Then he ordered his war-horns to be sounded and the ships to close up to each other, and lash themselves together, side by side, under the island, as the Norse were wont to do in battle; thus no ship could forsake the others, but all fought side by side to the end. The King’s ship lay in the middle of the line, with the _Crane_ on one side and the _Little Serpent_ on the other, all fastened together at the head; but the dragon ship was so long that it stood out behind the others; and when the King saw this he called out to his men to lay his _Long Serpent_, the dragon ship, more in advance, so that its stern should lie even with the other ships behind. “We shall have hot work of it here on the forecastle, if the King’s ship stands out beyond the rest,” said Ulf the Red. “I did not think I had a forecastle man who would grow red with dread,” said the King, punning on Ulf’s name. “I hope you will defend the quarter-deck as well as I defend the forecastle,” replied Ulf, who was vexed at Olaf’s sneer. There was a bow in the King’s hands, and he fixed an arrow on the string to take aim at Ulf. “Shoot the other way, King,” said Ulf, “where it is needed more; maybe you will need my arm to-day.” King Olaf stood on the quarter-deck, high above all. He had a gilt shield and a helmet inlaid with gold; over his armour he wore a short red cloak, so that it was easy to distinguish him from other men. He asked one who stood by him: “Who is the leader of the force right opposite to us?” “King Sweyn, with the Danish fighting-men,” was the reply. The King replied: “We have no fear of those soft Danes, for there is no bravery in them. Who are the troops on the right of the Danes?” “King Olaf the Swede, with his troops,” was the answer. “It were better for these Swedes to be sitting at home killing pagan sacrifices, than venturing so near the weapons of the _Long Serpent_,” said the King. “But who owns the large ships on the larboard side?” “Earl Eirik Hakonson,” said they. “Ah,” said the King, “it is from that quarter we may expect the sharpest conflict, for his men are Norsemen like ourselves.” The battle of Svold was fought in September, in the year 1000, and it was one of the hardest sea-conflicts ever known in the North. King Sweyn laid his ship against the _Long Serpent_, and on either side of him the King of Sweden and Earl Eirik attacked the _Little Serpent_ and the _Crane_. The forecastle men on Olaf’s ships threw out grappling-irons and chains to make fast King Sweyn’s ship, and they fought so hotly there that the King had to escape to another ship, and Olaf’s men boarded the vessel and cleared the decks. King Olaf the Swede fared no better, for when he took Sweyn’s place he found the battle so hot that he too had to get away out of range.