Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/94

 84 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. furious. Eric was supplied with new men from the Swedes and Danes; Olaf had no such resource, except from the crews of his own heaten ships, and at length this also failed him ; all his ships, except the Long Serpent, being beaten and emptied. Olaf fought on unyielding. Eric twice boarded him, was twice repulsed. Olaf kept his quarter-deck ; uncon- querable, though left now more and more hopeless, fatally short of help. A tall young man, called Einar Tamberskelver, very celebrated and important after- wards in Norway, and already the best archer known, kept busy with his bow. Twice he nearly shot Jarl Eric in his ship. "Shoot me that man," said Jarl Eric to a bowman near him ; and, just as Tamber- skelver was drawing his bow the third time, an arrow hit it in the middle and broke it in two. " What is this that has broken ? " asked King Olaf " Norway from thy hand, king," answered Tamberskelver. Tryggveson's men, he observed with surprise, were striking violently on Eric's; but to no purpose; nobody fell. "How is this?" asked Tryggveson. " Our swords are notched and blunted, king ; they do not cut." Olaf stept down to his arm-chest ; delivered