The Battle in the Svold 199 



the king saw it, he called out to his men, and ordered 

 them to lay the larger ship more in advance, so that its 

 stern should not lie so far behind in the fleet. 



Then said Ulf the Eed : ' If the Long Serpent is to lie 

 as much more ahead of the other ships as she is longer 

 than them, we shall have hard work of it here on the 

 forecastle.' 



The king replies : ' I did not think I had a forecastle- 

 man who was afraid.' 



Says Ulf : ' Defend thou the quarter-deck, as I shall 

 the forecastle.' The king had a bow in his hands, and 

 laid an arrow on the string, and aimed at Ulf. 



Ulf said : 'Shoot another way, king, where it is more 

 needful : my work is thy gain.' 



King Olaf stood on the Serpeiit's quarter-deck, high 

 over the others. He had a gilt shield, and a helmet 

 inlaid with gold ; over his armour he had a short red 

 coat, and was easy to be distinguished from other men. 

 When King Olaf saw that the scattered forces of the 

 enemy gathered themselves together under the banners 

 of their ships, he asked : ' Who is the chief of the force 

 right opposite to us ?' 



He was answered that it was King Svend witli the 

 Danish army. 



The king replies : ' We are not afraid of these soft 

 Danes, for there is no bravery in them ; but who are 

 the troops on the right of the Danes ?' 



He was answered that it was King Olaf with the 

 Swedish forces. 



' Better it were,' says King Olaf, ' for these Swedes 

 to be sitting at home killing their sacrifices, than to be 

 venturing under our weapons from the Long Serpent. 



