Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/256

 248 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA VII. Chapter CLX. Battle in Helge river. One day, towards evening, King Onund's spies saw King Canute coming sailing along, and he was not far off. Then King Onund ordered the war-horns to sound ; on which his people struck their tents, put on their weapons, rowed out of the harbour and east round the land, bound their ships together, and pre- pared for battle. King Onund made his spies run up the country to look for King Olaf, and tell him the news. Then King Olaf broke up the dam, and let the river take its course. King Olaf travelled down in the night to his ships. 1 Yhen King Canute came outside the harbour, he saw the forces of the kings ready for battle. He thought that it would be too late in the day to begin the fight by the time his forces could be ready ; for his fleet required a great deal of room at sea, and there was a long distance between the foremost of his ships and the hindmost, and between those outside and those nearest the land. Now, as Canute saw that the Swedes and Norwegians had quitted the harbour, he went into it with as many ships as it could hold ; but the main strength of the fleet lay without the harbour. In the morning, when it was light, a great part of the men went on shore ; some for amusement, some to converse with the people of other ships. They observed nothing until the water came rushing over them like a waterfall, carrying huge trees, which drove in among their ships, damaging all they struck ; and the water covered all the fields. The men on shore perished, and many who were in the ships. All who could do it cut their cables ; so that the ships were loose, and drove before the stream, and were scattered here and there. The great dragon, which King Canute himself was in, drove before the stream ; and as it could not so easily be turned with oars, drove out among Olaf 's and Onund's ships. As they knew the ship, they laid her on board on all quarters. But the ship was so high in the hull, as if it were a