But Arinbjorn and Egil with the war-ships held a southward course along the coast;
then took their force still southwards to Saxland, where they harried in
the summer and got wealth.
As autumn came on they came back northward harrying, and lay off Friesland.
One night when the weather was calm they went up a large river-mouth,
where was bad harbourage, and the ebb of the tide was great.
There up on land were wide flats with woods hard by.
The fields were soaked because there had been much rain.
They resolved to go up there, and left behind a third of their force to guard the ships.
They followed up the river, keeping between it and the woods.
Soon they came to a hamlet where dwelt several peasants.
The people ran out of the hamlet into the fields, such as could do so,
when they perceived the enemy, but the freebooters pursued them.
Then they came to a second village, and a third; all the people fled before them.
The land was level, flat fields everywhere, intersected by dykes full of water.
By these the corn-lands or meadows were enclosed; in some places
large stakes were set, and over the dyke, where men should go,
were bridges and planks laid.
The country folk fled to the forest.
But when the freebooters had gone far into the settled parts,
the Frisians gathered them in the woods, and when they had assembled
three hundred men, they went against the freebooters resolved to give them battle.
There was then some hard fighting;
but the end was that the Frisians fled and the freebooters pursued the fugitives.
The peasants that escaped were scattered far and wide, and so were their pursuers.
Thus it happened that on either side few kept together.