by his father Erik the Red,in his galley called the _Sea-serpent_, and sailed with him throughthe Mediterranean Sea, and was at last made a member of the Emperor Otho'sVarangian Guard at Constantinople. This guard will be well remembered bythe readers of Scott's novel, "Count Robert of Paris," and was maintainedby successive emperors and drawn largely from the Scandinavian races. Erikthe Red had no hesitation in leaving his son among them, as the young manwas stout and strong, very self-willed, and quite able to defend himself.The father knew also that the Varangian Guard, though hated by the people,held to one another like a band of brothers; and that any one brought upamong them would be sure of plenty of fighting and plenty of gold,--thetwo things most prized by early Norsemen. For ordinary life, Harald'schief duties would be to lounge about the palace, keeping guard, wearinghelmet and buckler and bearskin, with purple underclothes and goldenclasped hose; and bearing as armor a mighty battle-axe and a smallscimitar. Such was the life led by Harald, till one day he had a messagefrom his father, through a new recruit, calling him home to join anexpedition to the western seas.
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