It happened once that Gyrger and the Varings were going through the
country, and they resolved to take their night quarters in a wood; and
as the Varings came first to the ground, they chose the place which was
best for pitching their tents upon, which was the highest ground; for
it is the nature of the land there to be soft when rain falls, and
therefore it is bad to choose a low situation for your tents. Now when
Gyrger, the chief of the army, came up, and saw where the Varings
had set up their tents, he told them to remove, and pitch their tents
elsewhere, saying he would himself pitch his tents on their ground.
Harald replies, "If ye come first to the night quarter, ye take up your
ground, and we must go pitch our tents at some other place where we best
can. Now do ye so, in the same way, and find a place where ye will. It
is, I think, the privilege of us Varings here in the dominions of
the Greek emperor to be free, and independent of all but their own
commanders, and bound only to serve the emperor and empress." They
disputed long and hotly about this, and both sides armed themselves, and
were on the way to fight for it; but men of understanding came between
and separated them. They said it would be better to come to an agreement
about such questions, so that in future no dispute could arise. It
came thus to an arbitration between them, at which the best and
most sagacious men should give their judgment in the case. At this
arbitration it was determined, with the consent of all parties, that
lots should be thrown into a box, and the Greeks and Varings should draw
which was first to ride, or to row, or to take place in a harbour, or
to choose tent ground; and each side should be satisfied with what
the drawing of the lots gave them. Accordingly the lots were made and
marked. Harald said to Gyrger, "Let me see what mark thou hast put upon
thy lot, that we may not both mark our lots in the same way." He did
so. Then Harald marked his lot, and put it into the box along with the
other. The man who was to draw out the lots then took up one of the lots
between his fingers, held it up in the air, and said, "This lot shall be
the first to ride, and to row, and to take place in harbour and on the
tent field." Harald seized his band, snatched the die, and threw it into
the sea, and called out, "That was our lot!" Gyrger said, "Why did you
not let other people see it?" Harald replies, "Look at the one remaining
in the box,--there you see your own mark upon it." Accordingly the lot
which was left behind was examined, and all men saw that Gyrger's mark
was upon it, and accordingly the judgment was given that the Varings had
gained the first choice in all they had been quarrelling about. There
were many things they quarrelled about, but the end always was that
Harald got his own way.