Maybe we shall have to fight--and these are no easy nuts to crack!" Whereat the men laughed; and straightway there was the pleasant hustle and talk of those who donned mail shirt and helm and set the throwing weapons to hand with all good will.
"Let us keep on our course," I said to Kolgrim.

"We will see if we cannot weather on these ships, and anyway shall fight them better apart from the rest.

It is a fine breeze for a sailing match." So we held on; and the two great ships to windward of us began to gain on us slowly, which was a thing that had never been done by any ship before.

I do not know that even Harald Fairhair had any swifter ship than this that Halfdan had taken in his flight from home.

Kolgrim waxed very wroth when it became plain that these could outsail us.
"There is witchcraft about those great hulks," he growled.