e
forces were pursuing the fugitives; for the earls' ships could not get
forward on account of the ships which lay in the way before him. Then
a man came rowing in a boat to the earl's ship and lay at the bulwarks.
The man was stout and had on a white hat. He hailed the ship, "Where is
the earl?" said he.

The earl was in the fore-hold, stopping a man's blood. The earl cast
a look at the man in the hat and asked what his name was. He answered,
"Here is Vandrad: speak to me, earl."

The earl leant over the ship's side to him. Then the man in the boat
said, "Earl, I will accept of my life from thee, if thou wilt give it."

Then the earl raised himself up, called two men who were friends dear
to him, and said to them, "Go into the boat; bring Vandrad to the land;
attend him to my friend's Karl the bonde; and tell Karl, as a token that
these words come from me, that he let Vandrad have the horse which I
gave to him yesterday, and also his saddle, and his son to attend him."

Thereupon they went into the boat and took the oars in hand, while
Vandrad steered. This took place just about daybreak, while the vessels
were in movement, some rowing towards the land, some towards the sea,
both small and great. Vandrad steered where he thought there was most
room between the vessels; and when they came near to Norway's ships the
earl's men gave their names and then they all allowed them to go where
they pleased. Vandrad steered along the shore, and only set in towards
the land when they had come past the crowd of ships. They then went up
to Karl the bonde's farm, and it was then beginning to be light. They
went into the room where Karl had just put on his clothes. The earl's
men told him their message and Karl said they must first take some food;
and he set a table before them and gave them water to wash with.

Then came the housewife into the room and said, "I wonder why we could
get no peace or rest all night with the shouting and screaming."

Karl replies, "Dost thou not know that the kings were fighting all
night?"

She asked which had the better of it.

Karl answered, "The Northmen gained."

"Then," said she, "our king will have taken flight."

"Nobody knows," says Karl, "whether he has fled or is fallen."

She says, "What a useless sort of king we have! He is both slow and
frightened."

Then said Vandrad, "Frightened he is not; but he is not lucky."

Then Vandrad washed his hands; but he took the towel and dried