ck of light flashed from an axe blade or spear
point, to tell us that they were armed men. They were keeping pace
with Heidrek's ships by crossing from point to point, and how long
they may have watched him and us from the forests I cannot say.

Now the river took a sharp bend, and I heard the pilot say to his
mate that Heidrek had better have a care at this stage of tide,
while Asbiorn, forward, was watching intently. The tide was almost
at its lowest by this time, and Heidrek's hindmost ship was about
half a mile ahead of us. Hakon meant to pen them in some stretch of
the river which the pilot knew, and there deal with them. It was
said to be a deep reach with a bar at its head, beyond which no
ship might pass until high water.

Suddenly there came a shout from the men forward, and the pilot
cried to the oarsmen to cease rowing. Heidrek's second ship had
gone aground. We could see her crew trying to pole her off, and
Hakon asked if we could reach her.

"Not by five score yards," answered the pilot; "but see what
happens."

I suppose that he knew the Irish ways, for he had hardly spoken
when somewhat did happen. Out of the fringe of thicket and forest
along the bank of the river swarmed the Irish, with yells and howls
which reached us plainly, and flung themselves into the water to
wade out to the ship. The bank was black with them, and the light
from their axes overhead shimmered and sparkled in a wave of
brightness. The water was full shoulder deep round the ship, but
they did not heed that. Nor did they pay any attention to us, for
we could not reach them, and they knew it. They would deal with us
presently in one way or another. Meanwhile, this ship was at their
mercy.

Heidrek's other ship held on round the bend, and may have been out
of sight of her consort before she grounded, as the river bent with
its channel close under the banks. At all events, she did not
return to help.

"This affair is off our hands," said Hakon. "Best not meddle
therewith, even if we could. It is a great fight."

So it was, for the Danes fought well. The sides of the ship were
high above the wading men, and the spears flashed out between the
war boards, and the axe and sword were at work across the gunwales.
Yet the Irish never fell back from their swarming attack, and their
cries never ceased. One or two wounded men floated, paddling with
their hands, down past us, and hurled curses and defiance at us
also. Phelim and Fergus