Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/12

 Soto. Olaf had much fewer men, but his ships were larger, and he laid his ships between some blind rocks, which made it difficult for the vikings to get alongside; and Olaf's men threw grappling irons into the ships which came nearest, drew them up to their own vessels, and cleared them of men. The vikings took to flight after losing many men. Sigvat the scald tells of this fight in the lay in which he reckons up King Olaf's battles:—

King Olaf steered thereafter eastwards to Sweden, and into the Lög (the Mælare lake), and ravaged the land on both sides. He sailed all the way up to Sigtun, and laid his ships close to the old Sigtun. The Swedes say the stone-heaps are still to be seen which Olaf had laid under the ends of the gangways from the shore to the ships. When autumn was advanced, Olaf Haraldsson heard that Olaf the Swedish king was assembling an army, and also that he had laid iron chains across Stokkesund (the channel between the Mælare lake and the sea), and had laid troops there; for the Swedish king thought that Olaf Haraldsson would be kept in there till frost came, and he thought little of Olaf's force, knowing he had but few people. Now when King Olaf Haraldsson came to Stokkesund he could not get through, as there was a castle west of the sound, and men-at-arms lay on the south; and he heard that the Swedish king was come there with a great army and many ships. He therefore dug a canal across the flat land Agnafet out to the sea.