er than
the first; then says King Svein, "Olaf Trygvason must be afraid, for
he does not venture to sail with the figure-head of the dragon upon his
ship."

Says Earl Eirik, "That is not the king's ship yet; for I know that
ship by the coloured stripes of cloth in her sail. That is Erling
Skialgson's. Let him sail; for it is the better for us that the ship is
away from Olaf's fleet, so well equipt as she is."

Soon after they saw and knew Earl Sigvalde's ships, which turned in and
laid themselves under the island. Then they saw three ships coming along
under sail, and one of them very large. King Svein ordered his men to go
to their ships, "for there comes the Long Serpent."

Earl Eirik says, "Many other great and stately vessels have they besides
the Long Serpent. Let us wait a little."

Then said many, "Earl Eirik will not fight and avenge his father; and it
is a great shame that it should be told that we lay here with so great a
force, and allowed King Olaf to sail out to sea before our eyes."

But when they had spoken thus for a short time, they saw four ships
coming sailing along, of which one had a large dragon-head richly gilt.
Then King Svein stood up and said, "That dragon shall carry me this
evening high, for I shall steer it."

Then said many, "The Long Serpent is indeed a wonderfully large and
beautiful vessel, and it shows a great mind to have built such a ship."

Earl Eirik said so loud that several persons heard him, "If King Olaf
had no ether vessels but only that one, King Svein would never take it
from him with the Danish force alone."

Thereafter all the people rushed on board their ships, took down the
tents, and in all haste made ready for battle.

While the chiefs were speaking among themselves as above related, they
saw three very large ships coming sailing along, and at last after them
a fourth, and that was the Long Serpent. Of the large ships which had
gone before, and which they had taken for the Long Serpent, the first
was the Crane; the one after that was the Short Serpent; and when they
really, saw the Long Serpent, all knew, and nobody had a word to say
against it, that it must be Olaf Trygvason who was sailing in such a
vessel; and they went to their ships to arm for the fight.

An agreement had been concluded among the chiefs, King Svein, King Olaf
the Swede, and Earl Eirik, that they should divide Norway among them in
three parts, in case they succeeded against Olaf Trygvason