KINGS OF NORWAY. 71 rowed eastward across the lake to where he heard Earl saga ix. Hakon was ; bat when the earl got news of the king's expedition he retreated down the country, and would not let the king plunder the land. Earl Hakon had a large armed force which the Gotland people had raised for him. King Harald lay with his ships up in a river, and made a foray on land, but left some of his men behind to protect the ships. The king himself rode with a part of the men, but the greater part were on foot. They had to cross a forest, where they found a mire or lake, and close to it a wood ; and when they reached the wood they saw the earl's men, but the mire was between them. They drew up their people now on both sides. Then King Harald ordered his men to sit down on the hill-side. " We will first see if they will attack us. Earl Hakon does not usually wait to talk." It was frosty weather, with some snow-drift, and Harald' s men sat down under their shields ; but it was cold for the Gotlanders, who had but little clothing with them. The earl told them to wait until King Harald came nearer, so that all would stand equally high on the ground. Earl Hakon had the same banner which had belono-ed to Kino^ Magnus Olafsson. The lagman of the Gotland people, Thorvid, sat upon a horse, and the bridle was fastened to a stake that stood in the mire. He broke out with these words : " God knows we have many brave and hand- some fellows here, and we shall let King Steinkel hear that we stood by the good earl bravely. I am sure of one thing : we shall behave gallantly against these Northmen, if they attack us ; but if our young people give way, and should not stand to it, let us not run farther than to that stream; but if they should give way farther, which I am sure they will not do, let it not be farther than to that hill." At that instant the Northmen sprang up, raised the war-cry, and struck F 4
