the haven channel and the sea that lay some half mile or more away
at its mouth. And all the town had a deep ditch and mound round it,
as if there was ever fear of foes from shoreward, for these came
down to the haven banks, and the only break they had was where a
wharf and the ship garth were. There were several ships housed in
their long sheds, as I could see.

All round the great hall and the buildings that belonged to it was
a stockade of pointed logs, so that it stood in a wide courtyard on
all four sides, and the great gate of the stockade was opposite the
timber porch of the hall itself. There were other doors in the side
of the hall, but they were high up, and reached by ladders; and
there seemed to be only one more gate in the stockade, leading
landward, and both were such as might not easily be broken down,
when once they were closed and barred with the square logs that
stood beside the entrances ready. And all the windows of the hall
were very high up and narrow, and the roof was timbered, not
thatched.

This was the strongest house that I had ever seen, and I said to
Raud as I looked at it:

"This place is built to stand some fierce fighting. What need have
you of such strength?"

He laughed, and answered:

"Why, much need indeed! For when the ships are gone a-viking we are
weak in men, so needs must have strong walls to keep out all comers
from over seas. And we have an ill neighbour or two, who would fain