flaws of wind, and we hoisted the sail, and Kenulf hove the anchor
short. Yet we heard no more sounds from the other ship.

Then all in a minute the fog thinned, lifted, and cleared away, and
I saw the most beautiful sight my eyes had ever lighted on, and the
most terrible.

For, not half a mile from us, lay a great viking snekr {vii},
with the sunlight full on her and flashing from the towering green
and gold and crimson dragon's head that formed her stem, and from
the gay line of crimson and yellow shields that hung along her rail
from end to end of the long curve of her sides. Her mast was
lowered, and rested, with the furled blue and white striped sail,
on the stanchions and crossbars that upheld it, to leave the deck
clear for swing of sword and axe; and over the curving dragon tail
of the stern post floated a forked black and golden flag. And
wondrously light and graceful were the lines on which she was
built, so that beside her our stout cargo ship showed shapeless and
heavy, as did our log canoes beside Lodbrok's boat. As soon should
our kitchen turnspit dog fly the greyhound that I had given
Lodbrok, as such a ship as ours from this swift viking's craft.

But her beauty was not that which drew the eyes of my men. Little
they thought of wonder or pleasure in gazing on the ship herself.
All her decks were crowded with scarlet-cloaked men, and the
sunlight which made the ship so bright flashed also from helm and
spear and mail coat from stem to stern. And at that sight every
tale of viking cruelty they had heard came into their minds, and
they were overcome with terror, so that I thought that several
would have cast themselves into the sea, away from the terrible