Harald was good atthis, and was also the best archer, sometimes aiming at something placedon a boy's head, the boy having a cloth tied around his head, and held bytwo men, that he might not move at all on hearing the whistling of thearrow. In this way Harald could even shoot an arrow under a nut placed onthe head, so that the nut would roll down and the head not be hurt. Hecould plant a spear in the ground and then shoot an arrow upward soskilfully that it would turn in the air and fall with the point in the endof the spear-shaft. He could also shoot a blunt arrow through the thickestox-hide from a cross-bow. He could change weapons from one hand to theother during a fencing match, or fence with either hand, or throw twospears at the same time, or catch a spear in motion. He could run so fastthat no horse could overtake him, and play the rough games with bat andball, using a ball of the hardest wood. He could race on snowshoes, orwrestle when bound by a belt to his antagonist. Then when he and hiscompanions wished a rest, they amused themselves with harp-playing orriddles or chess. The Norsemen even played chess on board their vessels,and there are still to be seen, on some of these, the little holes thatwere formerly used for the sharp ends of the chessmen, so that they shouldnot be displaced.
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