s to King Harald, and he bids his men to be up, and avenge
Ake the bonde. And away rode he and his men the way King Eirik had
taken, until they came in sight of each other. Each for himself rode as
hard as he could, until Eirik came into the wood which divides Gautland
and Vermaland. There King Harald wheels about, and returns to Vermaland,
and lays the country under him, and kills King Eirik's men wheresoever
he can find them. In winter King Harald returned to Raumarike, and dwelt
there a while.

16. HARALD'S JOURNEY TO TUNSBERG.

King Harald went out in winter to his ships at Tunsberg, rigged them,
and sailed away eastward over the fiord, and subjected all Vingulmark
to his dominion. All winter he was out with his ships, and marauded in
Ranrike; so says Thorbjorn Hornklofe:--

"The Norseman's king is on the sea,
Tho' bitter wintry cold it be.--
On the wild waves his Yule keeps he.
When our brisk king can get his way,
He'll no more by the fireside stay
Than the young sun; he makes us play
The game of the bright sun-god Frey.
But the soft Swede loves well the fire
The well-stuffed couch, the doway glove,
And from the hearth-seat will not move."

The Gautlanders gathered people together all over the country.

17. THE BATTLE IN GAUTLAND.

In spring, when the ice was breaking up, the Gautlanders drove stakes
into the Gaut river to hinder King Harald with his ships from coming
to the land. But King Harald laid his ships alongside the stakes, and
plundered the country, and burnt all around; so says Horn klofe:--

"The king who finds a dainty feast,
For battle-bird and prowling beast,
Has won in war the southern land
That lies along the ocean's strand.
The leader of the helmets, he
Who leads his ships o'er the dark sea,
Harald, whose high-rigged masts appear
Like antlered fronts of the wild deer,
Has laid his ships close alongside
Of the foe's piles with daring pride."

Afterwards the Gautlanders came down to the strand with a great army,
and gave battle to King Harald, and great was the fall of men. But it
was King Harald who gained the day. Thus says Hornklofe:--

"Whistles the battle-axe in its swing
O'er head the whizzing javelins sing,
Helmet and shield and hauberk ring;
The air-song of the lance is loud,
The arrows pipe in darkening cloud;
Through helm and mail