Her oars were stowed away, and the crews ordered to keep below the bulwarks, in hopes that the Danes, seeing but few men about and taking her for an easy prize, might attack her.

When they approached within half a mile the Danish galleys suddenly ceased rowing.
"What is that strange-looking vessel ?" Sweyn asked the Northmen standing round him.
"I know her," one of them said, "for I have twice seen her before to my cost.

The first time she chased us hotly at the mouth of the Thames, destroying several of the vessels with which we were sailing in convoy.
The next time was in the battle where King Alfred defeated us last year, nearly in the same water.

She is a Saxon ship, wondrous fast and well-handled.

She did more damage in the battle than any four of her consorts." "Were it not that I have other game in view," Sweyn said, "we would fight her, for we are two to one and strongly manned, and the Saxon can scarce carry more men than one of our galleys; but she is not likely to be worth the lives she would cost us to capture her; therefore we will e'en let her alone, which will be easy enough, for see that bank of sea-fog rolling up the river; another ten minutes and we shall not see across the deck.