Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/265

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 257 Then King Olaf let every thing be put in order for saga mi. the journey. The people had their walking clothing and weapons, but their other clothes and effects they packed upon such horses as they could get. Then he sent off people to take his ships east to Calmar. There he had the vessels laid up, and the ships' apparel and and other goods taken care of. Harek did as he had said, and waited for a wind, and then sailed west to Scania, until, about the decline of the day, he came with a fresh and fair wind to the eastward of Holvig. There he let the sail and the vane, and flag and mast be taken down, and let the upper works of the ship be covered over with some grey tilt-canvass, and let a few men sit at the oars in the fore part and aft, but the most were sitting low down in the vessel. When Canute's watchmen saw the ship, they talked with each other about what ship it might be, and made the guess that it must be one loaded with her- rings or salt, as they only saw a few men at the oars ; and the ship, besides, appeared to them grey, and wanting tar, as if burnt up by the sun, and they saw also that it was deeply loaded. Now when Harek came farther through the Sound, and past the fleet, he raised the mast, hoisted sail, and set up his gilded vane. The sail was white as snow, and in it were red and blue stripes of cloth interwoven. When the king's men saw the ship sailing in this state, they told the king that probably King Olaf had sailed through them. But King Canute replies, that King Olaf was too prudent a man to sail with a single ship through King Canute's fleet, and thought it more likely to be Harek of Thiotto, or the like of him. Many believed the truth to be that King Canute knew of this expe- dition of Harek, and that it would not have succeeded so if they had not concluded a friendship beforehand with each other; which seemed likely, after King VOL. II. s