large indeed, and bedecked with gold. Then rose up
King Svein and said: 'High shall the "Serpent" carry me this eve; and I
will steer her.' Many of the men called out that the 'Serpent' was a
mighty great ship and beautiful to look upon, and a glorious work had it
been to build such a craft.

Then Earl Eirik said so loud that sundry heard him: 'E'en had King Olaf
no larger ship than this, King Svein would with the Danish host alone
never wrest it from him.' Then went the men to their ships and took the
tilts from off them; whilst the chiefs were talking among themselves of
that which is writ above saw they sailing along three very large ships,
and a fourth ship last of all, and that was the 'Long Serpent.' Now of
those large ships which had sailed past before, and had been deemed by
the men to be the 'Long Serpent,' the first was the 'Crane' and the last
the 'Short Serpent.' But when they beheld the 'Long Serpent,' and none
gainsaid this, then wotted all that now indeed was Olaf Tryggvason
sailing by. Then went they to their ships, and made ready to row to the
onset. Now a compact had been struck between the chiefs, King Svein,
King Olaf, and Earl Eirik, that to each one of them should be given a
third part of Norway if it befell that King Olaf was slain; moreover he
who first boarded the 'Long Serpent' was for his own to have all the
booty taken therefrom, and each of them was to have what ships he
himself cleared.

Earl Eirik had a very large long-ship which he was wont to use on his
viking cruises; a beard was there on the higher part of both prow and
stern, and thick plates of iron going from thence all the breadth of the
beard right down to the water-line.

|| Now when Earl Sigvaldi & his men headed in towards the islet, observed
closely Thorkel Dydril of the 'Crane' and the captains of the other
ships sailing with him, what he was doing, and they too lowered sail,
and rowing after him, called out to him to know why thus he was faring.

The Earl answered that he was going to bide the coming of King Olaf, for
most like did it seem that war was at hand.

So then they likewise let their ships lie-to until such time as Thorkel
Leira with the 'Short Serpent' was come up and with him too the three
other ships which were following him, and the same tidings were told
unto them; then they also lowered sail, laid-to and bided the coming of
King Olaf.

But when the King sailed out towards the isle, then rowed out into