Towards evening, too, the wind shifted, and blew more off the shore, and that might bring them out from their haven.
Kolgrim, who was weather wise, said that a shift of wind to the southward was coming presently.
When morning came, the high cliffs of Swanage were on our bow, the wind was yet steady from off shore, and beyond the headland lay Poole Harbour, at whose head is Wareham, where the Danes were.

It is a great sea inlet with a narrow mouth, and one must have water enough on a rising tide to enter it.

Now the ebb was running, and if the Danes came this morning, it would be soon.
They came, as it seemed, for the cutter was flying back to us under sail and oars; and before she reached us, the first Danish ships were clear of the Swanage headlands, making for the offing.

Then I got my ships into line abreast, and Thord worked up Odda's five alongside us to seaward; and all the while the Danish sails hove into sight in no sort of order, and seeming so sure that none but friends could be afloat that they paid no heed to us.
Soon there were full a hundred vessels of all sorts off Swanage point, and the cutter brought word that there were but twenty more.
Then I ran up my fighting flag, and everywhere along our line rose a great cheering as we hoisted sail and sped down on the foe.

It was long since the seas had borne a fleet whence the Saxon war cry rang.
The leading Danes were ahead of us as we gathered way, and their long line straggled right athwart our course.