1 60 Norivay ajtd the Norzvegians 



the royalists. But in the direction of their advance 

 they threatened to cut off the communication between 

 the pretenders' troops and their ships. The nerves of 

 these began to give way at the sight. They thought, 

 at any rate, of the desirability of securing their base. 

 But as they began to retire, Hakon's men pressed on 

 more eagerly in front, and at last the retreat of the 

 Erikssons' army became a flight. Too late one of the 

 brothers now observed that, after all, those twelve stan- 

 dards never advanced above the ridge of the hill, and 

 surmised the truth that had they done so, they would 

 have displayed the fact that they were held by twelve 

 men with due intervals between them : but that there 

 was no other body of troops but these twelve men 

 advancing to attack the sons of Erik. 



In this engagement another of Erik's and Gunhild's 

 sons fell. His name was Gamle Eriksson. The other 

 brothers retired again to wait for a better chance. 



At last came the opportunity, which always comes to 

 those who can wait for it. The story of this final and 

 successful effort of theirs and of Hakon's last battle is 

 so well narrated by the Saga writer, that it is worth 

 while to re-tell it — only abridging a little. Norway 

 had been so much troubled by the continual raids of 

 the pretenders, that Hakon had divided the whole 

 country up into ship-districts, for the support of an 

 adequate fleet and other things necessary for what we 

 should call a system of national defence. He likewise 

 caused beacons to be erected to flame out from headland 

 to headland their alarm to the neighbourhood ; and thus 

 at last to all the country. The traveller in Norway may 

 himself, on Midsummer Eve, or some other festival, have 



