He was loth to show battle, while he
was careful enough not to venture ashore unprepared for a warlike reception.
As Kenric was making ready to land he looked towards the shore, and
there came down some fourscore of the men of Colonsay. Fair-haired sons
of the North they were, all well armed and ready to resist the strangers
with a shower of their swift arrows. Then Kenric knew that there was to
be no chance of a peaceful parley, and he made no more ado but drew his
galleys inshore, and bidding his men crouch down in the shelter of their
bulwarks he assailed the islanders with such volleys of well-directed
arrows that they soon began to retreat towards their stronghold, leaving
several dead and wounded lying upon the beach.
It so chanced that the island was at that time but ill protected, for
Earl Sweyn had gone on a roving cruise upon the seas, leaving a weakened
garrison to defend his people. By what means the remaining islanders had
so promptly prepared themselves for the arrival of the invaders Kenric
did not pause to conjecture, but that they had been warned of his coming
he could not doubt. Had he by chance caught sight of young Harald of
Islay standing apart on the heights the matter had needed no deep
questioning. For that young viking had lost no time in crossing over to
Colonsay, and though the lord of the island was absent he nevertheless
warned the garrison that Kenric of Bute, with a squadron of twelve
galleys, was about to make a raid upon their island, and that it behoved
them to make speedy preparations to resist him.
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