He made it fast in the bows, and then bent over his brother, setting him more easily against the thwart.

He had not dared shift his place to help him before, lest he should alter the sailing trim of the boat, and that must have been hard for him.
The men took the line astern, and the great ship paid off from the wind.

We swung astern of her, wondering what this meant.

I could hear Heidrek's men shouting, but I could not see how near they were, for the ship hid them.
The next moment told me.

I saw, as I looked past the long black side of the ship, the bow of the boat come into view.