Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/46

 38 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vii. night-time, and came with daybreak to Skarnsund.* There he saw King Olaf rowing in with his fleet into the fiord. The earl turned towards the land within Masarvigf, where there was a thick wood, and lay so near the rocks that the leaves and branches hung over the vessel. They cut down some large trees which they laid over the quarter on the sea-side, so that the ship could not be seen for leaves, especially as it was scarcely clear daylight when the king came rowing past them. The weather was calm, and the king rowed in among the islands ; and when the king's fleet was out of sight the earl rowed out of the fiord, and on to Frosta, where his kingdom lay, and there he landed. Chapter Earl Swend sent men out to Guladal to his brother- Ear * ' in-law, Einar Tambarskelver ; and when Einar came Swend's -fch e ear l told him how it had been with him and King consult- Olaf, and that now he would assemble men to go out against King Olaf, and fight him. Einar answers, " We should go to work cautiously, and find out what King Olaf intends doing ; and not let him hear any thing concerning us but that we are quiet. It may happen that if he hears nothing about our assembling people, he may sit quietly where he is in Steenkiar all the Yule ; for there is plenty pre- pared for him for the Yule feast : but if he hears we are assembling men, he will set right out of the fiord with his vessels, and we shall not get hold of him." Einar' s advice was taken ; and the earl went to Stordal, into guest-quarters among the bonders. When King Olaf came to Steenkiar he collected all the meat prepared for the Yule feast, and made it be put on board, procured some transport vessels, land at the head of Drontheim fiord, dividing the Drontheim gulph into two parts, that above this sound being called Britstad fiord. ations.
 * This is the sound between Inderoen and the west side of the
 * Now Mosvig.