s much more ahead
of the other ships as she is longer than them, we shall have hard work
of it here on the forecastle."

The king replies, "I did not think I had a forecastle man afraid as well
as red."

Says Ulf, "Defend thou the quarterdeck as I shall the forecastle."

The king had a bow in his hands, and laid an arrow on the string, and
aimed at Ulf.

Ulf said, "Shoot another way, king, where it is more needful: my work is
thy gain."

ENDNOTES: (1) The mode of fighting in sea battles appears, from this and
many other descriptions, to have been for each party to bind
together the stems and sterns of their own ships, forming
them thus into a compact body as soon as the fleets came
within fighting distance, or within spears' throw. They
appear to have fought principally from the forecastles; and
to have used grappling irons for dragging a vessel out of
the line, or within boarding distance.--L.

114. OF KING OLAF.

King Olaf stood on the Serpent's quarterdeck, high over the others. He
had a gilt shield, and a helmet inlaid with gold; over his armour he had
a short red coat, and was easy to be distinguished from other men. When
King Olaf saw that the scattered forces of the enemy gathered themselves
together under the banners of their ships, he asked, "Who is the chief
of the force right opposite to us?"

He was answered, that it was King Svein with the Danish army.

The king replies, "We are not afraid of these soft Danes, for there is
no bravery in them; but who are the troops on the right of the Danes?"

He was answered, that it was King Olaf with the Swedish forces.

"Better it were," says King Olaf, "for these Swedes to be sitting at
home killing their sacrifices, than to be venturing under our weapons
from the Long Serpent. But who owns the large ships on the larboard side
of the Danes?"

"That is Earl Eirik Hakonson," say they.

The king replies, "He, methinks, has good reason for meeting us; and we
may expect the sharpest conflict with these men, for they are Norsemen
like ourselves."

115. THE BATTLE BEGINS.

The kings now laid out their oars, and prepared to attack (A.D. 1000).
King Svein laid his ship against the Long Serpent. Outside of him Olaf
the Swede laid himself, and set his ship's stern against the outermost
ship of King Olaf's line; and on the other side lay Earl Eirik. Then a
hard combat began. Earl Sigvalde held back with the o