His enemies are lying
in wait for him behind the islands.
Nothing can be more dramatic than the description of
the sailing of this gallant fleet - (piloted by the treacherous
Earl Sigwald) - within sight of the ambushed Danes and
Swedes, who watch from their hiding-place the beautiful
procession of hostile vessels, mistaking each in turn for the
"Long Serpent," and as often undeceived by a new and yet
more stately apparition. She appears at length, her dragon
prow glittering in the sunshine, all canvas spread, her
sides bristling with armed men; "and when they saw her,
none spoke, all knew it to be indeed the 'Serpent,' - and
they went to their ships to arm for the fight." As soon as
Olaf and his forces had been enticed into the narrow
passage, the united fleets of the three allies pour out of the
Sound; his people beg Olaf to hold on his way and not
risk battle with such a superior force; but the King replied,
high on the quarter-deck where he stood, "Strike the
sails! I never fled from battle: let God dispose of my life,
but flight I will never take!" He then orders the warhorns
to sound, for all his ships to close up to each other.
"Then," says Ulf the Red, captain of the forecastle, "if
the 'Long Serpent' is to lie so much a-head of the other
vessels, we shall have hot work of it here on the forecastle."
The King replies, "I did not think I had a forecastle
man afraid, as well as red." [Footnote: There is a play
on these two words in the Icelandic, "Raudau oc Ragan."]
Says Ulf, "Defend thou the quarter-deck, as _I_ shall
the forecastle."
The King had a bow in his hands; he laid an arrow on the
string, and made as if he aimed at Ulf.
Ulf said, "Shoot another way, King, where it is more
needful, - my work is thy gain."
Then the King asks, "Who is the chief of the force right
opposite to us?" He is answered, "Svend of Denmark, with
his army."
Olaf replies, "We are not afraid of these soft Danes!
Who are the troops on the right?"
They answer, "Olaf of Sweden, and his forces."
"Better it were," replies the King, "for these Swedes to
be 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:
