Hund, with his troop,
was at the head of the order of battle in front of the banner; and on
both sides of Thorer was a chosen body of bondes, all of them the most
active and best armed in the forces. This part of the array was long
and thick, and in it were drawn up the Throndhjem people and the
Halogalanders. On the right wing was another array; and on the left of
the main array were drawn up the men from Rogaland, Hordaland, the Fjord
districts, and Scgn, and they had the third banner.

234. OF THORSTEIN KNARRARSMID.

There was a man called Thorstein Knarrarsmid, who was a merchant and
master ship-carpenter, stout and strong, very passionate, and a great
manslayer. He had been in enmity against King Olaf, who had taken from
him a new and large merchant-vessel he had built, on account of some
manslaughter-mulct, incurred in the course of his misdeeds, which he
owed to the king. Thorstein, who was with the bondes' army, went forward
in front of the line in which Thorer Hund stood, and said, "Here I will
be, Thorer, in your ranks; for I think, if I and King Olaf meet, to be
the first to strive a weapon at him, if I can get so near, to repay him
for the robbery of the ship he took from me, which was the best that
ever went on merchant voyage." Thorer and his men received Thorstein,
and he went into their ranks.

235. OF THE PREPARATIONS OF THE BONDES.

When the bondes' men and array were drawn up the lendermen addressed
the men, and ordered them to take notice of the place to which each man
belonged, under which banner each should be, who there were in front
of the banner, who were his side-men, and that they should be brisk and
quick in taking up their places in the array; for the army had still
to go a long way, and the array might be broken in the course of march.
Then they encouraged the people; and Kalf invited all the men who had
any injury to avenge on King Olaf to place themselves under the banner
which was advancing against King Olaf's own banner. They should remember
the distress he had brought upon them; and, he said, never was there a
better opportunity to avenge their grievances, and to free themselves
from the yoke and slavery he had imposed on them. "Let him," says he,
"be held a useless coward who does not fight this day boldly; and they
are not innocents who are opposed to you, but people who will not spare
you if ye spare them."

Kalf's speech was received with loud applause, and shouts