some half-dozen ships that were plainly Norse like ourselves, maybe
twenty Danish-built longships, and about the same number of heavy
trading vessels. There were a few large fishing boats also; but
leading the crowd were five great vessels the like of which none of
us had ever seen or heard of before. And even as we spoke of them,
two of these shook out reefs in their sails, and drew away from the
rest across channel, as if to cut us off.

"Ho, men," I said, when I saw that, "get to arms; for here they
come to speak with us. Maybe we shall have to fight--and these are
no easy nuts to crack!"

Whereat the men laughed; and straightway there was the pleasant
hustle and talk of those who donned mail shirt and helm and set the
throwing weapons to hand with all good will.

"Let us keep on our course," I said to Kolgrim. "We will see if we
cannot weather on these ships, and anyway shall fight them better
apart from the rest. It is a fine breeze for a sailing match."

So we held on; and the two great ships to windward of us began to
gain on us slowly, which was a thing that had never been done by
any ship before. I do not know that even Harald Fairhair had any
swifter ship than this that Halfdan had taken in his flight from
home. Kolgrim waxed very wroth when it became plain that these
could outsail us.

"There is witchcraft about those great hulks," he growled. "They
are neither Norse, nor Frisian, nor Danish, but better than all
three put together."