Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/138

128 EAELY KINGS OF NORWAY. waters there, uncertain wliat to do farther. At last he steered in his big ship and some others, deeper into the interior of Lymfjord, deeper and deeper onwards to the mouth of a big river called the Helge {Helge-aa, the Holy River, not discoverable in my poor maps, but certainly enough still existing and still flowing somewhere among those intricate straits and friths), towards the bottom of which Helge river, lay, in some safe nook, the small combined Swedish and Norse fleet, under the charge of Onund, the Swedish king, while at the top or source, which is a biggish moun- tain lake. King Olaf had been doing considerable engineering works, well suited to such an occasion, and was now ready at a moment's notice. Knut's fleet having idly taken station here, notice from the Swedish king was instantly sent ; instantly Olaf 's well-engineered flood-gates were thrown open ; from the swollen lake a huge deluge of water was let loose ; Olaf himself with all his people hastening down to join his Swedish friend, and get on board in time ; Helge river all the while alongside of him, with ever- increasing roar, and wider-spreading deluge, hasten- ing down the steeps in the night watches. So that. i