Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/46

 31 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA IX. Chapter XXXV. Harald's escape into the Jut- land sea. On Heidaby his wrath he turns, And the fair town to ashes burns.'' Would that the day had never come AVhen Harald's ships returned home From the East sea, since now the town. Without his gain, is burned down !" Then King Harald sailed north, and had sixty ships, and the most of them large and heavily laden with the booty taken in summer ; and as they sailed north past Thiodo, came King Swend down from the land with a great force, and he challenged King Harald to land and fight. King Harald had little more than half the force of King Swend, and therefore he challenged Swend to fight at sea. So says Thorleik the Fair : — '^ Swend, who of all men under heaven Has had the luckiest birth-hour given. Invites his foemen to the field. There to contest with blood-stained shield. The king, impatient of delay, - Harald, will with his sea-hawks stay ; On board will fight, and fate decide If Swend shall by his land abide." After that King Harald sailed north along Yendil- skaga ; and the wind then came against them, and they brought up under Lesso, where they lay all night. A thick fog lay upon the sea ; and when the morning came, and the sun rose, they saw upon the other side of the sea as if many lights were burning. This was told to King Harald ; and he looked at it, and said immediately, " Strike the tilts down on the ships, and take to the oars. The Danish forces are coming upon us ; and the fog there Avhere they are must have cleared off, and the sun shines upon the dragon-heads of their ships, which are gilded, and that is what we see." It was so as he had said. Swend had come there with a prodigious armed force. They rowed now on both sides all they could. The Danish ships flew lighter before the oars ; for the Northmen's ships were both soaked with water and heavily laden, so that