Olaf answered, speaking in Irish, to their inquiries.  When the Irish knew they were Norwegians they pleaded their law, and bade them give up their goods; and if they did so, they would do them no harm till the king had sat in judgment on their case.  Olaf said the law only held good when merchants had no interpreter with them.  “But I can say with truth these are peaceful men, and we will not give ourselves up untried.”  The Irish then raised a great war-cry, and waded out into the sea, and wished to drag the ship, with them on board, to the shore, the water being no deeper than reaching up to their armpits, or to the belts of the tallest.  But the pool was so deep where the ship was floating that they could not touch the bottom.  Olaf bade the crew fetch out their weapons, and range in line of battle from stem to stern on the ship; and so thick they stood, that shield overlapped shield all round the ship, and a spear-point stood out at the lower end of every shield.  Olaf walked fore to the prow, and was thus arrayed:  he had a coat of mail, and a gold-reddened helmet on his head; girt with a sword with gold-inlaid hilt, and in his hand a barbed spear chased and well engraved.  A red shield he had before him, on which was drawn a lion in gold.  When the Irish saw this array fear shot through their hearts, and they thought it would not be so easy a matter as they had thought to master the booty.  So now the Irish break their journey, and run all together to a village near. [Sidenote:  Olaf meets Myrkjartan] Then there arose great murmur in the crowd, as they deemed that, sure enough, this must be a warship, and that they must expect many others; so they sent speedily word to the king, which was easy, as he was at that time a short way off, feasting.  Straightway he rides with a company of men to where the ship was.  Between the land and the place where the ship lay afloat the space was no greater than that one might well hear men talking together.  Now Olaf stood forth in the same arrayal whereof is written before, and men marvelled much how noble was the appearance of the man who was the captain of the ship.  But when the shipmates of Olaf see how a large company of knights rides towards them, looking a company of the bravest, they grow hushed, for they deemed here were great odds to deal with.  But when Olaf heard the murmur which went round among his followers, he bade them take heart, “For now our affairs are in a fair way; the Irish are now greeting Myrkjartan, their king.”  Then they rode so near to the ship, that each could hear what the other said. [Sidenote:  Their talk together] The king asked who was the master of the ship.  Olaf told his name, and asked who was the valiant-looking knight with whom he then was talking.  He answered, “I am called Myrkjartan.”  Olaf asked, “Are you then a king of the Irish?” He said he was.  Then the king asked Olaf for news commonly talked of, and Olaf gave good answers as to all news he was asked about.  Then the king