354 
LETTERS FROM HIGH LATITUDES. 
They answer, “ Olaf of Sweden, and his forces.” 
“ Better it were,” replies the King, “for these 
Swedes to he sitting at home, killing their sacrifices, 
than venturing under the weapons of the ‘ Long 
Serpent? But who owns the large ships on the larboard 
side of the Danes ? ” 
“ That is Jarl Eric, son of Hacon,” say they. 
The King says, “ He has reason for meeting us ; we 
may expect hard blows from these men; they are 
Norsemen like ourselves.” 
The fierce conflict raged for many hours. It went 
hard with the “ soft Danes,” and idolatrous Swedes, as 
Olaf had foreseen: after a short struggle they turn and fly. 
But Jarl Eric in his large ship the “ Iron Beard ” is 
more than a match for Olaf’s lighter vessels. One by 
one their decks are deluged with blood, their brave 
defenders swept into the sea ; one by one they are cut 
adrift, and sent loose with the tide. And now at last 
the “ Iron Beard ” lies side by side with the “ Long 
Serpent ,” and it is indeed “hot work” both on fore¬ 
castle and quarter-deck. 
“ Einar Tambarskelvar, one of the sharpest of bow¬ 
men, stood by the mast, and shot with his bow.” His 
