; but that he
of the chiefs who should first board the Serpent should have her, and
all the booty found in her, and each should have the ships he cleared
for himself. Earl Eirik had a large ship of war which he used upon his
viking expeditions; and there was an iron beard or comb above on both
sides of the stem, and below it a thick iron plate as broad as the
combs, which went down quite to the gunnel.

112. OF KING OLAF'S PEOPLE.

When Earl Sigvalde with his vessels rowed in under the island, Thorkel
Dydril of the Crane, and the other ship commanders who sailed with him,
saw that he turned his ships towards the isle, and thereupon let fall
the sails, and rowed after him, calling out, and asking why he sailed
that way. The Earl answered, that he was waiting for king Olaf, as he
feared there were enemies in the water. They lay upon their oars until
Thorkel Nefia came up with the Short Serpent and the three ships which
followed him. When they told them the same they too struck sail, and
let the ships drive, waiting for king Olaf. But when the king sailed in
towards the isle, the whole enemies' fleet came rowing within them out
to the Sound. When they saw this they begged the king to hold on his
way, and not risk battle with so great a force. The king replied, high
on the quarter-deck where he stood, "Strike the sails; never shall men
of mine think of flight. I never fled from battle. Let God dispose of my
life, but flight I shall never take." It was done as the king commanded.
Halfred tells of it thus:--

"And far and wide the saying bold
Of the brave warrior shall be told.
The king, in many a fray well tried,
To his brave champions round him cried,
'My men shall never learn from me
From the dark weapon-cloud to flee.'
Nor were the brave words spoken then
Forgotten by his faithful men."

113. OLAF'S SHIPS PREPARED FOR BATTLE.

King Olaf ordered the war-horns to sound for all his ships to close up
to each other. The king's ship lay in the middle of the line, and on
one side lay the Little Serpent, and on the other the Crane; and as they
made fast the stems together (1), the Long Serpent's stem and the short
Serpent's were made fast together; but when the king saw it he called
out to his men, and ordered them to lay the larger ship more in advance,
so that its stern should not lie so far behind in the fleet.

Then says Ulf the Red, "If the Long Serpent is to lie a