ding his ships. We shall take him by
surprise."

They sailed near the coast. Solfi in his "Sea-hawk" was ahead leading
the way. Suddenly men saw his sail veer and his oars flash out. He had
quickly turned his boat and was rowing back. He came close to King
Arnvid and called:

"He is there, ahead. His boats are ready in line of battle. The fox has
not been asleep."

King Arnvid blew his horn. Slowly his boats came into line with his
"Sea-stag" in the middle. Again he blew his horn. Cables were thrown
across from one prow to the next, and all the ships were tied together
so that their sides touched. Then the men set their sails again and they
went past a tongue of land into a broad fiord. There lay the long line
of King Harald's ships with their fierce heads grinning and mocking at
the newcomers. Back of those prows was what looked like a long wall with
spots of green and red and blue and yellow and shining gold. It was the
locked shields of the men in the bows, and over every shield looked
fierce blue eyes. Higher up and farther back was another wall of
shields; for on the half deck in the stern of every ship stood the
captain with his shield-guard of a dozen men.

Arnvid's people had furled their sails and were taking down the masts,
but the ships were still drifting on with the wind. The horn blew, and
quickly every man sprang to his place in bow and stern. All were leaning
forward with clenched teeth and widespread nostrils. They were clutching
their naked swords in their hands. Their flashing eyes looked over their
shields.

Soon King Arnvid's ships crashed into Harald's line, and immediately the
men in the bows began to swing their swords at one another. The soldiers
of the shield-guard on the high decks began to throw darts and stones
and to shoot arrows into the ships opposite them.

So in every ship showers of stones and arrows were falling, and many men
died under them or got broken arms or legs. Spears were hurled from deck
to deck and many of them bit deep into men's bodies. In every bow men
slashed with their swords at the foes in the opposite ship. Some jumped
upon the gunwale to get nearer or hung from the prow-head. Some even
leaped into the enemy's boat.

King Harald's ship lay prow to prow with King Arnvid's. The battle had
been going on for an hour. King Harald was still in the stern on the
deck. There was a dent in his helmet where a great stone had struck.
There was a gash in his shoulder whe