Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/165

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 153 and defied them, and upbraided them as cowards. Then s aga x h. Sigurd fell upon this plan. He had two ship's boats, such as we call barks, drawn up the precipice right above the mouth of the cave; and had thick ropes fastened around the stem, stern, and hull of each. In these boats as many men went as could find room, and then the boats were lowered by the ropes down in front of the mouth of the cave ; and the men in the boats shot with stones and missiles into the cave, and the heathens were thus driven from the stone- wall. Then Sigurd with his troops climbed up the precipice to the foot of the stone-wall, which they succeeded in breaking down, so that they came into the cave. Now the heathens fled within the stone-wall that was built across the cave ; on which the king ordered large trees to be brought to the cave, made a great pile in the mouth of it, and set fire to the wood. When the fire and smoke got the upper hand, some of the heathens lost their lives in it ; some fled ; some fell by the hands of the Northmen ; and part were killed, part burned ; and the Northmen made the greatest booty they had got on all their expeditions. So says Halldor Skualldre : — ^^ Formentara lay In the victor's way ; His ships' stems fly To victory. The bluemen there Must fire bear. And Norsemen's steel At their hearts feel." A nd also thus : - " 'Twas a feat of renown, — The boat lowered down. With a boat's crew brave, In front of the cave ; While up the rock scaling, And comrades up trailing, The Norsemen gain. And the bluemen are slain."