Einar, the archer, recognized Earl Erik. The earl was hiding behind a pile of wooden shields, which his men had placed in front of him.
Olaf’s tall archer sent an arrow that just grazed Earl Erik’s head, then another that passed between the earl’s arm and his body. Erik called to his archer:
“Aim thy arrow at yon tall man on the forward deck of the ‘Long Serpent.’”
The archer sent his arrow, just as Einar was bending his bow, and the arrow struck the bended bow with such force that the bow broke, with a crashing noise.
King Olaf turned quickly around. “What was it broke, Einar?” he asked.
The tall archer took up the pieces of his broken bow; and his voice seemed almost a sob, as he gave the sadly prophetic answer to Olaf’s hastily repeated question, “What was it broke, Einar?” “Norway from thy hands, my King.”
“So great was not the break, I hope,” protested Olaf. “Here, take my bow and shoot.”
Einar took the king’s bow and bent it until it was nearly double. Then he flung it away despairingly. “Too weak is thy bow, my King.”
Olaf’s men were now fighting desperately, but the numbers against them were so great that the conflict began to grow hopeless. The king was hurling his spears two at a time and urging on his men.
