Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/424

 Aakeson laid his ship on board of Swend Earl Hakon's son's ship, and Swend allowed his ship to give way, and was on the point of flying. Then Earl Eric came up, and laid his ship alongside of Vagn, and then Vagn gave way, and the ships came to lie in the same position as before. Thereupon Eric goes to the other wing, which had gone back a little, and Bue had cut the ropes, intending to pursue them. Then Eric laid himself, board to board, alongside of Bue's ship, and there was a severe combat hand to hand. Two or three of Eric's ships then laid themselves upon Bue's single vessel. A thunder-storm came on at this moment, and such a heavy hail-storm that every hailstone weighed a pennyweight. The Earl Sigvald cut his cable, turned his ship round, and took flight. Vagn Aakeson called to him not to fly; but as Earl Sigvald paid no attention to what he said, Vagn threw his spear at him, and hit the man at the helm. Earl Sigvald rowed away with 35 ships, leaving 25 of his fleet behind.

Then Earl Hakon laid his ship on the other side of Bue's ship, and now came heavy blows on Bue's men. Yigfus, a son of Yigaglum, took up an anvil with a sharp end, which lay upon the deck, and on which a man had welded the hilt to his sword just before, and being a very strong man cast the anvil with both hands at the head of Aslaf Holmskalle, and the end of it went into his brains. Before this no weapon could wound this Aslaf, who was Bue's foster-father, and forecastle commander, although he could wound right and left. Another man among the strongest and bravest was Haavard Hogvande. In this attack Eric's men boarded Bue's ship, and went aft to the