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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b7951da --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53070 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53070) diff --git a/old/53070-0.txt b/old/53070-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1d3949b..0000000 --- a/old/53070-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8367 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Modern Vikings, by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Modern Vikings - Stories of Life and Sport in the Norseland - -Author: Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen - -Release Date: September 17, 2016 [EBook #53070] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MODERN VIKINGS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, John Campbell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - More detail can be found at the end of the book. - - - - -THE MODERN VIKINGS - - - - -THE SCRIBNER SERIES - -FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - -EACH WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR - - -BOOKS FOR BOYS - - THE MODERN VIKINGS By H. H. Boyesen - WILL SHAKESPEARE’S LITTLE LAD By Imogen Clark - THE BOY SCOUT and Other Stories for Boys - STORIES FOR BOYS By Richard Harding Davis - HANS BRINKER, or, The Silver Skates By Mary Mapes Dodge - THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY By Edward Eggleston - THE COURT OF KING ARTHUR By William Henry Frost - WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA - WITH WOLFE IN CANADA - REDSKIN AND COWBOY By G. A. Henty - AT WAR WITH PONTIAC By Kirk Munroe - TOMMY TROT’S VISIT TO SANTA CLAUS and - A CAPTURED SANTA CLAUS By Thomas Nelson Page - BOYS OF ST. TIMOTHY’S By Arthur Stanwood Pier - KIDNAPPED - TREASURE ISLAND - BLACK ARROW By Robert Louis Stevenson - AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - A JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH - FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON - TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA By Jules Verne - ON THE OLD KEARSAGE - IN THE WASP’S NEST By Cyrus Townsend Brady - THE BOY SETTLERS - THE BOYS OF FAIRPORT By Noah Brooks - THE CONSCRIPT OF 1813 By Erckmann-Chatrian - THE STEAM-SHOVEL MAN By Ralph D. Paine - THE MOUNTAIN DIVIDE By Frank H. Spearman - THE STRANGE GRAY CANOE By Paul G. Tomlinson - THE ADVENTURES OF A FRESHMAN By J. L. Williams - JACK HALL, or, The School Days of an American Boy - By Robert Grant - - -BOOKS FOR GIRLS - - SMITH COLLEGE STORIES By Josephine Daskam - THE HALLOWELL PARTNERSHIP By Katharine Holland Brown - MY WONDERFUL VISIT By Elizabeth Hill - SARAH CREWE, or, What Happened at Miss Minchin’s - By Frances Hodgson Burnett - - -CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - - - - -[Illustration: BETWEEN SEA AND SKY.] - - - - - THE MODERN VIKINGS - - STORIES OF LIFE AND SPORT IN THE NORSELAND - - - BY - - HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN - - - ILLUSTRATED - - - NEW YORK - - CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - - 1921 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1887, BY - CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - - COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY - HJALMAR H. BOYESEN - ALGERNON BOYESEN - BAYARD H. BOYESEN - - - - -[Illustration] - - -TO THE THREE VIKINGS: - -_HJALMAR, ALGERNON, AND BAYARD_. - - - _Three little lovely Vikings - Came sailing over the sea, - From a fair and distant country, - And put into port with me._ - - _The first--how well I remember-- - Sir Hjalmar was he hight. - With a lusty Norseland war-whoop, - He came in the dead of night._ - - _He met my respectful greeting - With a kick and a threatening frown; - He pressed all the house in his service, - And turned it upside-down._ - - _He thrust, when I meekly objected, - A clinched little fist in my face; - I had no choice but surrender, - And give him charge of the place._ - - _He heeded no creature’s pleasure; - But oft, with a conqueror’s right, - He sang in the small hours of morning, - And dined in the middle of night._ - - _And oft, to amuse his Highness-- - For naught we feared as his frowns-- - We bleated and barked and bellowed, - And danced like circus-clowns._ - - _Then crowed with delight our despot; - So well he liked his home, - He summoned his brother, Algie, - From the realm beyond the foam._ - - _And he is a laughing tyrant, - With dimples and golden curls; - He stole a march on our heart-gates, - And made us his subjects and churls._ - - _He rules us gayly and lightly, - With smiles and cajoling arts; - He went into winter-quarters - In the innermost nooks of our hearts._ - - _And Bayard, the last of my Vikings, - As chivalrous as your name! - With your sturdy and quaint little figure, - What havoc you wrought when you came!_ - - _There’s a chieftain in you--a leader - Of men in some glorious path-- - For dauntless you are, and imperious, - And dignified in your wrath._ - - _You vain and stubborn and tender - Fair son of the valiant North, - With a voice like the storm and the north-wind, - When it sweeps from the glaciers forth._ - - _With the tawny sheen in your ringlets, - And the Norseland light in your eyes, - Where oft, when my tale is mournful, - The tears unbidden arise._ - - _For my Vikings love song and saga, - Like their conquering fathers of old; - And these are some of the stories - To the three little tyrants I told._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - THARALD’S OTTER, 1 - - BETWEEN SEA AND SKY, 17 - - MIKKEL, 41 - - THE FAMINE AMONG THE GNOMES, 71 - - HOW BERNT WENT WHALING, 79 - - THE COOPER AND THE WOLVES, 91 - - MAGNIE’S DANGEROUS RIDE, 102 - - THORWALD AND THE STAR-CHILDREN, 128 - - BIG HANS AND LITTLE HANS, 147 - - A NEW WINTER SPORT, 165 - - THE SKERRY OF SHRIEKS, 182 - - FIDDLE-JOHN’S FAMILY, 211 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - BETWEEN SEA AND SKY _Frontispiece_ - - PAGE - THE BARON SPRANG UP WITH AN EXCLAMATION OF FRIGHT 76 - - NORWEGIAN SKEE-RUNNERS 178 - - IN BATTERY PARK 260 - - - - -THARALD’S OTTER. - - -Tharald and his brother Anders were bathing one day in the lake. -The water was deliciously warm, and the two boys lay quietly -floating on their backs, paddling gently with their hands. All of -a sudden Tharald gave a scream. A big trout leaped into the air, -and almost in the same instant a black, shiny head rose out of the -water right between his knees. The trout, in its descent, gave him -a slap of its slimy tail across his face. The black head stared -out at him, for a moment, with an air of surprise, then dived -noiselessly into the deep. - -Anders hurried to shore as rapidly as arms and legs would propel -him. - -“It was the sea-serpent,” said he. - -He was so frightened that he grew almost numb; his breath stuck in -his throat, and the blood throbbed in his ears. - -“Oh, you sillibub!” shouted his brother after him, “it was an otter -chasing a salmon-trout. The trout will always leap, when chased.” - -He had scarcely spoken when, but a few rods from Anders, appeared -the black, shiny head again, this time with the trout in its mouth. - -“He has his lair somewhere around here,” said Tharald; “let us -watch him, and see where he is going.” - -The otter was nearing the shore. He swam rapidly, with a slightly -undulating motion of the body, so that, at a distance, he might -well have been mistaken for a large water-snake. When he had -reached the shore, he dragged the fish up on the sand, spied -cautiously about him, to see if he was watched, and again seizing -the trout, slid into the underbrush. There was something so -delightfully wild and wary about it that the boys felt the hunter’s -passion aroused in them, and they could scarcely take the time to -fling on their clothes before starting in pursuit. Like Indians, -they crept on hands and feet over the mossy ground, bent aside the -bushes, and peered cautiously between the leaves. - -“Sh--sh--sh! we are on the track,” whispered Tharald, stooping to -smell the moss. “He has been here within a minute.” - -“Here is a drop of fish-blood,” answered Anders, pointing to a -twig, over which the fish had evidently been dragged. - -“Serves him right, the rascal,” murmured his elder brother. - -“If we haven’t got him now, my name is not Anders,” whispered the -younger. - -They had advanced about fifty rods from the water, when their -attention was arrested by two faint tracks among the stones--so -faint, indeed, that no eyes but those of a hunter would have -discovered them. A strange pungent odor, as of something wild, -pervaded the air; the whirring of the crickets in the tree-tops -seemed hushed and timid, and little silent birds hopped about in -the elder-bushes as if afraid to make a noise. - -The boys lay down flat on the ground, and following the two tracks, -discovered that they converged toward a frowsy-looking juniper-bush -which grew among the roots of a big old pine. Very cautiously they -bent the bush aside. - -What was that? There stood the old otter, tearing away at his -trout, and three of the prettiest little black things your eyes -ever fell upon were gambolling about him, picking up bits of the -fish, and slinging them about in their efforts to swallow. - -The boys gave a cry of delight. But the otter--what do you think -he did? He showed a set of very ugly teeth, and spat like an angry -cat. It was evidently not advisable to molest him with bare hands. - -In hot haste Tharald and Anders by their united weight broke off -a young elder-tree and stripped off the leaves. Now they could -venture a battle. Eagerly they pulled aside the juniper. But alas, -Mr. Otter was gone, and had taken his family with him. - -To track him through the tangled underbrush, where he probably knew -a hundred hiding-places, would be a hopeless task. The boys were -about to return, baffled and disappointed, to the lake, when it -occurred to Tharald to explore the den. - -There was a hole under the tree-root, just big enough to put a fist -through, and, without thought of harm, the boy flung himself down -and thrust his arm in to the very elbow. He fumbled about for a -moment--ah, what was that?--something soft and hairy, that slipped -through his fingers. Tharald made a bold grab for it--then with a -yell of pain pulled out his hand. The soft thing followed, but its -teeth were not soft. As Tharald rose to his feet, there hung a tiny -otter with its teeth locked through the fleshy part of his hand, at -the base of the thumb. - -“Look here, now,” cried his brother; “sit down quietly, and I will -soon rid you of the little beast.” - -Tharald, clinching his teeth, sat down on a bowlder. Anders drew -his knife. - -“No, I thank you,” shouted Tharald, as he saw the knife, “I can do -that myself. I don’t want you to harm him.” - -“I don’t intend to harm him,” said Anders. “I only want to force -his mouth open.” - -To this Tharald submitted. The knife was carefully inserted at the -corner of the little monster’s mouth, when lo! he let the hand go, -and snapped after the knife-blade. Anders quickly threw his hat -over him, and held it down with his knees, while he tore a piece -off the lining of his coat to bandage his brother’s wound. Then -they trudged home together with the otter imprisoned in the hat. - - * * * * * - -You would scarcely have thought that “Mons”--for that became the -otter’s name--would have made a pleasant companion; but strange as -it may seem, he improved much, as soon as he got into civilized -society. He soon learned that it was not good-manners to snarl and -show his teeth when politely addressed, and if occasionally he -forgot himself, he got a little tap on the nose which quickened his -memory. He was scarcely six inches long when he was caught, not -reckoning the tail; and so sleek and nimble and glossy, that it -was a delight to handle him His fur was of a very dark brown, and -when it was wet looked black. It was so dense that you could not, -by pulling the hair apart, get the slightest glimpse of the skin. -But the most remarkable things about Mons were the webs he had -between his toes, and his long glossy whiskers. Of the latter he -was particularly proud; he would allow no one to touch them. - -Tharald taught him a number of tricks, which Mons learned -with astonishing ease. He was so intelligent that Sultan, the -bull-terrier, grew quite jealous of him. - -Inquisitiveness seemed to be the strongest trait in Mons’s -character. His curiosity amounted to an overmastering passion. -There was no crevice that he did not feel called upon to -investigate, no hole which he did not suspect of hiding some -interesting secret. Again and again he made explorations in the -flour-barrel, and came out as white as a miller. Once, for the sake -of variety, he put his nose into the inkstand, and in attempting to -withdraw it, poured the contents over his head. - -In the part of Norway where Tharald’s father lived, the people -added largely to their income by salmon-fishing. Nay, those who had -no land made their living entirely by fishing and shooting. Every -spring the salmon migrated from the sea into the rivers, to deposit -their spawn; you could see their young darting in large schools -over the pebbles in the shallows of the streams, pursued by the big -fishes that preyed upon them. Then the perch and the trout grew -fat, and the pike and the pickerel made royal meals out of the -perch and trout. All along the coast lay English schooners, ready -to buy up the salmon and carry it on ice to London. Everywhere -there was life and traffic; everybody felt prosperous and in -good-humor. - -It was during this season that Tharald one day walked down to -the lake to try his luck with a fly. It had been raining during -the night; and the trees along the shore shivered and shook down -showers of raindrops. The only trouble was that the water was so -clear that you could see the bottom, which sloped gently outward -for fifty or a hundred feet. Mons, who was now a year old, was -sitting in his usual place on Tharald’s shoulder, and was gazing -contentedly upon the smiling world which surrounded him. He was so -fond of his master, now, that he followed him like a dog, and could -not bear to be long away from him. - -“Mons,” said Tharald, after having vainly thrown the alluring fly a -dozen times into the river, “I think this is a bad day for fishing; -or what do you think?” - -At that very instant a big salmon-trout--a six-pounder at the very -least--leaped for the fly, and with a splash of its tail sent a -shower of spray shoreward. The line flew with a hum from the reel, -and Tharald braced himself to “play” the fish, until he should tire -him sufficiently to land him. - -But the trout was evidently of a different mind. He sprang out of -the water, and his beautiful spotted sides gleamed in the sun. - -That was a sight for Mons! Before his master could prevent him, -he plunged from his shoulder into the lake, and shot through the -clear tide like a black arrow. The trout saw him coming, and made a -desperate leap! - -The line snapped; the trout was free! - -Free! It was delightful to see Mons’s supple body as it glided -through the water, bending upward, downward, sideward, with amazing -swiftness and ease. His two big eyes (which were conveniently -situated so near the tip of his nose that he could see in every -direction with scarcely a turn of the head) peered watchfully -through the transparent tide, keeping ever in the wake of the -fleeing fish. If the latter had had the sense to keep straight -ahead, he might have made good his escape. But he relied upon -strategy, and in this he was no match for Mons. He leaped out -of the water, darted to the right and to the left, and made all -sorts of foolish and flurried manœuvres. But with the calmness of -a Von Moltke, Mons outgeneralled him. He headed him off whenever -he turned, and finally by a brisk turn plunged his teeth into the -trout’s neck, and brought him to land. - -I need not tell you that Tharald made a hero of him. He hugged him -and patted him and called him pet names, until Mons grew quite -bashful. But this exploit of Mons’s gave Tharald an idea. He -determined to train him as a salmon-fisher. - -It was in the spring of 1880, when Mons was two years old and fully -grown, that he landed his first salmon. And when he had landed the -first, it cost him little trouble to secure the second and the -third. Tharald felt like a rich man that day, as he carried home -in his basket three silvery beauties, worth, at the very least, a -dollar and a half apiece. He made haste to dispose of them to an -English yachtsman at that figure, and went home in a radiant humor, -dreaming of “gold and forests green,” as the Norwegians say. - -“Now, Mons,” he said to his friend, whom he was leading after him -by a chain, “if we do as well every day as we have done to-day, we -shall soon be rich enough to go to school. What do you think of -that, Mons?” - -One day a big fish-tail splashed out of an eddy, and a black furry -head and back rose for an instant and were whirled out of sight. - -“Oh, dear, dear,” cried Tharald, “he will die! He will drown! How -often have I told you, Mons,” he shouted, “that you shouldn’t -attack fishes that are bigger than yourself.” - -“Whom are you talking to?” asked a fisherman named John Bamle, who -had come to look after his traps. - -“To Mons,” answered the boy, anxiously. - -“You don’t mean to say your brother is out there in the water!” -shouted John Bamle, in amazement. - -“Yes, Mons, my otter,” cried Tharald, piteously. - -“Mons, your brother!” yelled the man, and seizing a boat-hook, -he ran out on the beams from which the traps were suspended. The -roar of the waters was so loud that it was next to impossible to -distinguish words, and “Mons, my otter,” and “Mons, my brother,” -sounded so much alike that it was not wonderful that John mistook -the former for the latter. For awhile he balanced himself by means -of the boat-hook on the slippery beams, peering all the while -anxiously into the rapids. - -Suddenly he saw something struggling in the water; showers of spray -whirled upward. Could it be possible that a fish had attacked -the drowning child? Full of pity, he stretched himself forward, -extending the boat-hook before him, when lo! he lost his balance, -and tumbled headlong into the cataract. - -Half a dozen other fishermen who were sauntering down the -hill-sides saw their comrade fall, and rushed into the water to -rescue him. - -One man, bolder than the rest, sat astride a floating log and -rode out into the seething current. Now he was thrown off; now he -scrambled up again; at last, as his drowning comrade appeared for -the third time, with an arm extended out of a whirling eddy, he -caught him deftly with his boat-hook, and pulled him up toward the -log. - -As John Bamle lay there, more dead than alive, upon the bank, -emitting streams of water through mouth and nostrils, the question -was asked how he came to endanger his life in such a reckless -manner. At that very instant the head of a black otter was seen -emerging from the water, dragging a huge salmon up among the stones. - -“Look, the otter, the otter!” cried the men; and a shower of -stones hailed down upon the bowlder upon which Mons had sought -refuge. - -“Let him alone, I tell you!” screamed Tharald; “he is mine.” - -And with three leaps he was at Mons’s side, wringing wet from top -to toe, but happy to have his friend once more in safety. He seized -him in his arms, and would have borne him ashore, if the enormous -salmon had not demanded all his strength. - -As they again reached the bank, the fishermen gathered about them; -but Mons slunk cautiously at his master’s heels. He understood -the growling comments, as one man after the other lifted the big -salmon and estimated its weight. John Bamle had now so far regained -consciousness that he could speak, and he stared with no friendly -eye at the boy who had come near causing his death. - -“Come, now, Mons,” said Tharald, “come, and let us hurry home to -breakfast.” - -“Mons!” repeated John Bamle; “is _that_ your Mons?” - -“Yes, that is my Mons,” answered Tharald, innocently. - -“Then you just wait till I am strong enough to stand on my legs, -and I’ll promise to give you a thrashing that you’ll remember to -your dying day,” said John, and shook his big fist. - -Tharald was not anxious to wait under such circumstances, but -betook himself homeward as rapidly as his legs would carry him. - -During the next week Tharald did his best to avoid the fishermen. -And yet, try as he might, he could not help meeting them on the -road, or on the river-bank, as he carried home his heavy load of -salmon. - -“Hallo! How is your brother Mons?” they jeered, when they saw him. - -Occasionally they stopped and glanced into his basket; and Tharald -noticed that they glowered unpleasantly at him, whenever he had -caught a fine fish. The fact was, he had had extraordinary luck -this week; for Mons was getting to be such an expert, that he -scarcely ever dived without bringing something or other ashore. - -He had almost money enough now to pay for a year’s schooling, and -he could scarcely sleep for joy when he thought of the bright -future that stretched out before him. He saw himself in all manner -of delightful situations. Mons, in the meanwhile, who was not -troubled with this kind of ambition, snoozed peacefully in his -box, at the foot of his master’s bed. He did not dream what a rude -awakening was in store for him. - - * * * * * - -It had been a very bad week for John Bamle and his comrades. -Morning after morning their traps were empty, or one solitary fish -lay sprawling at the bottom of the box. - -“I tell you, boys,” said John, spitting into his fist, and shaking -it threateningly against the sky, “I am bewitched; that’s what I -am. And so are you, boys--every mother’s son of you. It is that -Gimlehaug boy that has bewitched us. Are you fools enough to -suppose that it is a natural beast--that black thing--that trots -at his heels, and empties the river of its fish for his benefit? -Not by a jugful, lads--not by a big jugful! The devil it is--the -black Satan himself--or my name is not John Bamle. You never saw a -beast act like that before, plunging into the yellow whirlpools, -and coming back unscathed every time, and with a fish as big as -himself dangling after him. Now, shall we stand that any longer, -boys? We have wives and babies at home, crying for food! And here -we come daily, and find empty traps. Now wake up, lads, and be men! -There has come a day of reckoning for him who has sold himself -to the devil. I, for my part, am just mad enough to venture on a -tussle with old Nick himself.” - -Every word that John uttered fell like a firebrand into the men’s -hearts. They shouted wildly, shook their fists, and swung their -long boat-hooks. - -“We’ll kill him, the thief,” they cried, “the scoundrel! He has -sold himself to the devil.” - -Up they rushed from the river-bank, up the green hillsides, up the -rocky slope, until they reached the gate at Gimlehaug. It was but -a small turf-thatched cottage, with tiny lead-framed window-panes -and a rude stone chimney. The father was out working by the day, -and the two boys were at home alone. Tharald, who was sitting at -the window reading, felt suddenly a paw tapping him on the cheek. -It was Mons. In the same instant an angry murmur of many voices -reached his ear, and he saw a crowd of excited fishermen, with -boat-hooks in their hands, thronging through the gate. There were -twenty or thirty of them at the very least. Tharald sprang forward -and bolted the door. He knew why they had come. Then he snatched -Mons up in his arms, and hugged him tightly. - -“Let them do their worst, Mons,” he said; “whatever happens, you -and I will stand by each other.” - -Anders, Tharald’s brother, came rushing in by the back door. He, -too, had seen the men coming. - -“Hide yourself, hide yourself, Tharald!” he cried in alarm; “it is -you they are after.” - -Hide yourself! That was more easily said than done. The hut was now -surrounded, and there was no escape. - -“Climb up the chimney,” begged Anders; “hurry, hurry! you have no -time to lose.” - -Happily there was no fire on the hearth, and Tharald, still hugging -Mons tightly, allowed himself to be pushed by his brother up the -sooty tunnel. Scarcely was Anders again out on the floor, when -there was a tremendous thump at the door, so that the hut trembled. - -“Open the door, I say!” shouted John Bamle without. - -Anders, knowing how easily he could force the door, if he wished, -drew the bolt and opened. - -“I want the salmon-fisher,” said John, fiercely. - -“Yes, we want the salmon-fisher,” echoed the crowd, wildly. - -“What salmon-fisher?” asked Anders, with feigned surprise. - -“Don’t you try your tricks on me, you rascal,” yelled John, -furiously; and seizing the boy by the collar, flung him out through -the door. The crowd stormed in after him. They tore up the beds, -and scattered the straw over the floor; upset the furniture, -ransacked drawers and boxes. But no trace did they find of him whom -they sought. Then finally it occurred to someone to look up the -chimney, and a long boat-hook was thrust up to bring down whatever -there might be hidden there. Tharald felt the sharp point in his -thigh, and he knew that he was discovered. With the strength of -despair he tore himself loose, leaving part of his trousers on the -hook, and, climbing upward, sprang out upon the roof. His thigh was -bleeding, but he scarcely noticed it. His eyes and hair were full -of soot, and his face was as black as a chimney-sweep’s. The men, -when they saw him, jeered and yelled with derisive laughter. - -“Hand us down your devilish beast there, and we won’t hurt you!” -cried John Bamle. - -“No, I won’t,” answered Tharald. - -“By the heavens, lad, if you don’t mind, it will go hard with you.” - -“I am not afraid,” said Tharald. - -“Then we’ll make you, you beastly brat,” yelled a furious voice in -the crowd; and instantly a stone whistled past the boy’s ear, and -fell with a thump on the turf below. - -“Now, will you give up your beast?” - -Tharald hesitated a moment. Should he give up Mons, who had been -his friend and playmate for two years, and see him stoned to death -by the cruel men? Mons fixed his black, liquid eyes upon him as if -he would ask him that very question. No, no, he could not forsake -Mons. A second stone, bigger than the first, flew past him, and he -had to dodge quickly behind the chimney, as the third and fourth -followed. - -“Tharald, Tharald!” cried Anders, imploringly; “do let the otter -go, or they will kill both you and him.” - -Before Tharald could answer, a shower of stones fell about him. One -hit him in the forehead; the sparks danced before his eyes. A warm -current rushed down his face; dizziness seized him; he fell, he -did not know where or how. John Bamle with a yell sprang forward, -climbed up the low wall to the roof, and saw the boy lying, as if -dead, behind the chimney. He turned to call for his boat-hook, when -suddenly something black shot toward him from the chimney-top, -and a set of terrible teeth buried themselves in his throat. The -mere force of the leap made him lose his balance, and he tumbled -backward into the yard. - -In the same instant Mons bounded forward, lighted on somebody’s -shoulder, and made for the woods. Before anybody had time to think, -he was out of sight. - -Thus ended the famous battle of Gimlehaug, of which the -salmon-fishers yet speak in the valley. Or rather, I should say, it -did not end there, for John Bamle lay ill for several weeks, and -had to have his wound sewed up by the doctor. - -As for Tharald, he got well within a few days. But a strange -uneasiness came over him, and he roamed through the woods early -and late, seeking his lost friend. At the end of a week, as he was -sitting, one night, on the rocks at the river, he suddenly felt -something hairy rubbing against his nose. He looked up, and with a -scream of joy clasped Mons in his arms. Then he hurried home, and -had a long talk with his father. And the end of it was, that with -the money which Mons had earned by his salmon-fishing, tickets were -bought for New York for the entire family. About a month later they -landed at Castle Garden. - -Tharald and Mons are now doing a large fish-business, without fear -of harm, in one of the great lakes of Wisconsin. Some day, he hopes -yet, it may lead to a parsonage. Since he learned that some of the -apostles were fishermen, he feels that he is on the right road to -the goal of his ambition. - - - - -BETWEEN SEA AND SKY. - - -I. - -“Iceland is the most beautiful land the sun doth shine upon,” said -Sigurd Sigurdson to his two sons. - -“How can you know that, father,” asked Thoralf, the elder of the -two boys, “when you have never been anywhere else?” - -“I know it in my heart,” said Sigurd, devoutly. - -“It is, after all, a matter of taste,” observed the son. “I think -if I were hard pressed, I might be induced to put up with some -other country.” - -“You ought to blush with shame,” his father rejoined warmly. “You -do not deserve the name of an Icelander, when you fail to see -how you have been blessed in having been born in so beautiful a -country.” - -“I wish it were less beautiful and had more things to eat in it,” -muttered Thoralf. “Salted codfish, I have no doubt, is good for the -soul, but it rests very heavily on the stomach, especially when you -eat it three times a day.” - -“You ought to thank God that you have codfish, and are not a naked -savage on some South Sea isle, who feeds, like an animal, on the -herbs of the earth.” - -“But I like codfish much better than smoked puffin,” remarked Jens, -the younger brother, who was carving a pipe-bowl. “Smoked puffin -always makes me sea-sick. It tastes like cod-liver oil.” - -Sigurd smiled, and, patting the younger boy on the head, entered -the cottage. - -“You shouldn’t talk so to father, Thoralf,” said Jens, with -superior dignity; for his father’s caress made him proud and -happy. “Father works so hard, and he does not like to see anyone -discontented.” - -“That is just it,” replied the elder brother; “he works so hard, -and yet barely manages to keep the wolf from the door. That is what -makes me impatient with the country. If he worked so hard in any -other country he would live in abundance, and in America he would -become a rich man.” - -This conversation took place one day, late in the autumn, outside -of a fisherman’s cottage on the north-western coast of Iceland. -The wind was blowing a gale down from the ice-engirdled pole, and -it required a very genial temper to keep one from getting blue. -The ocean, which was but a few hundred feet distant, roared like -an angry beast, and shook its white mane of spray, flinging it -up against the black clouds. With every fresh gust of wind, a -shower of salt water would fly hissing through the air and whirl -about the chimney-top, which was white on the windward side from -dried deposits of brine. On the turf-thatched roof big pieces of -drift-wood, weighted down with stones, were laid lengthwise and -crosswise, and along the walls fishing-nets hung in festoons from -wooden pegs. Even the low door was draped, as with decorative -intent, with the folds of a great drag-net, the clumsy cork-floats -of which often dashed into the faces of those who attempted to -enter. Under a driftwood shed which projected from the northern -wall was seen a pile of peat, cut into square blocks, and a -quantity of the same useful material might be observed down at the -beach, in a boat which the boys had been unloading when the storm -blew up. Trees no longer grow in the island, except the crippled -and twisted dwarf-birch, which creeps along the ground like a -snake, and, if it ever dares lift its head, rarely grows more -than four or six feet high. In the olden time, which is described -in the so-called sagas of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, -Iceland had very considerable forests of birch and probably also of -pine. But they were cut down; and the climate has gradually been -growing colder, until now even the hardiest tree, if it be induced -to strike root in a sheltered place, never reaches maturity. The -Icelanders therefore burn peat, and use for building their houses -driftwood which is carried to them by the Gulf Stream from Cuba and -the other well-wooded isles along the Mexican Gulf. - -“If it keeps blowing like this,” said Thoralf, fixing his weather -eye on the black horizon, “we shan’t be able to go a-fishing; and -mother says the larder is very nearly empty.” - -“I wish it would blow down an Englishman or something on us,” -remarked the younger brother; “Englishmen always have such lots of -money, and they are willing to pay for everything they look at.” - -“While you are a-wishing, why don’t you wish for an American? -Americans have mountains and mountains of money, and they don’t -mind a bit what they do with it. That’s the reason I should like to -be an American.” - -“Yes, let us wish for an American or two to make us comfortable for -the winter. But I am afraid it is too late in the season to expect -foreigners.” - -The two boys chatted together in this strain, each working at some -piece of wood-carving which he expected to sell to some foreign -traveller. Thoralf was sixteen years old, tall of growth, but -round-shouldered, from being obliged to work when he was too young. -He was rather a handsome lad, though his features were square and -weather-beaten, and he looked prematurely old. Jens, the younger -boy, was fourteen years old, and was his mother’s darling. For -even up under the North Pole mothers love their children tenderly, -and sometimes they love one a little more than another; that is, -of course, the merest wee bit of a fraction of a trifle more. -Icelandic mothers are so constituted that when one child is a -little weaker and sicklier than the rest, and thus seems to be more -in need of petting, they are apt to love their little weakling -above all their other children, and to lavish the tenderest care -upon that one. It was because little Jens had so narrow a chest, -and looked so small and slender by the side of his robust brother, -that his mother always singled him out for favors and caresses. - - -II. - -All night long the storm danced wildly about the cottage, rattling -the windows, shaking the walls, and making fierce assaults upon -the door, as if it meant to burst in. Sometimes it bellowed -hoarsely down the chimney, and whirled the ashes on the hearth, -like a gray snowdrift, through the room. The fire had been put -out, of course; but the dancing ashes kept up a fitful patter, -like that of a pelting rainstorm, against the walls; they even -penetrated into the sleeping alcoves and powdered the heads of -their occupants. For in Iceland it is only well-to-do people who -can afford to have separate sleeping-rooms; ordinary folk sleep -in little closed alcoves, along the walls of the sitting-room; -masters and servants, parents and children, guests and wayfarers, -all retiring at night into square little holes in the walls, where -they undress behind sliding trapdoors which may be opened again, -when the lights have been put out, and the supply of air threatens -to become exhausted. It was in a little closet of this sort that -Thoralf and Jens were lying, listening to the roar of the storm. -Thoralf dozed off occasionally, and tried gently to extricate -himself from his frightened brother’s embrace; but Jens lay with -wide-open eyes, staring into the dark, and now and then sliding -the trapdoor aside and peeping out, until a blinding shower of -ashes would again compel him to slip his head under the sheepskin -coverlet. When at last he summoned courage to peep out, he could -not help shuddering. It was terribly cheerless and desolate. And -all the time his father’s words kept ringing ironically in his -ears: “Iceland is the most beautiful land the sun doth shine upon.” -For the first time in his life he began to question whether his -father might not possibly be mistaken, or, perhaps, blinded by his -love for his country. But the boy immediately repented of this -doubt, and, as if to convince himself in spite of everything, kept -repeating the patriotic motto to himself until he fell asleep. - -It was yet pitch dark in the room, when he was awakened by his -father, who stood stooping over him. - -“Sleep on, child,” said Sigurd; “it was your brother I wanted to -wake up, not you.” - -“What is the matter, father? What has happened?” cried Jens, rising -up in bed, and rubbing the ashes from the corners of his eyes. - -“We are snowed up,” said the father, quietly. “It is already nine -o’clock, I should judge, or thereabouts, but not a ray of light -comes through the windows. I want Thoralf to help me open the door.” - -Thoralf was by this time awake, and finished his primitive toilet -with much despatch. The darkness, the damp cold, and the unopened -window-shutters impressed him ominously. He felt as if some -calamity had happened or were about to happen. Sigurd lighted a -piece of driftwood and stuck it into a crevice in the wall. The -storm seemed to have ceased; a strange, tomb-like silence prevailed -without and within. On the hearth lay a small snowdrift which -sparkled with a starlike glitter in the light. - -“Bring the snow-shovels, Thoralf,” said Sigurd. “Be quick; lose no -time.” - -“They are in the shed outside,” answered Thoralf. - -“That is very unlucky,” said the father; “now we shall have to use -our fists.” - -The door opened outward and it was only with the greatest -difficulty that father and son succeeded in pushing it ajar. The -storm had driven the snow with such force against it that their -efforts seemed scarcely to make any impression upon the dense white -wall which rose up before them. - -“This is of no earthly use, father,” said the boy; “it is a day’s -job at the very least. Let me rather try the chimney.” - -“But you might stick in the snow and perish,” objected the father, -anxiously. - -“Weeds don’t perish so easily,” said Thoralf. “Stand up on the -hearth, father, and I will climb up on your shoulders.” - -Sigurd half reluctantly complied with his request. Thoralf crawled -up his back, and soon planted his feet on the parental shoulders. -He pulled his knitted woollen cap over his eyes and ears so -as to protect them from the drizzling soot which descended in -intermittent showers. Then groping with his toes for a little -projection of the wall, he gained a securer foothold, and pushing -boldly on, soon thrust his sooty head through the snow-crust. A -chorus as of a thousand howling wolves burst upon his bewildered -sense; the storm raged, shrieked, roared, and nearly swept him off -his feet. Its biting breath smote his face like a sharp whip-lash. - -“Give me my sheepskin coat,” he cried down into the cottage; “the -wind chills me to the bone.” - -The sheepskin coat was handed to him on the end of a pole, and -seated upon the edge of the chimney, he pulled it on and buttoned -it securely. Then he rolled up the edges of his cap in front and -cautiously exposed his eyes and the tip of his nose. It was not a -pleasant experiment, but one dictated by necessity. As far as he -could see, the world was white with snow, which the storm whirled -madly around, and swept now earthward, now heavenward. Great -funnel-shaped columns of snow danced up the hillsides and vanished -against the black horizon. The prospect before the boy was by no -means inviting, but he had been accustomed to battle with dangers -since his earliest childhood, and he was not easily dismayed. With -much deliberation, he climbed over the edge of the chimney, and -rolled down the slope of the roof in the direction of the shed. He -might have rolled a great deal farther, if he had not taken the -precaution to roll against the wind. When he had made sure that -he was in the right locality, he checked himself by spreading his -legs and arms; then judging by the outline of the snow where the -door of the shed was, he crept along the edge of the roof on the -leeward side. He looked more like a small polar bear than a boy, -covered, as he was, with snow from head to foot. He was prepared -for a laborious descent, and raising himself up he jumped with all -his might, hoping that his weight would carry him a couple of feet -down. To his utmost astonishment he accomplished considerably more. -The snow yielded under his feet as if it had been eiderdown, and -he tumbled headlong into a white cave right at the entrance to the -shed. The storm, while it had packed the snow on the windward side, -had naturally scattered it very loosely on the leeward, which left -a considerable space unfilled under the projecting eaves. - -Thoralf picked himself up and entered the shed without difficulty. -He made up a large bundle of peat, which he put into a basket -which could be carried, by means of straps, upon his back. With -a snow-shovel he then proceeded to dig a tunnel to the nearest -window. This was not a very hard task, as the distance was not -great. The window was opened and the basket of peat, a couple -of shovels, and two pairs of skees[1] (to be used in case of -emergency) were handed in. Thoralf himself, who was hungry as -a wolf, made haste to avail himself of the same entrance. And -it occurred to him as a happy afterthought that he might have -saved himself much trouble, if he had selected the window instead -of the chimney when he sallied forth on his expedition. He had -erroneously taken it for granted that the snow would be packed as -hard everywhere as it was at the front door. The mother, who had -been spending this exciting half-hour in keeping little Jens warm, -now lighted a fire and made coffee; and Thoralf needed no coaxing -to do justice to his breakfast, even though it had, like everything -else in Iceland, a flavor of salted fish. - - -III. - -Five days had passed, and still the storm raged with unabated -fury. The access to the ocean was cut off, and, with that, access -to food. Already the last handful of flour had been made into -bread, and of the dried cod which hung in rows under the ceiling -only one small and skinny specimen remained. The father and the -mother sat with mournful faces at the hearth, the former reading -in his hymn-book, the latter stroking the hair of her youngest -boy. Thoralf, who was carving at his everlasting pipe-bowl (a -corpulent and short-legged Turk with an enormous mustache), looked -up suddenly from his work and glanced questioningly at his father. - -“Father,” he said, abruptly, “how would you like to starve to -death?” - -“God will preserve us from that, my son,” answered the father, -devoutly. - -“Not unless we try to preserve ourselves,” retorted the boy, -earnestly. “We can’t tell how long this storm is going to last, and -it is better for us to start out in search of food now, while we -are yet strong, than to wait until later, when, as likely as not, -we shall be weakened by hunger.” - -“But what would you have me do, Thoralf?” asked the father, sadly. -“To venture out on the ocean in this weather would be certain -death.” - -“True; but we can reach the Pope’s Nose on our skees, and there we -might snare or shoot some auks and gulls. Though I am not partial -to that kind of diet myself, it is always preferable to starvation.” - -“Wait, my son, wait,” said Sigurd, earnestly. “We have food enough -for to-day, and by to-morrow the storm will have ceased, and we may -go fishing without endangering our lives.” - -“As you wish, father,” the son replied, a trifle hurt at his -father’s unresponsive manner; “but if you will take a look out of -the chimney, you will find that it looks black enough to storm for -another week.” - -The father, instead of accepting this suggestion, went quietly to -his book-case, took out a copy of Livy, in Latin, and sat down -to read. Occasionally he looked up a word in the lexicon (which -he had borrowed from the public library at Reykjavik), but read -nevertheless with apparent fluency and pleasure. Though he was -a fisherman, he was also a scholar, and during the long winter -evenings he had taught himself Latin and even a smattering of -Greek.[2] In Iceland the people have to spend their evenings -at home; and especially since their millennial celebration in -1876, when American scholars[3] presented them with a large -library, books are their unfailing resource. In the case of Sigurd -Sigurdson, however, books had become a kind of dissipation, and he -had to be weaned gradually of his predilection for Homer and Livy. -His oldest son especially looked upon Latin and Greek as a vicious -indulgence, which no man with a family could afford to foster. Many -a day when Sigurd ought to have been out in his boat casting his -nets, he stayed at home reading. And this, in Thoralf’s opinion, -was the chief reason why they would always remain poor, and run the -risk of starvation, whenever a stretch of bad weather prevented -them from going to sea. - -The next morning--the sixth since the beginning of the -storm--Thoralf climbed up to his post of observation on the chimney -top, and saw, to his dismay, that his prediction was correct. It -had ceased snowing, but the wind was blowing as fiercely as ever, -and the cold was intense. - -“Will you follow me, father, or will you not?” he asked, when he -had accomplished his descent into the room. “Our last fish is now -eaten, and our last loaf of bread will soon follow suit.” - -“I will go with you, my son,” answered Sigurd, putting down his -Livy reluctantly. He had just been reading for the hundredth time -about the expulsion of the Tarquins from Rome, and his blood was -aglow with sympathy and enthusiasm. - -“Here is your coat, Sigurd,” said his wife, holding up the great -sheepskin garment, and assisting him in putting it on. - -“And here are your skees and your mittens and your cap,” cried -Thoralf, eager to seize the moment, when his father was in the mood -for action. - -Muffled up like Esquimaux to their very eyes, armed with bows and -arrows and long poles with nooses of horse-hair at the ends, they -sallied forth on their skees. The wind blew straight into their -faces, forcing their breath down their throats and compelling -them to tack in zigzag lines like ships in a gale. The promontory -called “The Pope’s Nose” was about a mile distant; but in spite of -their knowledge of the land, they went twice astray, and had to -lie down in the snow, every now and then, so as to draw breath and -warm the exposed portions of their faces. At the end of nearly two -hours they found themselves at their destination, but, to their -unutterable astonishment, the ocean seemed to have vanished, and as -far as their eyes could reach, a vast field of packed ice loomed -up against the sky in fantastic bastions, turrets, and spires. The -storm had driven down this enormous arctic wilderness from the -frozen precincts of the pole; and now they were blockaded on all -sides, and cut off from all intercourse with humanity. - -“We are lost, Thoralf,” muttered his father, after having gazed for -some time in speechless despair at the towering icebergs; “we might -just as well have remained at home.” - -“The wind, which has blown the ice down upon us can blow it away -again, too,” replied the son, with forced cheerfulness. - -“I see no living thing here,” said Sigurd, spying anxiously seaward. - -“Nor do I,” rejoined Thoralf; “but if we hunt, we shall. I have -brought a rope, and I am going to pay a little visit to those auks -and gulls that must be hiding in the sheltered nooks of the rocks.” - -“Are you mad, boy?” cried the father in alarm. “I will never permit -it!” - -“There is no help for it, father,” said the boy resolutely. “Here, -you take hold of one end of the rope; the other I will secure about -my waist. Now, get a good strong hold, and brace your feet against -the rock there.” - -Sigurd, after some remonstrance, yielded, as was his wont, to his -son’s resolution and courage. Stepping off his skees, which he -stuck endwise into the snow, and burrowing his feet down until -they reached the solid rock, he tied the rope around his waist and -twisted it about his hands, and at last, with quaking heart, gave -the signal for the perilous enterprise. The promontory, which rose -abruptly to a height of two or three hundred feet from the sea, -presented a jagged wall full of nooks and crevices glazed with -frozen snow on the windward side, but black and partly bare to -leeward. - -“Now let go!” shouted Thoralf; “and stop when I give a slight pull -at the rope.” - -“All right,” replied his father. - -And slowly, slowly, hovering in mid-air, now yielding to an -irresistible impulse of dread, now brave, cautious, and confident, -Thoralf descended the cliff, which no human foot had ever trod -before. He held in his hand the pole with the horse-hair noose, -and over his shoulder hung a foxskin hunting-bag. With alert, -wide-open eyes he spied about him, exploring every cranny of the -rock, and thrusting his pole into the holes where he suspected -the birds might have taken refuge. Sometimes a gust of wind would -have flung him violently against the jagged wall if he had not, -by means of his pole, warded off the collision. At last he caught -sight of a bare ledge, where he might gain a secure foothold; for -the rope cut him terribly about the waist, and made him anxious -to relieve the strain, if only for a moment. He gave the signal -to his father, and by the aid of the pole swung himself over to -the projecting ledge. It was uncomfortably narrow, and, what was -worse, the remnants of a dozen auks’ nests had made the place -extremely slippery. Nevertheless, he seated himself, allowing his -feet to dangle, and gazed out upon the vast ocean, which looked -in its icy grandeur like a forest of shining towers and minarets. -It struck him for the first time in his life that perhaps his -father was right in his belief that Iceland was the fairest land -the sun doth shine upon; but he could not help reflecting that it -was a very unprofitable kind of beauty. The storm whistled and -howled overhead, but under the lee of the sheltering rock it blew -only in fitful gusts with intermissions of comparative calm. He -knew that in fair weather this was the haunt of innumerable sea -birds, and he concluded that even now they could not be far away. -He pulled up his legs, and crept carefully on hands and feet -along the slippery ledge, peering intently into every nook and -crevice. His eyes, which had been half-blinded by the glare of the -snow, gradually recovered their power of vision. There! What was -that? Something seemed to move on the ledge below. Yes, there sat -a long row of auks, some erect as soldiers, as if determined to -face it out; others huddled together in clusters, and comically -woe-begone. Quite a number lay dead at the base of the rock, -whether from starvation or as the victims of fierce fights for the -possession of the sheltered ledges could scarcely be determined. -Thoralf, delighted at the sight of anything eatable (even though -it was poor eating), gently lowered the end of his pole, slipped -the noose about the neck of a large, military-looking fellow, and, -with a quick pull, swung him out over the ice-field. The auk gave -a few ineffectual flaps with his useless wings,[4] and expired. -His picking off apparently occasioned no comment whatever in his -family, for his comrades never uttered a sound nor stirred an inch, -except to take possession of the place he had vacated. Number two -met his fate with the same listless resignation; and numbers three, -four, and five were likewise removed in the same noiseless manner, -without impressing their neighbors with the fact that their turn -might come next. The birds were half-benumbed with hunger, and -their usually alert senses were drowsy and stupefied. Nevertheless, -number six, when it felt the noose about its neck, raised a hubbub -that suddenly aroused the whole colony, and, with a chorus of wild -screams, the birds flung themselves down the cliffs or, in their -bewilderment, dashed headlong down upon the ice, where they lay -half stunned or helplessly sprawling. So, through all the caves -and hiding-places of the promontory the commotion spread, and -the noise of screams and confused chatter mingled with the storm -and filled the vault of the sky. In an instant a great flock of -gulls was on the wing, and circled with resentful shrieks about -the head of the daring intruder who had disturbed their wintry -peace. The wind whirled them about, but they still held their own, -and almost brushed with their wings against his face, while he -struck out at them with his pole. He had no intention of catching -them; but, by chance, a huge burgomaster gull[5] got its foot into -the noose. It made an ineffectual attempt to disentangle itself, -then, with piercing screams, flapped its great wings, beating -the air desperately. Thoralf, having packed three birds into his -hunting-bag, tied the three others together by the legs, and flung -them across his shoulders. Then, gradually trusting his weight to -the rope, he slid off the rock, and was about to give his father -the signal to hoist him up. But, greatly to his astonishment, -his living captive, by the power of its mighty wings, pulling at -the end of the pole, swung him considerably farther into space -than he had calculated. He would have liked to let go both the -gull and the pole, but he perceived instantly that if he did, -he would, by the mere force of his weight, be flung back against -the rocky wall. He did not dare take that risk, as the blow might -be hard enough to stun him. A strange, tingling sensation shot -through his nerves, and the blood throbbed with a surging sound -in his ears. There he hung suspended in mid-air, over a terrible -precipice--and a hundred feet below was the jagged ice-field with -its sharp, fiercely-shining steeples! With a powerful effort of -will, he collected his senses, clinched his teeth, and strove to -think clearly. The gull whirled wildly eastward and westward, and -he swayed with its every motion like a living pendulum between sea -and sky. He began to grow dizzy, but again his powerful will came -to his rescue, and he gazed resolutely up against the brow of the -precipice and down upon the projecting ledges below, in order to -accustom his eye and his mind to the sight. By a strong effort -he succeeded in giving a pull at the rope, and expected to feel -himself raised upward by his father’s strong arms. But, to his -amazement, there came no response to his signal. He repeated it -once, twice, thrice; there was a slight tugging at the rope, but no -upward movement. Then the brave lad’s heart stood still, and his -courage wellnigh failed him. - -“Father!” he cried, with a hoarse voice of despair; “why don’t you -pull me up?” - -His cry was lost in the roar of the wind, and there came no answer. -Taking hold once more of the rope with one hand, he considered the -possibility of climbing; but the miserable gull, seeming every -moment to redouble its efforts at escape, deprived him of the use -of his hands unless he chose to dash out his brains by collision -with the rock. Something like a husky, choked scream seemed to -float down from above, and staring again upward, he saw his -father’s head projecting over the brink of the precipice. - -“The rope will break,” screamed Sigurd. “I have tied it to the -rock.” - -Thoralf instantly took in the situation. By the swinging motion, -occasioned both by the wind and his fight with the gull, the -rope had become frayed against the sharp edge of the cliff, and -his chances of life, he coolly concluded, were now not worth a -sixpence. Curiously enough, his agitation suddenly left him, and -a great calm came over him. He seemed to stand face to face with -eternity; and as nothing else that he could do was of any avail, -he could at least steel his heart to meet death like a man and an -Icelander. - -“I am trying to get hold of the rope below the place where it is -frayed,” he heard his father shout during a momentary lull in the -storm. - -“Don’t try,” answered the boy; “you can’t do it alone. Rather, let -me down on the lower ledge, and let me sit there until you can go -and get someone to help you.” - -His father, accustomed to take his son’s advice, reluctantly -lowered him ten or twenty feet until he was on a level with the -shelving ledge below, which was broader than the one upon which he -had first gained foothold. But--oh, the misery of it!--the ledge -did not project far enough! He could not reach it with his feet! -The rope, of which only a few strands remained, might break at -any moment and--he dared not think what would be the result! He -had scarcely had time to consider, when a brilliant device shot -through his brain. With a sudden thrust he flung away the pole, and -the impetus of his weight sent him inward with such force that he -landed securely upon the broad shelf of rock. - -The gull, surprised by the sudden weight of the pole, made a -somersault, strove to rise again, and tumbled, with the pole still -depending from its leg, down upon the ice-field. - -It was well that Thoralf was warmly clad, or he could never have -endured the terrible hours while he sat through the long afternoon, -hearing the moaning and shrieking of the wind and seeing the -darkness close about him. The storm was chilling him with its -fierce breath. One of the birds he tied about his throat as a sort -of scarf, using the feet and neck for making the knot, and the -dense, downy feathers sent a glow of comfort through him, in spite -of his consciousness that every hour might be his last. If he could -only keep awake through the night, the chances were that he would -survive to greet the morning. He hit upon an ingenious plan for -accomplishing this purpose. He opened the bill of the auk which -warmed his neck, cut off the lower mandible, and placed the upper -one (which was as sharp as a knife) so that it would inevitably -cut his chin in case he should nod. He leaned against the rock and -thought of his mother and the warm, comfortable chimney-corner -at home. The wind probably resented this thought, for it suddenly -sent a biting gust right into his face, and he buried his nose -in the downy breast of the auk until the pain had subsided. The -darkness had now settled upon sea and land; only here and there -white steeples loomed out of the gloom. Thoralf, simply to occupy -his thought, began to count them. But all of a sudden one of the -steeples seemed to move, then another--and another. - -The boy feared that the long strain of excitement was depriving -him of his reason. The wind, too, after a few wild arctic howls, -acquired a warmer breath and a gentler sound. It could not be -possible that he was dreaming, for in that case he would soon be -dead. Perhaps he was dead already, and was drifting through this -strange icy vista to a better world. All these imaginings flitted -through his mind, and were again dismissed as improbable. He -scratched his face with the foot of an auk in order to convince -himself that he was really awake. Yes, there could be no doubt of -it; he was wide awake. Accordingly he once more fixed his eyes upon -the ghostly steeples and towers, and--it sent cold shudders down -his back--they were still moving. Then there came a fusillade as -of heavy artillery, followed by a salvo of lighter musketry; then -came a fierce grinding, and cracking, and creaking sound, as if -the whole ocean were of glass and were breaking to pieces. “What,” -thought Thoralf, “is the ice breaking up!” In an instant the -explanation of the whole spectral panorama was clear as the day. -The wind had veered round to the southeast, and the whole enormous -ice-floe was being driven out to sea. For several hours--he could -not tell how many--he sat watching this superb spectacle by the -pale light of the aurora borealis, which toward midnight began to -flicker across the sky and illuminated the northern horizon. He -found the sight so interesting that for a while he forgot to be -sleepy. But toward morning, when the aurora began to fade and the -clouds to cover the east, a terrible weariness was irresistibly -stealing over him. He could see glimpses of the black water beneath -him; and the shining spires of ice were vanishing in the dusk, -drifting rapidly away upon the arctic currents with death and -disaster to ships and crews that might happen to cross their paths. - -It was terrible at what a snail’s pace the hours crept along! -It seemed to Thoralf as if a week had passed since his father -left him. He pinched himself in order to keep awake, but it was -of no use; his eyelids would slowly droop and his head would -incline--horrors! what was that? Oh, he had forgotten; it was the -sharp mandible of the auk that cut his chin. He put his hand up -to it, and felt something warm and clammy on his fingers. He was -bleeding. It took Thoralf several minutes to stay the blood--the -wound was deeper than he had bargained for; but it occupied him and -kept him awake, which was of vital importance. - -At last, after a long and desperate struggle with drowsiness, -he saw the dawn break faintly in the east. It was a mere feeble -promise of light, a remote suggestion that there was such a thing -as day. But to the boy, worn out by the terrible strain of death -and danger staring him in the face, it was a glorious assurance -that rescue was at hand. The tears came into his eyes--not tears -of weakness, but tears of gratitude that the terrible trial had -been endured. Gradually the light spread like a pale, grayish veil -over the eastern sky, and the ocean caught faint reflections of -the presence of the unseen sun. The wind was mild, and thousands -of birds that had been imprisoned by the ice in the crevices of -the rocks whirled triumphantly into the air and plunged with wild -screams into the tide below. It was hard to imagine where they all -had been, for the air seemed alive with them, the cliffs teemed -with them; and they fought, and shrieked, and chattered, like a -howling mob in times of famine. It was owing to this unearthly -tumult that Thoralf did not hear the voice which called to him -from the top of the cliff. His senses were half-dazed by the noise -and by the sudden relief from the excitement of the night. Then -there came two voices floating down to him--then quite a chorus. -He tried to look up, but the beetling brow of the rock prevented -him from seeing anything but a stout rope, which was dangling in -mid-air and slowly approaching him. With all the power of his -lungs he responded to the call; and there came a wild cheer from -above--a cheer full of triumph and joy. He recognized the voices of -Hunding’s sons, who lived on the other side of the promontory; and -he knew that even without their father they were strong enough to -pull up a man three times his weight. The difficulty now was only -to get hold of the rope, which hung too far out for his hands to -reach it. - -“Shake the rope hard,” he called up; and immediately the rope was -shaken into serpentine undulations; and after a few vain efforts, -he succeeded in catching hold of the knot. To secure the rope -about his waist and to give the signal for the ascent was but a -moment’s work. They hauled vigorously, those sons of Hunding--for -he rose, up, along the black walls--up--up--up--with no uncertain -motion. At last, when he was at the very brink of the precipice, -he saw his father’s pale and anxious face leaning out over the -abyss. But there was another face too! Whose could it be? It was -a woman’s face. It was his mother’s. Somebody swung him out into -space; a strange, delicious dizziness came over him; his eyes were -blinded with tears; he did not know where he was. He only knew that -he was inexpressibly happy. There came a tremendous cheer from -somewhere--for Icelanders know how to cheer--but it penetrated but -faintly through his bewildered senses. Something cold touched his -forehead; it seemed to be snow; then warm drops fell, which were -tears. He opened his eyes; he was in his mother’s arms. Little Jens -was crying over him and kissing him. His father and Hunding’s sons -were standing, with folded arms, gazing joyously at him. - - - - -MIKKEL. - - -I. - -HOW MIKKEL WAS FOUND. - -You may find it hard to believe what I am going to tell you, but -it is, nevertheless, strictly true. I knew the boy who is the hero -of this story. His name was Thor Larsson, and a very clever boy -he was. Still I don’t think he would have amounted to much in the -world, if it had not been for his friend Michael, or, as they write -it in Norwegian, Mikkel. Mikkel, strange to say, was not a boy, -but a fox. Thor caught him, when he was a very small lad, in a den -under the roots of a huge tree. It happened in this way. Thor and -his elder brother, Lars, and still another boy, named Ole Thomlemo, -were up in the woods gathering faggots, which they tied together -in large bundles to carry home on their backs; for their parents -were poor people, and had no money to buy wood with. The boys -rather liked to be sent on errands of this kind, because delicious -raspberries and blueberries grew in great abundance in the woods, -and gathering faggots was, after all, a much manlier occupation -than staying at home minding the baby. - -Thor’s brother Lars and Ole Thomlemo were great friends, and -they had a disagreeable way of always plotting and having secrets -together and leaving Thor out of their councils. One of their -favorite tricks, when they wished to get rid of him, was to pretend -to play hide-and-seek; and when he had hidden himself, they would -run away from him and make no effort to find him. It was this trick -of theirs which led to the capture of Mikkel, and to many things -besides. - -It was on a glorious day in the early autumn that the three boys -started out together, as frisky and gay as a company of squirrels. -They had no luncheon-baskets with them, although they expected to -be gone for the whole day; but they had hooks and lines in their -pockets, and meant to have a famous dinner of brook-trout up in -some mountain glen, where they could sit like pirates around a -fire, conversing in mysterious language, while the fish was being -fried upon a flat stone. Their _tolle_ knives[6] were hanging, -sheathed, from their girdles, and the two older ones carried, -besides, little hatchets wherewith to cut off the dry twigs and -branches. Lars and Ole Thomlemo, as usual, kept ahead and left Thor -to pick his way over the steep and stony road as best he might; and -when he caught up with them, they started to run, while he sat down -panting on a stone. Thus several hours passed, until they came to -a glen in which the blueberries grew so thickly that you couldn’t -step without crushing a handful. The boys gave a shout of delight -and flung themselves down, heedless of their clothes, and began to -eat with boyish greed. As far as their eyes could reach between the -mossy pine trunks, the ground was blue with berries, except where -bunches of ferns or clusters of wild flowers intercepted the view. -When they had dulled the edge of their hunger, they began to cut -the branches from the trees which the lumbermen had felled, and -Ole Thomlemo, who was clever with his hands, twisted withes, which -they used instead of ropes for tying their bundles together. They -had one bundle well secured and another under way, when Ole, with a -mischievous expression, ran over to Lars and whispered something in -his ear. - -“Let us play hide-and-seek,” said Lars aloud, glancing over toward -his little brother, who was working like a Trojan, breaking the -faggots so as to make them all the same length. - -Thor, who in spite of many exasperating experiences had not yet -learned to be suspicious, threw down an armful of dry boughs and -answered: “Yes, let us, boys. I am in for anything.” - -“I’ll blind first,” cried Ole Thomlemo; “now, be quick and get -yourselves hidden.” - -And off the two brothers ran, while Ole turned his face against a -big tree and covered his eyes with his hands. But the very moment -Thor was out of sight, Lars stole back again to his friend, and -together they slipped away under cover of the bushes, until they -reached the lower end of the glen. There, they pulled out their -fish-lines, cut rods with their hatchets, and went down to the -tarn, or brook, which was only a short distance off; the fishing -was excellent, and when the large speckled trout began to leap -out of the water to catch their flies, the two boys soon ceased -to trouble themselves about little Thor, who, they supposed, was -hiding under some bush and waiting to be discovered. - -In this supposition they were partly right and partly wrong. - -No sooner had Ole Thomlemo given the signal for hiding, than Thor -ran up the hill-side, stumbling over the moss-grown stones, pushing -the underbrush aside with his hands, and looking eagerly for a -place where he would be least likely to be found. He was full of -the spirit of the game, and anticipated with joyous excitement the -wonder of the boys when they should have to give up the search -and call to him to reveal himself. While these thoughts were -filling his brain, he caught sight of a huge old fir-tree, which -was leaning down the mountain-side as if ready to fall. The wind -had evidently given it a pull in the top, strong enough to loosen -its hold on the ground, and yet not strong enough to overthrow -it. On the upper side, for a dozen yards or more, the thick, -twisted roots, with the soil and turf still clinging to them, had -been lifted, so as to form a little den about two feet wide at -the entrance. Here, thought Thor, was a wonderful hiding-place. -Chuckling to himself at the discomfiture of his comrades, he threw -himself down on his knees and thrust his head into the opening. -To his surprise the bottom felt soft to his hands, as if it had -been purposely covered with moss and a layer of feathers and -eider-down. He did not take heed of the peculiar wild smell which -greeted his nostrils, but fearlessly pressed on, until nearly -his whole figure, with the exception of the heels of his boots, -was hidden. Then a sharp little bark startled him, and raising -his head he saw eight luminous eyes staring at him from a dark -recess, a few feet beyond his nose. It is not to be denied that -he was a little frightened; for it instantly occurred to him that -he had unwittingly entered the den of some wild beast, and that, -in case the old ones were at home, there was small chance of his -escaping with a whole skin. It could hardly be a bear’s den, for -the entrance was not half big enough for a gentleman of Bruin’s -size. It might possibly be a wolf’s premises he was trespassing -upon, and the idea made his blood run cold. For Mr. Gray-legs, -as the Norwegians call the wolf, is not to be trifled with; and -a small boy armed only with a knife was hardly a match for such -an antagonist. Thor concluded, without much reflection, that his -safest plan would be to beat a hasty retreat. Digging his hands -into the mossy ground, he tried to push himself backward, but, to -his unutterable dismay, he could not budge an inch. The feathers, -interspersed with the smooth pine-needles, slipped away under his -fingers, and the roots caught in his clothes and held him as in -a vice. He tried to force his way, but the more he wriggled the -more he realized how small was his chance of escape. To turn was -impossible, and to pull off his coat and trousers was a scarcely -less difficult task. It was fortunate that the four inhabitants -of the den, to whom the glaring eyes belonged, seemed no less -frightened than himself; for they remained huddled together in -their corner, and showed no disposition to fight. They only -stared wildly at the intruder, and seemed anxious to know what he -intended to do next. And Thor stared at them in return, although -the darkness was so dense that he could discern nothing except the -eight luminous eyes, which were fixed upon him with an uncanny and -highly uncomfortable expression. Unpleasant as the situation was, -he began to grow accustomed to it, and he collected his scattered -thoughts sufficiently to draw certain conclusions. The size of the -den, as well as the feathers which everywhere met his fumbling -hands, convinced him that his hosts were young foxes, and that -probably their respected parents, for the moment, were on a raid in -search of rabbits or stray poultry. That reflection comforted him, -for he had never known a fox to use any other weapon of defence -than its legs, unless it was caught in a trap and had to fight for -bare life. He was just dismissing from his mind all thought of -danger from that source, when a sudden sharp pain in his heel put -an end to his reasoning. He gave a scream, at which the eight eyes -leaped apart in pairs and distributed themselves in a row along the -curving wall of the den. Another bite in his ankle convinced him -that he was being attacked from behind, and he knew no other way -of defence than to kick with all his might, screaming at the same -time so as to attract the attention of the boys, who, he supposed, -could hardly be far off. But his voice sounded choked and feeble -in the close den, and he feared that no one would be able to hear -it ten yards away. The strong odor, too, began to stifle him, and -a strange dizziness wrapped his senses, as it were, in a gray, -translucent veil. He made three or four spasmodic efforts to rouse -himself, screamed feebly, and kicked; but probably he struck his -wounded ankle against a root or a stone, for the pain shot up his -leg and made him clinch his teeth to keep the tears from starting. -He thought of his poor mother, whom he feared he should never see -again, and how she would watch for his return through the long -night and cry for him, as it said in the Bible that Jacob cried -over Joseph when he supposed that a wild beast had torn him to -pieces and killed him. Curious lights, like shooting stars, began -to move before his eyes; his tongue felt dry and parched, and his -throat seemed burning hot. It occurred to him that certainly God -saw his peril and might yet help him, if he only prayed for help; -but the only prayer which he could remember was the one which the -minister repeated every Sunday for “our most gracious sovereign, -Oscar II., and the army and navy of the United Kingdoms.” Next he -stumbled upon “the clergy, and the congregations committed to their -charge;” and he was about to finish with “sailors in distress at -sea,” when his words, like his thoughts, grew more and more hazy, -and he drifted away into unconsciousness. - -Lars and Ole Thomlemo in the meanwhile had enjoyed themselves to -the top of their bent, and when they had caught a dozen trout, -among which was one three-pounder, they reeled up their lines, -threaded the fish on withes, and began to trudge leisurely up the -glen. When they came to the place where they had left their bundles -of faggots, they stopped to shout for Thor, and when they received -no reply, they imagined that, being tired of waiting, he had gone -home alone, or fallen in with some one who was on his way down -to the valley. The only thing that troubled them was that Thor’s -bundle had not been touched since they left him, and they knew that -the boy was not lazy, and that, moreover, he would be afraid to go -home without the faggots. They therefore concluded to search the -copse and the surrounding underbrush, as it was just possible that -he might have fallen asleep in his hiding-place while waiting to be -discovered. - -“I think Thor is napping somewhere under the bushes,” cried Ole -Thomlemo, swinging his hatchet over his head like an Indian -tomahawk. “We shall have to halloo pretty loud, for you know he -sleeps like a top.” - -And they began scouring the underbrush, traversing it in all -directions, and hallooing lustily, both singly and in chorus. -They were just about giving up the quest, when Lars’s attention -was attracted by two foxes which, undismayed by the noise, were -running about a large fir-tree, barking in a way which betrayed -anxiety, and stopping every minute to dig up the ground with their -fore-paws. When the boys approached the tree, the foxes ran only a -short distance, then stopped, ran back, and again fled, once more -to return. - -“Those fellows act very queerly,” remarked Lars, eying the foxes -curiously; “I’ll wager there are young un’s under the tree here, -but”--Lars gasped for breath--“Ole--Ole--Oh, look! What is this?” - -Lars had caught sight of a pair of heels, from which a little -stream of blood had been trickling, coloring the stones and -pine-needles. Ole Thomlemo, hearing his comrade’s exclamation of -fright, was on the spot in an instant, and he comprehended at once -how everything had happened. - -“Look here, Lars,” he said, resolutely, “this is no time for -crying. If Thor is dead, it is we who have killed him; but if he -isn’t dead, we’ve got to save him.” - -“Oh, what shall we do, Ole?” sobbed Lars, while the tears rolled -down over his cheeks, “what shall we do? I shall never dare go home -again if he is dead. We have been so very bad to him!” - -“We have got to save him, I tell you,” repeated Ole, tearless and -stern: “we must pull him out; and if we can’t do that, we must cut -through the roots of this fir-tree; then it’ll plunge down the -mountain-side, without hurting him. A few roots that have burrowed -into the rocks are all that keep the tree standing. Now, act like a -man. Take hold of him by one heel and I’ll take the other.” - -Lars, who looked up to his friend as a kind of superior being, -dried his tears and grasped his brother’s foot, while Ole carefully -handled the wounded ankle. But their combined efforts had no -perceptible effect, except to show how inextricably the poor lad’s -clothes were intertangled with the tree-roots, which, growing all -in one direction, made entrance easy, but exit impossible. - -“That won’t do,” said Ole, after three vain trials. “We might -injure him without knowing it, driving the sharp roots into his -eyes and ears, as likely as not. We’ve got to use the hatchets. You -cut that root and I’ll manage this one.” - -Ole Thomlemo was a lumberman’s son, and since he was old enough -to walk had spent his life in the forest. He could calculate -with great nicety how a tree would fall, if cut in a certain -way, and his skill in this instance proved valuable. With six -well-directed cuts he severed one big root, while Lars labored at -a smaller one. Soon with a great crash the mighty tree fell down -the mountain-side, crushing a dozen birches and smaller pines -under its weight. The moss-grown sod around about was torn up with -the remaining roots, and three pretty little foxes, blinded and -stunned by the rush of daylight, sprang out from their hole and -stared in bewilderment at the sudden change of scene. Through the -cloud of flying dust and feathers the boys discerned, too, Thor’s -insensible form, lying outstretched, torn and bleeding, his face -resting upon his hands, as if he were asleep. With great gentleness -they lifted him up, brushed the moss and earth from his face and -clothes, and placed him upon the grass by the side of the brook -which flowed through the bottom of the glen. Although his body was -warm, they could hardly determine whether he was dead or alive, -for he seemed scarcely to be breathing, and it was not until Ole -put a feather before his mouth and perceived its faint inward and -outward movement, that they felt reassured and began to take heart. -They bathed his temples with the cool mountain water and rubbed and -chafed his hands, until at last he opened his eyes wonderingly and -moved his lips, as if endeavoring to speak. - -“Where am I?” he whispered at last, after several vain efforts to -make himself heard. - -“Why, cheer up, old fellow,” answered Ole, encouragingly; “you have -had a little accident, that’s all, but you’ll be all right in a -minute.” - -“Unbutton my vest,” whispered Thor again; “there is something -scratching me here.” - -He put his hand over his heart, and the boys quickly tore his -waistcoat open, but to their unutterable astonishment a little -fox, the image of the three that had escaped, put his head out and -looked about him with his alert eyes, as if to say: “Here am I; how -do you like me?” He evidently felt so comfortable where he was, -that he had no desire to get away. No doubt the little creature, -prompted either by his curiosity or a desire to escape from the -den, had crept into Thor’s bosom while he was insensible, and, -finding his quarters quite to his taste, had concluded to remain. -Lars picked him up, tied a string about his neck, and put him in -the side pocket of his jacket. Then, as it was growing late, Ole -lifted Thor upon his back, and he and Lars took turns in carrying -him down to the valley. - -Thor’s ankle gave him some trouble, as the wound was slow in -healing. With that exception, he was soon himself again; and he -and Mikkel (for that was the name he gave to the little fox) grew -to be great friends and had many a frolic together. - -But the little fox was not a model of deportment, as you will see -when I tell you, in the next chapter, how Mikkel disgraced himself. - - -II. - -HOW MIKKEL DISGRACED HIMSELF. - -When Thor was twelve years old, he had to go out into the world -to make his own living; for his parents were poor, and they had -half a dozen younger children, who also had to be fed and clothed. -As it happened, Judge Nannestad, who lived on a large estate down -at the fiord, wanted an office-boy, and as Thor was a bright and -active lad, he had no difficulty in obtaining the situation. The -only question was, how to dispose of Mikkel; for, to be frank, -Mikkel (in spite of his many admirable traits) was not a general -favorite, and Thor suspected that when his protector was away -Mikkel would have a hard time of it. He well knew that Mikkel was -of a peculiar temperament, which required to be studied in order -to be appreciated, and as there was no one but himself who took -this trouble, he did not wonder that his friend was generally -misunderstood. Mikkel’s was not a nature to invite confidences; he -scrupulously kept his own counsel, and was always alert and on his -guard. There was a bland expression on his face, a kind of lurking -smile, which never varied, and which gave absolutely no clew to -his thoughts. When he had skimmed the cream off the milk-pans on -the top shelf in the kitchen, he returned, licking his chops, with -the same inscrutable smile, as if his conscience were as clean -as a new-born babe’s; and when he had slipped his collar over -his head and dispatched the kitten, burying its remains in the -backyard, he betrayed no more remorse than if he had been cracking -a nut. Sultan, the dog, strange to say, had private reasons for -being afraid of him, and always slank away in a shamefaced manner, -whenever Mikkel gave him one of his quiet sidelong glances. And -yet the same Mikkel would roll on his back, and jump and play with -the baby by the hour, seize her pudgy little hands gently with -his teeth, never inflicting a bite or a scratch. He would nestle -on Thor’s bosom inside of his coat, while Thor was learning his -lesson, or he would sit on his shoulder and look down on the book -with his superior smile. It was not to be denied that Mikkel had a -curious character--an odd mixture of good and bad qualities; but -as, in Thor’s judgment, the good were by far the more prominent, he -would not listen to his father’s advice and leave his friend behind -him, when he went down to the judge’s at the grand estate. - -It was the day after New-year’s that Thor left the cottage up -under the mountain, and, putting on his skees, slid down the steep -hill-side to the fiord. Mikkel was nestling, according to his wont, -in the bosom of his master’s coat, while his pretty head, with the -clean dark snout and dark mustache, was sticking out above the -boy’s collar, just under his chin. Mikkel had never been so far -away from home before, and he concluded that the world was a bigger -affair than he had been aware of. - -It was with a loudly thumping heart that Thor paused outside -the door of the judge’s office, for he greatly feared that the -judge might share the general prejudice against Mikkel, and make -difficulties about his board and lodgings. Instead of entering, he -went to the pump in the yard and washed his friend’s face carefully -and combed his hair with the fragment of a comb with which his -mother had presented him at parting. It was important that Mikkel -should appear to advantage, so as to make a good impression upon -the judge. And really he did look irresistible, Thor thought, with -his bright, black eyes, his dainty paws, and his beautiful red -skin. He felt satisfied that if the judge had not a heart of stone -he could not help being captivated at the sight of so lovely a -creature. Thor took courage and knocked at the door. - -“Ah, you are our new office-boy,” said the judge, as he entered; -“but what is that you have under your coat?” - -“It is Mikkel, sir, please your Honor,” stammered Thor, putting the -fox on the floor, so as to display his charms. But hardly had he -taken his hands off him, when a sudden scrambling noise was heard -in the adjoining office, and a large hound came bounding with wild -eyes and drooping tongue through the open door. With lightning -speed Mikkel leaped up on the judge’s writing-desk, scattering his -writing materials, upsetting an inkstand by an accidental whisk -of his tail, and bespattering the honorable gentleman’s face and -shirt-front with the black fluid. To perform a similar service on -the next desk, where a clerk was writing, to jump from there to -the shoulder of a marble bust, which fell from its pedestal down -on the hound’s head and broke into a dozen pieces, and to reach a -place of safety on the top of a tall bookcase were all a moment’s -work. The hound lay howling, with a wounded nose, on the floor. The -judge stood scowling at his desk, rubbing the ink all over his face -with his handkerchief, and Mikkel sat smiling on the top of the -bookcase, surveying calmly the ruin which he had wrought. But the -most miserable creature in the room was neither the judge, with his -black face, nor the hound, with the bleeding nose; it was Thor, who -stood trembling at the door, expecting that something still more -terrible would happen. And knowing that, after having caused such a -commotion, his place was forfeited, he held out his arms to Mikkel, -who accepted the invitation, and with all speed at their disposal -they rushed out through the door and away over the snowy fields, -scarcely knowing whither their feet bore them. - -After half an hour’s run, when he had no more breath left, Thor -seated himself on a tree-stump and tried to collect his thoughts. -What should he now do? Where should he turn? Go home he could not; -and if he did, it would be the end of Mikkel. The only thing he -could think of was to go around in the parish, from farm to farm, -until he found somebody who would give him something to do. - -“I hope you will appreciate, my dear Mikkel,” he said to his fox, -“that it is on your account I have all this trouble. It was very -naughty of you to behave so badly, and if you do it again I shall -have to whip you! Do you understand that, Mikkel?” - -Mikkel looked sheepish, which plainly showed that he understood. - -“Now, Mikkel,” Thor continued, “we will go to the parson; perhaps -he may have some use for us. What do you think of trying the -parson?” - -Mikkel apparently thought well of the parson, for he licked his -master behind his ear and rubbed his snout against his cheek. -Accordingly, by noon they reached the parsonage, and after a -long parley with the pastor’s wife, he was engaged as a sort of -errand-boy, whose duty it should be to do odd jobs about the house. -Mikkel was to have a kennel provided for him in the stable, but -was under no circumstances to enter the house. Thor had to vouch -for his good behavior, and the moment he made himself in any way -obnoxious it was decided that he should be killed. Poor Thor had -nominally to accept these hard conditions, but in his own mind he -determined to run away with Mikkel the moment he was caught in any -kind of mischief. It seemed very hard for Mikkel, too, who had been -accustomed to sleep in Thor’s arms in his warm bed, to be chained, -and to spend the long, dark nights in the stable in a miserable -kennel. Nevertheless, there was no help for it; so Thor went to -work that same afternoon and made Mikkel as comfortable a kennel as -he could, taking care to make the hole which served for entrance no -bigger than it had to be, so that no dog or other enemy should be -able to enter. - -For about four months all went well at the parsonage. So long as -Mikkel was confined in the stable he behaved himself with perfect -propriety, and, occasionally, when he was (by special permission) -taken into the house to play with the children, he won golden -opinions for himself by his cunning tricks, and became, in fact, -a great favorite in the nursery. When the spring came and the sun -grew warm, his kennel was, at Thor’s request, moved out into the -yard, where he could have the benefit of the fine spring weather. -There he could be seen daily, lying in the sun, with half-closed -eyes, resting his head on his paws, seeming too drowsy and -comfortable to take notice of anything. The geese and hens, which -were at first a trifle suspicious, gradually grew accustomed to -his presence, and often strayed within range of Mikkel’s chain, -and even within reach of his paws; but it always happened that on -such occasions either the pastor or his wife was near, and Mikkel -knew enough to be aware that goose was forbidden fruit. But one day -(it was just after dinner, when the pastor was taking his nap), -it happened that a great fat gander, prompted by a pardonable -curiosity, stretched his neck a little too far toward the sleeping -Mikkel; when, quick as a wink and wide-awake, Mr. Mikkel jumped -up, and before he knew it, the gander found himself minus his -head. Very cautiously the culprit peered about, and seeing no one -near, he rapidly dug a hole under his kennel and concealed his -victim there, covering it well with earth, until a more favorable -opportunity should present itself for making a meal of it. Then he -lay down, and stretched himself in the sun as before, and seemed -too sleepy even to open his eyes; and when, on the following -day, the gander was missed, the innocent demeanor of Mikkel so -completely imposed upon everyone, that he was not even suspected. -Not even when the second and the third goose disappeared could any -reasonable charge be brought against Mikkel. - -When the summer vacation came, however, the even tenor of Mikkel’s -existence was rudely interrupted by the arrival of the parson’s -oldest son, Finn, who was a student in Christiania, and his dog -Achilles. Achilles was a handsome brown pointer, that, having been -brought up in the city, had never been accustomed to look upon the -fox as a domestic animal. He, therefore, spent much of his time in -harassing Mikkel, making sudden rushes for him when he thought him -asleep; but always returning from these exploits shamefaced and -discomfited, for Mikkel was always a great deal too clever to be -taken by surprise. He would lie perfectly still until Achilles was -within a foot of him, and then, with remarkable alertness, he would -slip into the kennel, through his door, where the dog’s size would -not permit him to follow; and the moment his enemy turned his tail -to him, Mikkel’s face would appear bland and smiling, at the door, -as if to say: - -“Good-by! Call again whenever you feel like it. Now, don’t you wish -you were as clever as I am?” - -And yet in spite of his daily defeats, Achilles could never -convince himself that his assaults upon Mikkel brought him no -glory. Perhaps his master, who did not like Mikkel any too well, -encouraged him in his enmity, for it is certain that the assaults -grew fiercer daily. And at last, one day when the young student -was standing in the yard, holding his dog by the collar, while -exciting him against the half-sleeping fox, Achilles ran with such -force against the kennel that he upset it. Alas! For then the -evidence of Mikkel’s misdemeanors came to light. From the door-hole -of the rolling kennel a heap of goose-feathers flew out, and were -scattered in the air; and, what was worse, a little “dug-out” -became visible, filled with bones and bills and other indigestible -articles, unmistakably belonging to the goose’s anatomy. Mikkel, -who was too wise to leave the kennel so long as it was in motion, -now peeped cautiously out, and he took in the situation at a -glance. Mr. Finn, the student, who thought that Mikkel’s skin would -look charming as a rug before his fire-place in the city, was -overjoyed to find out what a rascal this innocent-looking creature -had been; for he knew well enough that his father would now no -longer oppose his desire for the crafty little creature’s skin. So -he went into the house, loaded his rifle, and prepared himself as -executioner. - -But at that very moment, Thor chanced to be coming home from an -errand; and he had hardly entered the yard, when he sniffed danger -in the air. He knew, without asking, that Mikkel’s doom was -sealed. For the parson was a great poultry-fancier and was said -to be more interested in his ganders than he was in his children. -Therefore, without waiting for further developments, Thor unhooked -Mikkel’s chain, lifted the culprit in his arms, and slipped him -into the bosom of his waistcoat. Then he stole up to his garret, -gathered his clothes in a bundle, and watched his chance to escape -from the house unnoticed. And while Master Finn and his dog were -hunting high and low for Mikkel in the barns and stables, Thor -was hurrying away over the fields, every now and then glancing -anxiously behind him, and nearly smothering Mikkel in his efforts -to keep him concealed, lest Achilles should catch his scent. -But Mikkel had his own views on that subject, and was not to be -suppressed; and just as his master was congratulating himself on -their happy escape, they heard the deep baying of a dog, and saw -Achilles, followed by the student with his gun, tracking them in -fierce pursuit. Thor, whose only hope was to reach the fiord, -redoubled his speed, skipped across fences, hedges, and stiles, -and ran so fast that earth and stones seemed to be flying in the -other direction. Yet Achilles’ baying was coming nearer and nearer, -and was hardly twenty feet distant by the time the boy had flung -himself into a boat, and with four vigorous oar-strokes had shot -out into the water. The dog leaped after him, but was soon beyond -his depth, and the high breakers flung him back upon the beach. - -“Come back at once,” cried Finn, imperiously. “It is not your -boat. If you don’t obey, I’ll have you arrested.” - -Thor did not answer, but rowed with all his might. - -“If you take another stroke,” shouted the student furiously, -levelling his gun, “I’ll shoot both you and your thievish fox.” - -It was meant only for intimidation; but where Mikkel’s life was at -stake, Thor was not easily frightened. - -“Shoot away!” he cried, thinking that he was now at a safe -distance, and that the student’s marksmanship was none of the -best. But before he realized what he had said, whiz! went a bullet -over his head. A stiff gale was blowing, and the little boat was -tossed like a foot-ball on the incoming and the outgoing waves; -but the plucky lad struggled on bravely, until he hove alongside a -fishing schooner, which was to sail the next morning for Drontheim. -Fortunately the skipper needed a deck hand, and Thor was promptly -engaged. The boat which had helped him to escape was found later -and towed back to shore by a fisherman. - - -III. - -HOW MIKKEL MAKES HIS FORTUNE. - -In Drontheim, which is a large commercial city on the western -coast of Norway, Thor soon found occupation as office-boy in a -bank, which did business under the name of C. P. Lyng & Co. He -was a boy of an open, fearless countenance, and with a frank and -winning manner. Mr. Lyng, at the time when Thor entered his employ, -had just separated from his partner, Mr. Tulstrup, because the -latter had defrauded the firm and several of its customers. Mr. -Lyng had papers in his safe which proved Mr. Tulstrup’s guilt, -but he had contented himself with dismissing him from the firm, -and had allowed him to take the share of the firm’s property -to which he was legally entitled. The settlement, however, had -not satisfied Mr. Tulstrup, and he had, in order to revenge -himself, gone about to the various customers, whom he had himself -defrauded, and persuaded them to commence suit against Mr. Lyng, -whom he represented as being the guilty party. He did not, at -that time, know that Mr. Lyng had gained possession of the papers -which revealed the real author of the fraud. On the contrary, he -flattered himself that he had destroyed every trace of his own -dishonest transactions. - -The fact that Mr. Lyng belonged to a family which had always been -distinguished, in business and social circles, for its integrity -and honor only whetted Tulstrup’s desire to destroy his good name, -and having laid his plans carefully, he anticipated an easy triumph -over honest Mr. Lyng. His dismay, therefore, was very great when, -after the suit had been commenced in the courts, he learned that it -was his own name and liberty which were in danger, and not those -of his former partner. Mr. Tulstrup, in spite of the position he -had occupied, was a desperate man, and was capable, under such -circumstances, of resorting to desperate remedies. But, like -most Norwegians, he had a streak of superstition in his nature, -and cherished an absurd belief in signs and omens, in lucky and -unlucky days, and in spectres and apparitions, foreboding death or -disaster. Mr. Tulstrup’s father had believed in such things, and it -had been currently reported among the peasantry that he had been -followed by a spectral fox, which some asserted to be his wraith, -or double. This fox, it was said, had frequently been seen during -the old man’s lifetime, and when he once saw it himself, he was -frightened nearly out of his wits. Superstitious stories of this -kind are so common in Norway that one can hardly spend a month in -any country district without hearing dozens of them. The belief -in a _fylgia_, or wraith in the shape of an animal, dates far -back into antiquity, and figures largely in the sagas, or ancient -legends of the Northland. - -It has already been told that Thor had obtained a position as -office-boy in Mr. Lyng’s bank; and it was more owing to the boy’s -winning appearance than to any fondness for foxes, on Mr. Lyng’s -part, that Mikkel also was engaged. It was arranged that a cushion -whereupon Mikkel might sleep should be put behind the stove in -the back office. At first Mikkel endured his captivity here with -great fortitude; but he did not like it, and it was plain that he -was pining for the parsonage and his kennel in the free air, and -the pleasant companionship of the geese and the stupid Achilles. -Thor then obtained permission to have him walk about unchained, -and the clerks, who admired his graceful form and dainty ways, -soon grew very fond of him, and stroked him caressingly, as he -promenaded along the counter or seated himself on their shoulders, -inspecting their accounts with critical eyes. Thor was very happy -to see his friend petted, though he had an occasional twinge of -jealousy when Mikkel made himself too agreeable to old Mr. Barth, -the cashier, or kissed young Mr. Dreyer, the assistant book-keeper. -Such faithlessness on Mikkel’s part was an ill return for all the -sacrifices Thor had made for him; and yet, hard as it was, it had -to be borne. For an office-boy cannot afford to have emotions, or, -if he has them, cannot afford the luxury of giving way to them. - -C. P. Lyng & Co.’s bank was a solid, old-fashioned business-house -which the clerks entered as boys and where they remained all their -lives. Mr. Barth, the cashier, had occupied his present desk -for twenty-one years, and had spent nine years more in inferior -positions. He was now a stout little man of fifty, with close -cropped, highly-respectable side-whiskers and thin gray hair, which -was made to cover his crown by the aid of a small comb. This comb, -which was fixed above his right ear and held the straggling locks -together, was a source of great amusement to the clerks, who made -no end of witticisms about it. But Mr. Barth troubled himself very -little about their poor puns, and sat serenely poring over his -books and packages of bank-bills from morning till night. He prided -himself above all on his regularity, and it was said that he had -never been one minute too late or too early during the thirty years -he had been in Mr. Lyng’s bank; accordingly, he had little patience -with the shortcomings of his subordinates, and fined and punished -them in various ways, if they were but a moment tardy; for the most -atrocious of all crimes, in Mr. Barth’s opinion, was tardiness. -The man who suffered most from his severity was Mr. Dreyer, the -assistant book-keeper. Mr. Dreyer was a good-looking young man, -and very fond of society; and it happened sometimes that, on the -morning after a ball, he would sleep rather late. He had long -rebelled in silence against Mr. Barth’s tyranny, and when he found -that his dissatisfaction was shared by many of the other clerks, -he conceived a plan to revenge himself on his persecutor. To this -end a conspiracy was formed among the younger clerks, and it was -determined to make Mikkel the agent of their vengeance. - -It was well known by the clerks that Mr. Barth was superstitious -and afraid in the dark; and it was generally agreed that it -would be capital fun to give him a little fright. Accordingly the -following plan was adopted: A bottle of the oil of phosphorus was -procured and Mikkel’s fur was thoroughly rubbed with it, so that in -the dark the whole animal would be luminous. At five minutes before -five, someone should go down in the cellar and turn off the gas, -just as the cashier was about to enter the back office to lock up -the safe. Then, when the illuminated Mikkel glared out on him from -a dark corner, he would probably shout or faint or cry out, and -then all the clerks should rush sympathetically to him and render -him every assistance. - -Thus the plan was laid, and there was a breathless, excited -stillness in the bank when the hour of five approached. It had -been dark for two hours, and the clerks sat on their high stools, -bending silently over their desks, scribbling away for dear life. -Promptly at seven minutes before five, up rose Mr. Barth and gave -the signal to have the books closed; then, to the unutterable -astonishment of the conspirators, he handed the key of the safe to -Mr. Dreyer (who knew the combination), and told him to lock the -safe and return the key. At that very instant, out went the gas; -and Mr. Dreyer, although he was well prepared, could himself hardly -master his fright at Mikkel’s terrible appearance. He struck a -match, lighted a wax taper (which was used for sealing letters), -and tremblingly locked the safe; then, abashed and discomfited, he -advanced to the cashier’s desk and handed him the key. - -“Perhaps you would have the kindness, Mr. Dreyer,” said Mr. Barth, -calmly, “to write a letter of complaint to the gas-company before -you go home. It will never do in the world to have such things -happen. I suppose there must be water in the pipes.” - -The old man buttoned his overcoat up to his chin and marched out; -whereupon a shout of laughter burst forth, in which Mr. Dreyer did -not join. He could not see what they found to laugh at, he said. -It took him a long while to compose his letter of complaint to the -gas-company. - -Mikkel in the meanwhile was feeling very uncomfortable. He could -not help marvelling at his extraordinary appearance. He rubbed -himself against chairs and tables, and found to his astonishment -that he made everything luminous that he touched. He had never -known any respectable fox which possessed this accomplishment, -and he felt sure that in some way something was wrong with him. -He could not sleep, but walked restlessly about on the desks and -counters, bristled with anger at the slightest sound, and was -miserable and excited. He could not tell how far the night had -advanced, when he heard a noise in the back office (which fronted -upon the court-yard) as if a window was being opened. His curiosity -was aroused and he walked sedately across the floor; then he -stopped for a moment to compose himself, for he was well aware that -what he saw was something extraordinary. A man with a dark-lantern -in his hand was kneeling before the safe with a key in his hand. -Mikkel advanced a little farther and paused in a threatening -attitude on the threshold of the door. With his luminous face and -body, and a halo of phosphorescent light round about him, he was -terrible to behold. He gave a little snort, at which the man turned -quickly about. But no sooner had he caught sight of the illuminated -Mikkel than he flung himself on his knees before the little animal, -and with clasped hands and a countenance wild with fear exclaimed: -“Oh, I know who thou art! Pardon me, pardon me! Thou art my -father’s spectral fox! I know thee, I know thee!” - -Mikkel had never suspected that he was anything so terrible; but, -as he saw that the man was bent on mischief, he did not think -it worth while to contradict him. He only curved his back and -bristled, until the man, beside himself with fear, made a rush -for the window and leaped out into the court-yard. Then Mikkel, -thinking that he had had excitement enough for one night, curled -himself up on his cushion behind the stove and went to sleep. - -The next morning, when Mr. Barth arrived, he found a window in the -back office broken, and the door of the safe wide open. On the -floor lay a bundle of papers, all relating to the transactions of -Tulstrup while a member of the firm, and, moreover, a hat, marked -on the inside with Tulstrup’s name, was found on a chair. - -On the same day Mr. Lyng was summoned to the bedside of his former -partner, who made a full confession, and offered to return through -him the money which he had fraudulently acquired. His leg was -broken, and he seemed otherwise shattered in body and mind. It -had been his purpose, he said, to drive Mr. Lyng from the firm -in disgrace, and he was sure he could have accomplished it, if -Providence itself had not interfered. But, incredible as it seemed, -he had seen a luminous animal in the bank, and he felt convinced -that it was his father’s spectral fox. It was well enough to smile -at such things and call them childish, but he had certainly seen, -he said, a wonderful, shining fox. - -Mr. Lyng did not attempt to convince Mr. Tulstrup that he was -wrong. He took the money and distributed it among those who -had suffered by Mr. Tulstrup’s frauds, and thus many needy -people--widows and industrious laborers--regained their hard-earned -property, and all because Mikkel’s skin was luminous. When Mr. Lyng -heard the whole story from Mr. Dreyer, he laughed heartily and -long. But from that day he took a warm interest in Thor and his -fox, and sent the former to school and, later, to the university, -where he made an honorable name for himself by his talents and -industry. - -Poor Mikkel is now almost gray, and his teeth are so blunt that -he has to have his food minced before he can eat it. But he still -occupies a soft rug behind the stove in the student’s room, and -Thor hopes he will live long enough to be introduced to his -master’s wife. For it would be a pity if she were not to know him -to whom her husband owes his position, and she, accordingly, hers. - - - - -THE FAMINE AMONG THE GNOMES. - - -I believe it was in the winter of 18-- (but it does not matter -so much about the time) that the servants on the large estate of -Halthorp raised a great ado about something or other. Whereupon -the Baron of Halthorp, who was too stout to walk down the stairs -on slight provocation, called his steward, in a voice like that of -an angry lion, and asked him, “Why in the name of Moses he did not -keep the rascals quiet.” - -“But, your lordship,” stammered the steward, who was as thin as -the baron was stout, “I have kept them quiet for more than a month -past, though it has been hard enough. Now they refuse to obey me -unless I admit them to your lordship’s presence, that they may -state their complaint.” - -“Impudent beggars!” growled the old gentleman. “Tell them that I -am about to take my after-dinner nap, and that I do not wish to be -disturbed.” - -“I have told them that a dozen times,” whined the steward, -piteously. “But they are determined to leave in a body, unless your -lordship consents to hear them.” - -“Leave! They can’t leave,” cried his honor. “The law binds them. -Well, well, to save talking, fling the doors open and let them come -in.” - -The steward hobbled away to the great oak-panelled doors (I forgot -to tell you that he limped in his left foot), and, cautiously -turning the knob and the key, peeped out into the hall. There stood -the servants--twenty-eight in all--but, oh! what a sight! They -were hollow-cheeked, with hungry eyes and bloodless lips, and deep -lines about their mouths, as if they had not seen food for weeks. -Their bony hands twitched nervously at the coarse clothes that -flapped in loose folds about their lean and awkward limbs. They -were indeed a pitiful spectacle. Only a single one of them--and -that was of course the cook--looked like an ordinary mortal, or -an extraordinary mortal, if you like, for he was nearly as broad -as he was long. It was owing to the fact that he walked at the -head of the procession, as they filed into the parlor, that the -baron did not immediately discover the miserable condition of the -rest. But when they had faced about, and stood in a long row from -wall to wall--well, you would hardly believe it, but the baron, -hard-hearted as he was, came near fainting. There is a limit to -all things, and even a heart of steel would have been moved at the -sight of such melancholy objects. - -“Steward,” he roared, when he had sufficiently recovered himself, -“who is the demon who has dared to trifle with my fair name and -honor? Name him, sir--name him, and I will strangle him on the -spot!” - -The steward, even if he had been acquainted with the demon, would -have thought twice before naming him under such circumstances. -Accordingly he was silent. - -“Have I not,” continued the baron, still in a voice that made his -subjects quake--“have I not caused ample provisions to be daily -distributed among you? Have not you, Mr. Steward, the keys to my -store-houses, and have you not my authority to see that each member -of my household is properly provided for?” - -The steward dared not answer; he only nodded his head in silence. - -“If it please your lordship,” finally began a squeaky little voice -at the end of the row (it was that of the under-groom), “it isn’t -the steward as is to blame, but it’s the victuals. Somehow there -isn’t any taste nor fillin’ to them. Whether I eat pork and cabbage -or porridge with molasses, it don’t make no difference. It all -tastes alike. As I say, your lordship, the old Nick has got into -the victuals.” - -The under-groom had hardly ceased speaking before the baron, who -was a very irascible old gentleman, seized his large gold-headed -cane and as quickly as his bulk would allow, rushed forward to give -vent to his anger. - -“I’ll teach you manners, you impudent clown!” he bawled out, as, -with his cane lifted above his head, he rushed into the ranks of -the frightened servants, shouting to the under-groom, “Criticise my -victuals, will you, you miserable knave!” - -The under-groom having on former occasions made the acquaintance of -the baron’s cane, and still remembering the unpleasant sensation, -immediately made for the door, and slipped nimbly out before a -blow had reached him. All the others, who had to suffer for their -spokesman’s boldness, tumbled pell-mell through the same opening, -jumped, rolled, or vaulted down the steps, and landed in a confused -heap at the bottom of the stairs. - -The baron, in the meanwhile, marched with long strides up and down -the floor, and expressed himself, not in the politest language, -concerning the impudence of his domestics. - -“However,” he grumbled to himself, “I must look into this affair -and find out what fraud there is at the bottom of it. The poor -creatures couldn’t get as lean as that unless there was some real -trouble.” - -About three hours later the baron heard the large bell over the -gable of his store-house ring out for dinner. The wood-cutters and -the men who drove the snow-plough, and all other laborers on the -large estate, as soon as they heard it, flung away their axes and -snow-shovels and hurried up to the mansion, their beards and hair -and eyebrows all white with hoar-frost, so that they looked like -walking snow-men. But as it happened, the under-groom, Nils Tagfat, -chanced at that moment to be cutting down a large snow-laden -fir-tree which grew on a projecting knoll of the mountain. He -pulled off his mittens and blew on his hands (for it was bitter -cold), and was about to shoulder his axe, when suddenly he heard a -chorus of queer little metallic voices, as it seemed, right under -his feet. He stopped and listened. - -“There is the bell of Halthorp ringing! Where is my cap? where is -my cap?” he heard distinctly uttered, though he could not exactly -place the sound, nor did he see anybody within a mile around. -And just for the joke of the thing, Nils, who was always a jolly -fellow, made his voice as fine as he could, and, mimicking the -tiny voices, squeaked out: - -“Where is my cap? Where is my cap?” - -But imagine his astonishment when suddenly he heard a voice answer -him: “You can take grandfather’s cap!” and at the same moment -there was tossed into his hands something soft, resembling a small -red-peaked cap. Just out of curiosity, Nils put it on his head -to try how it would fit him, and small as it looked, it fitted -him perfectly. But now, as the cap touched his head, his eyes -were opened to the strangest spectacle he ever beheld. Out of the -mountain came a crowd of gnomes, all with little red-peaked caps, -which made them invisible to all who were not provided with similar -caps. They hurried down the hill-side toward Halthorp, and Nils, -who was anxious to see what they were about, followed at a proper -distance behind. As he had half expected, they scrambled up on the -railings at the door of the servants’ dining-hall, and as soon as -the door was opened they rushed in, climbed up on the chairs, and -seated themselves on the backs just as the servants took their -places on the seats. And now Nils, who, you must remember, had on -the cap that made him invisible, came near splitting his sides with -laughter. The first course was boiled beef and cabbage. The smell -was delicious to Nils’s hungry nostrils, but he had to conquer his -appetite in order to see the end of the game. The steward stood at -the end of the table and served each with a liberal portion; and -at the steward’s side sat the baron himself, in a large, cushioned -easy-chair. He did not eat, however; he was there merely to see -fair play. - -Each servant fell to work greedily with his knife and fork, and -just as he had got a delicious morsel half-way to his mouth, the -gnome on the back of his chair stretched himself forward and -deftly snatched the meat from the end of the fork. Thus, all the -way around the table, each man unconsciously put his piece of beef -into the wide-open mouth of his particular gnome. And the unbidden -guests grinned shrewdly at one another, and seemed to think it -all capital fun. Sometimes, when the wooden trays (which were -used instead of plates) were sent to be replenished, they made -horrrible grimaces, often mimicking their poor victims, who chewed -and swallowed and went through all the motions of eating, without -obtaining the slightest nourishment. They all would have liked to -fling knives and forks and trays out through the windows, but they -had the morning’s chastisement freshly in mind, and they did not -dare open their mouths, except for the futile purpose of eating. - -“Well, my lads and lasses,” said the baron, when he had watched the -meal for some minutes; “if you can complain of food like this, you -indeed deserve to be flogged and put on prison fare.” - -“Very likely, your lordship,” said one of the milkmaids; “but if -your lordship would demean yourself to take a morsel with us, we -would bless your lordship for your kindness and complain no more.” - -[Illustration: THE BARON SPRANG UP WITH AN EXCLAMATION OF FRIGHT.] - -The baron, looking around at all the hopeless eyes and haggard -faces, felt that there was something besides vanity that -prompted the request; and he accordingly ordered the cook to bring -his own plate and drew his chair up to the table. Hardly had he -seized his knife when Nils saw a gnome, who had hitherto been -seated on the floor awaiting his turn, crawl up on the arm of his -big chair and, standing on tiptoe, seize between his teeth the -first bit the baron was putting to his mouth. The old gentleman -looked astounded, mystified, bewildered; but, fearing to make -an exhibition of himself, selected another mouthful, and again -conducted it the accustomed way. The gnome came near laughing right -out, as he despatched this second morsel in the same manner as the -first, and all around the table the little monsters held their -hands over their mouths and seemed on the point of exploding. The -baron put down knife and fork with a bang; his eyes seemed to be -starting out of his head, and his whole face assumed an expression -of unspeakable horror. - -“It is Satan himself who is mocking us!” he cried. “Send for the -priest! Send for the priest!” - -Just then Nils crept around behind the baron, who soon felt -something soft, like a fine skull-cap, pressed on his head, and -before he had time to resent the liberty, he started in terror at -the sight of the little creature that he saw sitting on the arm of -his chair. He sprang up with an exclamation of fright, and pushed -the chair back so violently that it was almost upset upon the -floor. The gnome dexterously leaped down and stood staring back at -the baron for an instant; then, with a spring, he snatched a potato -and half a loaf of bread, and disappeared. In his haste, the -baron ran against Nils, the under-groom, who (now without a cap) -was standing with a smiling countenance calmly surveying all the -confusion about him. - -“Now, was I right, your lordship?” he asked, with a respectful bow. -“Did _you_ find the victuals very filling?” - -The baron, who was yet too frightened to answer, stood gazing -toward a window-pane, which suddenly and noiselessly broke, and -through which the whole procession of gnomes, huddled together in -flight, tumbled headlong into the snow-bank without. - -“And what shall we do, Nils,” said the baron, the next day, when -he had recovered from his shock, “to prevent the return of the -unbidden guests?” - -“Stop ringing the great bell,” answered Nils. “It is that which -invites the gnomes.” - -And since that day the dinner-bell has never been rung at Halthorp. - -But one day, late in the winter, Nils the groom, as he was -splitting wood on the mountain-side, heard a plaintively tinkling -voice within, singing: - - “Hunger and sorrow each new day is bringing, - Since Halthorp bell has ceased its ringing.” - - - - -HOW BERNT WENT WHALING. - - -Bernt Holter and his sister Hilda were sitting on the beach, -playing with large spiral cockles which they imagined were cows -and horses. They built stables out of chips, and fenced in their -pastures, and led their cattle in long rows through the deep -grooves they had made in the sand. - -“When I grow up to be a man,” said Bernt, who was twelve years -old, “I am going to sea and catch whales, as father did when he -was young. I don’t want to stand behind a counter and sell calico -and tape and coffee and sugar,” he continued, thrusting his chest -forward, putting his hands into his pockets, and marching with a -manly swagger across the beach. “I don’t want to play with cockles, -like a baby, any more,” he added, giving a forcible kick to one of -Hilda’s finest shells and sending it flying across the sand. - -“I wish you wouldn’t be so naughty, Bernt,” cried his sister, with -tears in her eyes. “If you don’t want to play with me, I can play -alone. Bernt, oh--look there!” - -Just at that moment a dozen or more columns of water flew high into -the air, and the same number of large, black tail-fins emerged from -the surface of the fiord, and again slowly vanished. - -“Hurrah!” cried Bernt, in great glee, “it is a school of dolphins. -Good-by, Hilda dear, I think I’ll run down to the boat-house.” - -“I think I’ll go with you, Bernt,” said his sister, obligingly, -rising and shaking the sand from her skirts. - -“I think you’ll not,” remarked her brother, angrily; “I can run -faster than you.” - -So saying, he rushed away over the crisp sand as fast as his -feet would carry him, while his sister Hilda, who was rather a -soft-hearted girl, and ready with her tears, ran after him, all -out of breath and calling to him at the top of her voice. Finally, -when she was more than half way to the boat-house, she stumbled -against a stone and fell full length upon the beach. Bernt, fearing -that she might be hurt, paused in his flight and returned to pick -her up, but could not refrain from giving her a vindictive little -shake, as soon as he discovered that she had sustained no injury. - -“I do think girls are the greatest bother that ever was invented,” -he said, in high dudgeon. “I don’t see what they are good for, -anyway.” - -“I want to go with you, Bernt,” cried Hilda. - -Seeing there was no escape, he thought he might just as well be -kind to her. - -“You may go,” he said, “if you will promise never to tell anybody -what I am going to do?” - -“No, Bernt, I shall never tell,” said the child, eagerly, and -drying her tears. - -“I am going a-whaling,” whispered Bernt, mysteriously. “Come -along!” - -“Whaling!” echoed the girl, in delicious excitement. “Dear Bernt, -how good you are! Oh, how lovely! No, I shall never tell it to -anybody as long as I live.” - -It was late in the afternoon, and the sun, which at that time of -the year never sets in the northern part of Norway, threw its red, -misty rays like a veil of dull flame over the lofty mountains -which, with their snow-hooded peaks, pierced the fiery clouds; -their huge reflections shone in soft tints of red, green, and blue -in the depth of the fiord, whose glittering surface was calm and -smooth as a mirror. Only in the bay which the school of dolphins -had entered was the water ruffled; but there, high spouts rose -every moment into the air and descended again in showers of fine -spray. - -“It is well that father has gone away with the fishermen,” said -Bernt, as he exerted himself with all his might to push his small -boat down over the slippery beams of the boat-house. “Here, Hilda, -hold my harpoon for me.” - -Hilda, greatly impressed with her own dignity in being allowed -to hold so dangerous a weapon as a harpoon, grasped it eagerly -and held it up in both her arms. Bernt once more put his shoulder -to the prow of his light skiff (which, in honor of his father’s -whaling voyages, he had named The North Pole) and with a tremendous -effort set it afloat. Then he carefully assisted Hilda into the -boat, in the stern of which she seated herself. Next he seized the -oars and rowed gently out beyond the rocky headland toward which -he had seen the dolphins steer their course. He was an excellent -sailor for his years, and could manage a boat noiselessly and well. - -“Hilda, take the helm,” he whispered, “or, if you were only good -for anything, you might paddle and we should be upon them in a -minute. Now, remember, and push the tiller to the side opposite -where I want to go.” - -“I’ll remember,” she replied, breathlessly. - -The gentle splashing of the oars and the clicking of the rowlocks -were the only sounds which broke the silence of the evening. Now -and then a solitary gull gave a long, shrill scream as she dived -beneath the surface of the fiord, and once a fish-hawk’s loud, -discordant yell was flung by the echoes from mountain to mountain. - -“Starboard,” commanded Bernt, sternly; but Hilda in her agitation -pushed the tiller to the wrong side and sent the boat flying to -port. - -“Starboard, I said!” cried the boy, indignantly; “if I had known -you would be so stupid, I should never have taken you along.” - -“Please, brother dear, do be patient with me,” pleaded the girl, -remorsefully. “I shall not do it again.” - -It then pleased his majesty, Bernt Holter, to relent, although his -sister had by her awkwardness alarmed the dolphins, sending the -boat right in their wake, when it had been his purpose to head them -off. He knew well enough that it takes several minutes for a whole -school of so large a fish as the dolphin to change its course, and -the hunter would thus have a good chance of “pricking” a laggard -before he could catch up with his companions. Bernt strained every -muscle, while coolly keeping his eye on the water to note the -course of his game. His only chance was in cutting across the bay -and lying in wait for them at the next headland. For he knew very -well that if they were seriously frightened and suspected that -they were being pursued, they could easily beat him by the speed -and dexterity of their movements. But he saw to his delight that -his calculations were correct. Instead of taking the straight -course seaward, the dolphins, being probably in pursuit of fresh -herring, young cod, and other marine delicacies which they needed -for their late dinner, steered close to land where the young fish -are found in greater abundance, and their following the coastline -of the bay gave Bernt a chance of cutting them off and making their -acquaintance at closer quarters. Having crossed the little bay, he -commanded his sister to lie down flat in the bottom of the boat--a -command which she willingly, though with a quaking heart, obeyed. -He backed cautiously into a little nook among the rocks from which -he had a clear passage out, and having one hand on his harpoon, -which was secured by a rope to the prow of the boat, and the other -on the boat-hook (with which he meant to push himself rapidly out -into the midst of the school), he peered joyously over the gunwale -and heard the loud snorts, followed by the hissing descent of the -spray, approaching nearer and nearer. Now, steady my boy! Don’t -lose your presence of mind! One, two, three--there goes! Jumping -up, fixing the boat-hook against the rock, and with a tremendous -push shooting out into the midst of the school was but a moment’s -work. Whew! The water spouts and whirls about his ears as in a -shower-bath. Off goes his cap. Let it go! But stop! What was that? -A terrific slap against the side of the boat as from the tail of -a huge fish. Hilda jumps up with a piercing shriek and the boat -careens heavily to the port side, the gunwale dipping for a moment -under the water. A loud snort, followed again by a shower of spray, -is heard right ahead, and, at the same moment, the harpoon flies -through the air with a fierce whiz and lodges firmly in a broad, -black back. The huge fish in its first spasm of pain gives a fling -with its tail and for an instant the little boat is lifted out of -the water on the back of the wounded dolphin. - -“Keep steady, don’t let go the rope!” shouts Bernt at the top of -his voice, “he won’t hurt--” - -But before he had finished, the light skiff, with a tremendous -splash, struck the water again, and the little coil of rope to -which the harpoon was attached flew humming over the gunwale and -disappeared with astonishing speed into the deep. - -Bernt seized the cord, and when there was little left to spare, -tied it firmly to the prow of the boat, which then, of course, -leaped forward with every effort of the dolphin to rid itself of -the harpoon. The rest of the school, having taken alarm, had sought -deep water, and were seen, after a few minutes, far out beyond the -headland. - -“I want to go home, Bernt,” Hilda exclaimed, vehemently. “I want to -go home; I don’t want to get killed, Bernt.” - -“You silly thing! You can’t go home now. You must just do as I -tell you; but, of course--if you only are sensible--you won’t get -killed, or hurt at all.” - -While he was yet speaking, the boat began all of a sudden to move -rapidly over the water. - -The dolphin had bethought him of flight, not knowing that, however -swiftly he swam, he pulled his enemy after him. As he rose to the -surface, about fifty or sixty yards ahead, a small column of water -shot feebly upward, and spread in a fan-like, irregular shape -before it fell. The poor beast floundered along for a few seconds, -its long, black body in full view, and then again dived down, -dragging the boat onward with a series of quick convulsive pulls. - -Bernt held on tightly to the cord, while the water foamed and -bubbled about the prow and surged in swirling eddies in the wake of -the skiff. - -“If I can only manage to get that dolphin,” said Bernt, “I know -father will give me at least a dollar for him. There’s lots of -blubber on him, and that is used for oil to burn in lamps.” - -The little girl did not answer, but grasped the gunwale hard -on each side, and gazed anxiously at the foaming and bubbling -water. Bernt, too, sat silent in the prow, but with a fisherman’s -excitement in his face. The sun hung, huge and fiery, over the -western mountains, and sent up a great, dusky glare among the -clouds, which burned in intense but lurid hues of red and gold. -Gradually, and before they were fully aware of it, the boat began -to rise and descend again, and Bernt discovered by the heavy, even -roll of the water that they must be near the ocean. - -“Now you may stop, my dear dolphin,” he said, coolly. “We don’t -want you to take us across to America. Who would have thought that -you were such a tough customer anyway?” - -He let go the rope, and, seating himself again, put the oars into -the rowlocks. He tried to arrest the speed of the boat by vigorous -backing; but, to his surprise, found that his efforts were of no -avail. - -“Hilda,” he cried, not betraying, however, the anxiety he was -beginning to feel, “take the other pair of oars and let us see what -you are good for.” - -Hilda, not realizing the danger, obeyed, a little tremblingly, -perhaps, and put the other pair of oars into their places. - -“Now let us turn the boat around,” sternly commanded the -boy. “It’s getting late, and we must be home before bedtime. -One--two--three--pull!” - -The oars struck the water simultaneously and the boat veered half -way around; but the instant the oars were lifted again, it started -back into its former course. - -“Why don’t you cut the rope and let the dolphin go?” asked Hilda, -striving hard to master the tears, which again were pressing to her -eyelids. - -“Not I,” answered her brother; “why, all the fellows would laugh -at me if they heard how I first caught the dolphin and then the -dolphin caught me. No, indeed. He hasn’t much strength left by this -time, and we shall soon see him float up.” - -He had hardly uttered these words, when they shot past a rocky -promontory, and the vast ocean spread out before them. Both sister -and brother gave an involuntary cry of terror. There they were, -in their frail little skiff, far away from home, and with no boat -visible for miles around. “Cut the rope, cut the rope! Dear Bernt, -cut the rope!” screamed Hilda, wringing her hands in despair. - -“I am afraid it is too late,” answered her brother, doggedly. “The -tide is going out, and that is what has carried us so swiftly to -sea. I was a fool that I didn’t think of it.” - -“But what shall we do--what shall we do!” moaned the girl, hiding -her face in her apron. - -“Stop that crying,” demanded her brother, imperiously. “I’ll tell -you what we shall have to do. We couldn’t manage to pull back -against the tide, especially here at the mouth of the fiord, where -the current is so strong. We had better keep on seaward, and then, -if we are in luck, we shall meet the fishing-boats when they -return, which will be before morning. Anyway, there is little or -no wind, and the night is light enough, so that they cannot miss -seeing us.” - -“Oh, I shall surely die, I shall surely die!” sobbed Hilda, -flinging herself down in the bottom of the boat. - -Bernt deigned her no answer, but sat gazing sullenly out over the -ocean toward the western horizon, over which the low sun shed its -lurid mist of fire. The ocean broke with a mighty roar against the -rocks, hushed itself for a few seconds, and then hurled itself -against the rocks anew. To be frank, he was not quite so fearless -as he looked; but he thought it cowardly to give expression to -his fear, and especially in the presence of his sister, in whose -estimation he had always been a hero. The sun sank lower until it -almost touched the water. The rope hung perfectly slack from the -prow, and only now and then grew tense as if something was feebly -tugging at the other end. He concluded that the dolphin had bled -to death or was exhausted. In the meanwhile, they were drifting -rapidly westward, and the hollow noise of the breakers was growing -more and more distant. From a merely idle impulse of curiosity -Bernt began to haul in his rope, and presently saw a black body, -some ten or twelve feet long, floating up only a few rods from the -boat. He gave four or five pulls at the rope and was soon alongside -of it. Bernt felt very sad as he looked at it, and was sorry he had -killed the harmless animal. The thought came into his mind that his -present desperate situation was God’s punishment on him for his -cruel delight in killing. - -“But God would not punish my sister for my wickedness,” he -reflected, gazing tenderly at Hilda, who lay in the boat with her -hands folded under her cheek, having sobbed herself to sleep. He -felt consoled, and, murmuring a prayer he had once heard in church -for “sailors in distress at sea,” lay down at his sister’s side and -stared up into the vast, red dome of the sky above him. The water -plashed gently against the sides of the skiff as it rose and rocked -upon the great smooth “ground swell,” and again sank down, as it -seemed into infinite depths, only to climb again the next billow. -Bernt felt sleepy and hungry, and the more he stared into the sky -the more indistinct became his vision. He sprang up, determined to -make one last, desperate effort, and strove to row in toward land, -but he could make no headway against the strong tide, and with -aching limbs and a heavy heart he again stretched himself out in -the bottom of the boat. Before he knew it he was fast asleep. - -He did not know how long he had slept, but the dim, fiery look of -the sun had changed into an airy rose color, when he felt someone -seizing him by the arm and crying out: “In the name of wonders, -boy, how did you come here?” - -He rubbed his eyes and saw his father’s shaggy face close to his. - -“And my dear little girl too,” cried the father, in a voice of -terror. “Heaven be praised for having preserved her!” - -And he lifted Hilda in his arms and pressed her close to his -breast. Bernt thought he saw tears glistening in his eyes. That -made him suddenly very solemn. For he had never seen his father cry -before. Around about him was a fleet of some thirty or forty boats -laden to the gunwale with herring. He now understood his rescue. - -“Now tell me, Bernt, truthfully,” said his father, gravely, still -holding the sobbing Hilda tightly in his embrace, “how did this -happen?” - -“I went a-whaling,” stammered Bernt, feeling not at all so brave as -he had felt when he started on his voyage. But he still had courage -enough to point feebly to the dead dolphin which lay secured a -short distance from the skiff. - -“Wait till we get home,” said his father, “then _I’ll_ go -a-whaling.” - -He stood, for a while, gazing in amazement at the huge fish, then -again at his son, as if comparing their bulk. He felt that he -ought to scold the youthful sportsman, but he knew it was in the -blood, and was therefore more inclined to praise his daring spirit. -Accordingly, when he got home, he did not go a-whaling. - -“Bernt,” he said, patting the boy’s curly head, “you may be a brave -lad; but next time your bravery gets the better of you--leave the -little lass at home.” - - - - -THE COOPER AND THE WOLVES. - - -Tollef Kolstad was a cooper, and a very skilful cooper he was said -to be. He had a little son named Thor, who was as fond of his -father as his father was of him. Whatever Tollef did or said, Thor -was sure to imitate; if Tollef was angry and flung a piece of wood -at the dog who used to come into the shop and bother him, Thor, -thinking it was a manly thing to do, flung another piece at poor -Hector, who ran out whimpering through the door. - -Thor, of course, was not very old before he had a corner in his -father’s shop, where, with a small set of tools which had been -especially bought for him, he used to make little pails and buckets -and barrels, which he sold for five or ten cents apiece to the boys -of the neighborhood. All the money earned in this way he put into -a bank of tin, made like a drum, of which his mother kept the key. -When he grew up, he thought, he would be a rich man. - -The last weeks before Christmas are, in Norway, always the -briskest season in all trades; then the farmer wants his horses -shod, so that he may take his wife and children to church in his -fine, swan-shaped sleigh; he wants bread and cakes made to last -through the holidays, so that his servants may be able to amuse -themselves, and his guests may be well entertained when they call; -and, above all, he wants large tubs and barrels, stoutly made of -beech staves, for his beer and mead, with which he pledges every -stranger who, during the festival, happens to pass his door. You -may imagine, then, that at Christmas time coopers are much in -demand, and that it is not to be wondered at if sometimes they are -behind-hand with their orders. This was unfortunately the case with -Tollef Kolstad at the time when the strange thing happened which -I am about to tell you. He had been at work since the early dawn, -upon a huge tub or barrel, which had been ordered by Grim Berglund, -the richest peasant in the parish. Grim was to give a large party -on the following day (which was Christmas-Eve), and he had made -Tollef promise to bring the barrel that same night, so that he -might pour the beer into it, and have all in readiness for the -holidays, when it would be wrong to do any work. It was about ten -o’clock at night when Tollef made the last stroke with his hatchet -on the large hollow thing, upon which every blow resounded as on a -drum. He went to a neighbor and hired from him his horse and flat -sleigh, and was about to start on his errand, when he heard a tiny -voice calling behind him: - -“Father, do take me along, too!” - -“I can’t, my boy. There may be wolves on the lake, to-night, and -they might like to eat up little boys who stay out of bed so late.” - -“But I am not afraid of them, father. I have my whip and my -hatchet, and I’ll whip them and cut them.” - -Thor here made some threatening flourishes with his weapons in the -air, indicating how he would give it to the wolves in case they -should venture to molest him. - -“Well, come along, you little rascal,” said his father, laughing, -and feeling rather proud of his boy’s dauntless spirit. “You and I -are not to be trifled with when we get mad, are we, Thor?” - -“No, indeed, father,” said Thor, and clenched his little mittened -fist. - -Tollef then lifted him up, wrapped him warmly in his sheepskin -jacket, and put him between his knees, while he himself seized the -reins and urged the horse on. - -It was a glorious winter night. The snow sparkled and shone as if -sprinkled with starry diamonds, the aurora borealis flashed in -pale, shifting colors along the horizon, and the moon sailed calmly -through a vast, dark-blue sea of air. Little Thor shouted with -delight as he saw the broad expanse of glittering ice, which they -were about to cross, stretching out before them like a polished -shield of steel. - -“Oh, father, I wish we had taken our skates along, and pulled your -barrel across on a sled,” cried the boy, ecstatically. - -“That I might have done, if I had had a sled large enough for the -barrel,” replied the father. “But then we should have been obliged -to pull it up the hills on the other side.” - -The sleigh now struck the ice and shot forward, swinging from -side to side, as the horse pulled a little unevenly. Whew! how -the cold air cut in their faces. How it whizzed and howled in -the tree-tops! Hark! What was that? Tollef instinctively pressed -his boy more closely to him. Hush!--his heart stood still, while -that of the boy, who merely felt the reflex shock of his father’s -agitation, hammered away the more rapidly. A terrible, long-drawn -howl, as from a chorus of wild, far-away voices, came floating away -over the crowns of the pine-trees. - -“What was that, father,” asked Thor, a little tremulously. - -“It was wolves, my child,” said Tollef, calmly. - -“Are you afraid, father?” asked the boy again. - -“No, child, I am not afraid of one wolf, nor of ten wolves; but if -they are in a flock of twenty or thirty, they are dangerous. And if -they scent our track, as probably they will, they will be on us in -five minutes.” - -“How will they scent our track, father?” - -“They smell us in the wind; and the wind is from us and to them, -and then they howl to notify their comrades, so that they may -attack us in sufficient force.” - -“Why don’t we return home, then?” inquired the boy, still with a -tolerably steady voice, but with sinking courage. - -“They are behind us. Our only chance is to reach the shore before -they overtake us.” - -The horse, sniffing the presence of wild beasts, snorted wildly -as it ran, but, electrified as it were, with the sense of danger, -strained every nerve in its efforts to reach the farther shore. The -howls now came nearer and nearer, and they rose with a frightful -distinctness in the clear, wintry air, and resounded again from -the border of the forest. - -“Why don’t you throw away the barrel, father?” said Thor, who, for -his father’s sake, strove hard to keep brave. “Then the sleigh will -run so much the faster.” - -“If we are overtaken, our safety is in the barrel. Fortunately, it -is large enough for two, and it has no ears and will fit close to -the ice.” - -Tollef was still calm; but, with his one disengaged arm, hugged his -little son convulsively. - -“Now, keep brave, my boy,” he whispered in his ear. “They will soon -be upon us. Give me your whip.” - -It just occurred to Tollef that he had heard that wolves were very -suspicious, and that men had often escaped them by dragging some -small object on the ground behind them. He, therefore, broke a -chip from one of the hoops of the barrel, and tied it to the lash -of the whip; just then he heard a short, hungry bark behind him, -and, turning his head, saw a pack of wolves, numbering more than a -dozen, the foremost of which was within a few yards of the sleigh. -He saw the red, frothy tongue hanging out of its mouth, and he -smelt that penetrating, wild smell with which everyone is familiar -who has met a wild beast in its native haunts. While encouraging -the reeking, foam-flecked horse, Tollef, who had only half faith -in the experiment with the whip, watched anxiously the leader of -the wolves, and observed to his astonishment that it seemed to be -getting no nearer. One moment it seemed to be gaining upon them, -but invariably, as soon as it reached the little chip which was -dragging along the ice, this suddenly arrested its attention and -immediately its speed slackened. The cooper’s hope began to revive, -and he thought that perhaps there was yet a possibility that they -might see the morrow’s sun. But his courage again began to ebb when -he discovered in the distance a second pack of wolves, larger than -the first, and which, with terrific speed, came running, leaping, -and whirling toward them from another direction. And while this -terrible discovery was breaking through his almost callous sense, -he forgot, for an instant, the whip, the lash of which swung under -the runners of the sleigh and snapped. The horse, too, was showing -signs of exhaustion, and Tollef, seeing that only one chance was -left, rose up with his boy in his arms, and upsetting the barrel -on the ice, concealed himself and the child under it. Hardly had -he had time to brace himself against its sides, pressing his feet -against one side and his back against the other, when he heard the -horse giving a wild scream, while the short, whining bark of the -wolves told him that the poor beast was selling its life dearly. -Then there was a desperate scratching and scraping of horseshoes, -and all of a sudden the sound of galloping hoof-beats on the ice, -growing fainter and fainter. The horse had evidently succeeded in -breaking away from the sleigh, and was testing his speed in a race -for life. Some of the wolves were apparently pursuing him, while -the greater number remained to investigate the contents of the -barrel. The howling and barking of these furious creatures without -was now incessant. Within the barrel it was dark as pitch. - -“Now, keep steady!” said Tollef, feeling a sudden shock, as if -a wolf had leaped against their improvised house with a view to -upsetting it. He felt himself and the boy gliding a foot or two -over the smooth ice, but there was no further result from the -attack. A minute passed: again there came a shock, and a stronger -one than the first. A long, terrible howl followed this second -failure. The little boy, clutching his small cooper’s hatchet in -one hand, sat pale but determined in the dark, while with the other -he clung to his father’s arm. - -“Oh, father!” he cried, in terror, “I feel something on my back.” - -The father quickly struck a light, for he fortunately had a supply -of matches in his pocket, and saw a wolf’s paw wedged in between -the ice and the rim of the barrel; and in the same instant he tore -the hatchet from his son’s hand and buried its edge in the ice. -Then he handed the amputated paw to Thor, and said: - -“Put that into your wallet, and the sheriff will pay you a reward -for it.[7] For a wolf without paws couldn’t do much harm.” - -While he was yet speaking, a third assault upon the barrel lifted -one side of it from the ice, and almost overturned it. Instead of -pushing against the part nearest the ice, a wolf, more cunning than -the rest, had leaped against the upturned bottom. - -You can imagine what a terrible night father and son spent -together in this constant struggle with the voracious beasts, that -never grew weary of attacking their hiding-place. The father was -less warmly clad than the son, and, moreover, was obliged to sit -on the ice, while Thor could stand erect without knocking against -the bottom of the barrel; and if it had not been for the excitement -of the situation, which made Tollef’s blood course with unwonted -rapidity, it is more than probable that the intense cold would have -made him drowsy, and thus lessened his power of resistance. The -warmth of his body had made a slight cavity where he was sitting, -and whenever he remained a moment still, his trousers froze fast to -the ice. It was only the presence of his boy that inspired him with -fresh courage, whenever hope seemed about to desert him. - -About an hour after the flight of the horse, when five or six -wolves’ paws had been cut off in the same manner as the first, -there was a lull in the attack, but a sudden increase of the -howling, whining, yelping, and barking noise without. Tollef -concluded that the wolves, maddened by the smell of blood, were -attacking their wounded fellows; and as their howls seemed to come -from a short distance, he cautiously lifted one side of the barrel -and peered forth; but in the same instant a snarling bark rang -right in his ear, and two paws were thrust into the opening. Then -came a howl of pain, and another paw was put into Thor’s wallet. - -But hark! What is that? It sounds like a song, or rather like a -hymn. The strain comes nearer and nearer, resounding from mountain -to mountain, floating peacefully through the pure and still air: - - “Who knows how near I am mine ending; - So quickly time doth pass away.” - -Tollef, in whose breast hope again was reviving, put his ear to the -ice, and heard distinctly the tread of horses and of many human -feet. He listened for a minute or more, but could not discover -whether the sound was coming any nearer. It occurred to him that -in all probability the people, being unarmed, would have no desire -to cope with a large pack of wolves, especially as to them there -could be no object in it. If they saw the barrel, how could they -know that there was anybody under it? He comprehended instantly -that his only chance of life was in joining those people before -they were too far away. And, quickly resolved, he lifted the boy -on his left arm, and grasped the hatchet in his disengaged hand. -Then, with a violent thrust, he flung the barrel from over him, and -ran in the direction of the sound. The wolves, as he had inferred, -were lacerating their bleeding comrades; but the moment they saw -him, a pack of about a dozen immediately started in pursuit. They -leaped up against him on all sides, while he struck furiously about -him with his small weapon. Fortunately, he had sharp steel pegs on -his boots, and kept his footing well; otherwise the combat would -have been a short one. His voice, too, was powerful, and his shouts -rose high above the howling of the beasts. He soon perceived that -he had been observed, and he saw in the bright moonlight six or -eight men running toward him. Just then, as perhaps in his joy his -vigilance was for a fraction of a second relaxed, he felt a pull in -the fleshy part of his right arm. He was not conscious of any sharp -pain, and was astonished to see the blood flowing from an ugly -wound. But he only held his boy the more tightly, while he fought -and ran with the strength of despair. - -Now the men were near. He could hear their voices. But his brain -was dizzy, and he saw but dimly. - -“Hello, friend; don’t crack my skull for my pains!” someone was -shouting close to his ear, and he let his hatchet fall, and he fell -himself, too, prostrate on the ice. - -The wolves, at the sight of the men, had retired to a safe -distance, from which they watched the proceedings, as if uncertain -whether to return. - -As soon as Tollef had recovered somewhat from his exhaustion and -his loss of blood, he and his boy were placed upon a sleigh, and -his wound was carefully bandaged. He now learned that his rescuers -were on their way to a funeral, which was to take place on the next -day, but, on account of the distance to the church, they had been -obliged to start during the night. Hence their solemn mood, and -their singing of funeral hymns. - -After an hour’s ride they reached the cooper’s cottage, and were -invited to rest and to share such hospitality as the house could -afford. But when they were gone, Tollef clasped his sleeping boy -in his arms and said to his wife: “If it had not been for him, you -might have had no husband to-day. It was his little whip and toy -hatchet that saved our lives.” - -Eleven wolves’ paws were found in Thor’s wallet, and, on Christmas -eve, he went to the sheriff with them and received a reward which -nearly burst his old savings-bank, and compelled his mother to buy -a new one. - - - - -MAGNIE’S DANGEROUS RIDE - - -I. - -Magnie was consumed with the hunting fever. He had been away to -school since he was ten years old, and had never had the chance -of doing anything remarkable. While his brother, Olaf, who was a -midshipman in the navy, roamed about the world, and had delightful -adventures with Turks and Arabs, and all sorts of outlandish -people, Magnie had to scan Virgil and Horace and torment his soul -with algebraic problems. It was not at all the kind of life he -had sketched out for himself, and if it had not been his father -who had imposed it upon him, he would have broken away from all -restraints and gone to Turkey or China, or some place where -exciting things happened. In the meanwhile, as he lacked money -for such an enterprise, he would content himself with whatever -excitement there was in hunting, and as his brothers, Olaf and -little Edwin (who was fourteen years old), were also at home for -the vacation, there was a prospect of many delightful expeditions -by sea and by land. Moreover, their old friend Grim Hering-Luck, -who was their father’s right-hand man, had promised to be at their -disposal and put them on the track of exciting experiences. They -had got each a gun, and had practised shooting at a target daily -since their return from the city. Magnie, or Magnus Birk, as his -real name was, had once (though Olaf stoutly maintained that it was -mere chance) hit the bull’s-eye at a hundred yards, and he was now -eager to show his skill on something more valuable than a painted -target. It was, therefore, decided that Grim and the boys should go -reindeer-hunting. They were to be accompanied by the professional -hunter, Bjarne Sheepskin. - -It was a glorious morning. The rays of the sun shot from the -glacier peaks in long radiant shafts down into the valley. The -calm mirror of the fiord glittered in the light and fairly dazzled -the eye, and the sea-birds drifted in noisy companies about the -jutting crags, plunged headlong into the sea, and scattered the -spray high into the air. The blue smoke rose perpendicularly from -the chimneys of the fishermen’s cottages along the beach, and the -housewives, still drowsy with sleep, came out, rubbed their eyes -and looked toward the sun to judge of the hour. One boat after -another was pushed out upon the water, and the ripples in their -wakes spread in long diverging lines toward either shore. The fish -leaped in the sun, heedless of the gulls which sailed in wide -circles under the sky, keeping a sharp lookout for the movements -of the finny tribe. The three boys could only stand and gaze in -dumb astonishment upon the splendid sights which the combined -heavens, earth, and sea afforded. Their father, who was much -pleased with their determination and enterprise, had readily given -his consent to the reindeer hunt, on condition that Grim should -take command and be responsible for their safety. They were now -mounted upon three sturdy ponies, while their provisions, guns, -and other commodities were packed upon a fourth beast--a shaggy -little monster named Bruno, who looked more like a hornless goat -than a horse. Bjarne Sheepskin, a long, round-shouldered fellow, -with a pair of small, lively eyes, was leading this heavily laden -Bruno by the bridle, and the little caravan, being once set in -motion, climbed the steep slopes toward the mountains with much -persistence and dexterity. The ponies, which had been especially -trained for mountain climbing, planted their hoofs upon the -slippery rocks with a precision which was wonderful to behold, -jumped from stone to stone, slipped, scrambled up and down, but -never fell. As they entered the pine forest, where the huge trunks -grew in long, dark colonnades, letting in here and there stray -patches of sunshine, partridges and ptarmigan often started under -the very noses of the horses, and Magnie clamored loudly for his -gun, and grew quite angry with Bjarne, who would allow “no fooling -with tomtits and chipmunks, when they were in search of big game.” -Even hares were permitted to go unmolested; and it was not until a -fine capercailzie[8] cock tumbled out of the underbrush close to -the path, that Bjarne flung his gun to his cheek and fired. The -capercailzie made a somersault in the air, and the feathers flew -about it as it fell. Bjarne picked it up quietly, tied its legs -together, and hung it on the pommel of Edwin’s saddle. “That will -make a dinner for gentlefolks,” he said, “if the dairy-maids up on -the _saeters_ should happen to have nothing in the larder.” - -Gradually, as they mounted higher, the trees became more stunted in -their growth, and the whole character of the vegetation changed. -The low dwarf-birch stretched its long, twisted branches along -the earth, the silvery-white reindeer-moss clothed in patches the -barren ground, and a few shivering alpine plants lifted their -pale, pink flowers out of the general desolation. As they reached -the ridge of the lower mountain range the boys saw before them a -scene the magnificence of which nearly took their breath away. -Before them lay a wide mountain plain, in the bottom of which two -connected lakes lay coldly glittering. Round about, the plain was -settled with rude little log-houses, the so-called _saeters_, -or mountain dairies, where the Norse peasants spend their brief -summers, pasturing their cattle. - -They started at a lively trot down the slope toward this highland -plain, intending to reach the Hasselrud _saeter_, where they -expected to spend the night; for it was already several hours past -noon, and there could be no thought of hunting reindeer so late in -the day. Judging by appearances, the boys concluded that fifteen or -twenty minutes would bring them to the _saeter_; but they rode on -for nearly two hours, and always the cottages seemed to recede, and -the distance showed no signs of diminishing. They did not know how -deceptive all distances are in this wondrously clear mountain air, -whose bright transparency is undimmed by the dust and exhalations -of the lower regions of the earth. They would scarcely have -believed that those huge glacier peaks, which seemed to be looming -up above their very heads, were some eight to twelve miles away, -and that the eagle which soared above them was far beyond the range -of their rifles. - -It was about five o’clock when they rode in upon the _saeter_ -green, where the dairy-maids were alternately blowing their horns -and yodelling. Their long flaxen braids hung down their backs, -and their tight-fitting scarlet bodices and white sleeves gave -them a picturesque appearance. The cattle were lowing against the -sky, answering the call of the horn. The bells of cows, goats, and -sheep were jangled in harmonious confusion; and the noise of the -bellowing bulls, the bleating sheep, and the neighing horses was -heard from all sides over the wide plain. - -The three brothers were received with great cordiality by the -maids, and they spent the evening, after the supper was finished, -in listening to marvellous stories about the ogres who inhabited -the mountains, and the hunting adventures with which Bjarne -Sheepskin’s life had been crowded, and which he related with a -sportsman’s usual exaggerations. The beds in one of the _saeter_ -cottages were given up to the boys, and they slept peacefully until -about four o’clock in the morning, when Grim aroused them and told -them that everything was ready for their departure. They swallowed -their breakfast hastily, and started in excited silence across the -plateau. Edwin and the horses they left behind in charge of the -dairy-maids, but took with them an old staghound who had some good -blood in him, and a finer scent than his sedate behavior and the -shape of his nose would have led one to suppose. - -Light clouds hovered under the sky; the mist lay like a white -sheet over the mountain, and drifted in patches across the plain. -Bjarne and Grim were carrying the guns, while Olaf led the hound, -and Magnus trotted briskly along, stopping every now and then to -examine every unfamiliar object that came in his way. The wind blew -toward them, so that there was no chance that their scent could -betray them, in case there were herds of deer toward the north at -the base of the glaciers. They had not walked very far, when Bjarne -put his hand to his lips and stooped down to examine the ground. -The dog lifted his nose and began to snuff the air, wag his tail, -and whine impatiently. - -“Hush, Yutul,” whispered Bjarne; “down! down, and keep still!” - -The dog crouched down obediently and held his peace. - -“Here is a fresh track,” the hunter went on, pointing to a hardly -perceptible depression in the moss. “There has been a large herd -here--one buck and at least a dozen cows. Look, here is a stalk -that has just been bitten off, and the juice is not dry yet.” - -“How long do you think it will be before we shall meet them?” asked -Magnus, breathlessly. The hunting-fever was throbbing in his -veins, and he crawled cautiously among the bowlders with his rifle -cocked. - -“Couldn’t tell; may be an hour, may be three. Hand me your -field-glass, Lieutenant, and I will see if I can catch sight of -’em. A gray beast ain’t easily seen agin the gray stone. It was fer -the same reason I wanted ye to wear gray clothes; we don’t want to -give the game any advantage, fer the sentinels be allers on the -lookout fer the herd, and at the least bit of unfamiliar color, -they give their warnin’ snort, and off starts the flock, scudding -away like a drift of mist before the wind.” - -Crouching down among the lichen-clad rocks, all listened in eager -expectation. - -“Down!” whispered Bjarne, “and cock rifles! A pair of antlers -agin the snow! Hallo! it is as I thought--a big herd. One, two, -three--five--seven--ten--fourteen! One stunnin’ buck, worth his -forty dollars at least. Now follow me slowly. Look out for your -guns! You, Grim, keep the dog muzzled.” - -The boys strained their eyes above the edge of the stones, but -could see nothing. Their hearts hammered against their sides, and -the blood throbbed in their temples. As far as their eyes could -reach they saw only the gray waste of bowlders, interrupted here -and there by patches of snow or a white glacier-stream, which -plunged wildly over a precipice, while a hovering moke indicated -its further progress through the plain. Nevertheless, trusting -the experience of their leader, they made no remark, but crept -after him, choosing like him every available stone for cover. -After half an hour of this laborious exercise, Bjarne suddenly -stretched himself flat upon the ground, and the others, though -seeing no occasion for such a manœuvre, promptly followed his -example. But the next moment enlightened them. Looming up against -the white snow, some sixty or a hundred feet from them, they saw -a magnificent pair of antlers, and presently the whole body of a -proud animal was distinctly visible against the glacier. In the -ravine below a dozen or more cows with their calves were nibbling -the moss between the stones, but with great deliberateness, lifting -their heads every minute and snuffing the air suspiciously; they -presently climbed up on the hard snow and began a frolic, the like -of which the boys had never seen before. The great buck raised -himself on his hind-legs, shook his head, and made a leap, kicking -the snow about him with great vehemence. Several of the cows took -this as an invitation for a general jollification, and they began -to frisk about, kicking their heels against the sky and shaking -their heads, not with the wanton grace of their chief, but with -half-pathetic attempts at imitation. This, Magnus thought, was -evidently a reindeer ball; and very sensible they were to have -it early in the morning, when they felt gay and frisky, rather -than in the night, when they ought to be asleep. What troubled -him, however, was that Bjarne did not shoot; he himself did not -venture to send a bullet into the big buck, although it seemed -to him he had an excellent aim. The slightest turn in the wind -would inevitably betray them, and then they would have had all -their toil for nothing. He would have liked to suggest this to -Bjarne; but in order to do this, he would have to overtake him, and -Bjarne was still wriggling himself cautiously forward among the -stones, pushing himself on with his elbows, as a seal does with -his flippers. In his eagerness to impart his counsel to Bjarne, -Magnus began to move more rapidly; raising himself on his knees -he quite inadvertently showed his curly head above a bowlder. The -buck lifted his superb head with a snort, and with incredible speed -the whole herd galloped away; but in the same moment two bullets -whistled after them, and the buck fell flat upon the snow. The -cow which had stood nearest to him reared on her hind-legs, made -a great leap, and plunged headlong down among the stones. With -a wild war-whoop, the boys jumped up, and Magnus, who had come -near ruining the whole sport, seized, in order to make up for -his mishap, a long hunting-knife and rushed forward to give the -buck the _coup-de-grace_,[9] in accordance with the rules of the -chase. Bounding forward with reckless disregard of all obstacles, -he was the first down on the snow. In one instant he was astride -of the animal, and had just raised his knife, when up leaped the -buck and tore away along the edge of the snow like a gust of wind. -The long-range shot, hitting him in the head, had only stunned -him, but had not penetrated the skull. And, what was worse, in -his bewilderment at the unexpected manœuvre, Magnus dropped his -knife, seizing instinctively the horns of the reindeer to keep -from falling. Away they went with a terrific dizzying speed. The -frightened boy clung convulsively to the great antlers; if he -should fall off, his head would be crushed against the bowlders. -The cold glacier-wind whistled in his ears, and stung his face -like a multitude of tiny needles. He had to turn his head in order -to catch his breath; and he strained his eyes to see if anything -was being done by his companions for his rescue. But he could see -nothing except a great expanse of gray and white lines, which ran -into each other and climbed and undulated toward him and sloped -away, but seemed associated with no tangible object. He thought, -for a moment, that he saw Grim Hering-Luck aiming his gun, but -he seemed to be up in the sky, and to be growing huger and huger -until he looked more like a fantastic cloud than a man. The thought -suddenly struck him that he might be fainting, and it sent a thrill -of horror through him. With a vehement effort he mastered his fear -and resolved that, whatever happened, he would not give way to -weakness. If he was to lose his life, he would, at all events, make -a hard fight for it; it was, on the whole, quite a valuable life, -he concluded, and he did not mean to sell it cheaply. - -Troubling himself little about the direction his steed was taking, -he shut his eyes, and began to meditate upon his chances of escape; -and after some minutes, he was forced to admit that they seemed -very slim. When the buck should have exhausted his strength, as -in the course of time he must, he would leave his rider somewhere -in this vast trackless wilderness, where the biting wind swept -down from the eternal peaks of ice, where wolves roamed about -in great hungry companies, and where, beside them, the reindeer -and the ptarmigan were the only living things amid the universal -desolation. When he opened his eyes again, Magnus discovered that -the buck had overtaken the fleeing herd, which, however, were -tearing away madly at his approach, being evidently frightened -at the sight and the scent of the unfamiliar rider. The animal -was still galloping on, though with a less dizzying rapidity, and -Magnus could distinguish the general outline of the objects which -seemed to be rushing against him, as if running a race in the -opposite direction. The herd were evidently betaking themselves -into the upper glacier region, where no foot less light and swift -than theirs could find safety among the terrible ravines and -crevasses. - -Fully an hour had passed, possibly two, and it seemed vain to -attempt to measure the distance which he had passed over in this -time. At all events, the region did not present one familiar -object, and of Olaf and his companions Magnie saw no trace. The -only question was, what chance had they of finding him, if they -undertook to search for him, as, of course, they would. If he -could only leave some sign or mark by which they might know the -direction he had taken, their search might perhaps be rewarded with -success. He put one hand in his pocket, but could find nothing -that he could spare except a red silk handkerchief. That had the -advantage of being bright, and would be sure to attract attention. -The dog would be likely to detect it or to catch the scent of it. -But he must have something heavy to tie up in the handkerchief, -or it might blow “all over creation.” The only thing he could find -was a silver matchbox which he had obtained by a trade with Olaf, -and which bore the latter’s initials. He carefully emptied it, -and put the matches (which he foresaw might prove useful) in his -vest-pocket; then tied up the box securely and dropped it, with -the handkerchief, upon a conspicuous rock, where its bright color -might appear striking and unnatural. He was just on the ridge of -what proved to be a second and higher mountain plateau, the wild -grandeur of which far transcended that of the first. Before him lay -a large sheet of water of a cool green tint, and so clear that the -bottom was visible as far as the eye could reach. A river had made -its way from the end of this lake and plunged, in a series of short -cataracts, down the slope to the lower plain. - -It made Magnus shiver with dread to look at this coldly glittering -surface, and what was his horror when suddenly his reindeer, in his -pursuit of the herd, which were already in the water, rushed in, -and began, with loud snorts, to swim across to the farther shore! -This was an unforeseen stratagem which extinguished his last hope -of rescue; for how could Bjarne track him through the water, and -what means would he find of crossing, in case he should guess that -the herd had played this dangerous trick on him? He began to dread -also that the endurance of the buck would be exhausted before he -reached dry land again, and that they might both perish miserably -in the lake. In this horrible distress nothing occurred to him -except to whisper the Lord’s Prayer; but as his terror increased, -his voice grew louder and louder, until he fairly shouted the -words, “And deliver us from evil,” and the echoes from the vast -solitudes repeated, first clearly and loudly, then with fainter and -fainter accents: “And deliver us from evil--and deliver us from -evil.” His despairing voice rang strangely under the great empty -sky, and rumbled among the glaciers, which flung it back and forth -until it died away in the blue distance. It was as if the vast -silent wilderness, startled at the sound of a human voice, were -wonderingly repeating the strange and solemn words. - -A vague sense of security stole over him when he had finished his -prayer. But the chill of the icy water had nearly benumbed his -limbs, and he feared that the loss of heat would conquer his will, -and make him unconscious before the buck should reach the shore. He -felt distinctly his strength ebbing away, and he knew of nothing -that he could do to save himself. Then suddenly a daring thought -flashed through his brain. With slow and cautious movements he drew -his legs out of the water, and, standing for a moment erect on the -buck’s back, he crawled along his neck and climbed up on the great -antlers, steadying himself carefully and clinging with all his -might. His only fear was that the animal would shake him off and -send him headlong into the icy bath from which he was endeavoring -to escape. But, after two futile efforts, during which the boy had -held on only by desperate exertion, the buck would probably have -resigned himself to his fate, if he had not been in imminent danger -of drowning. Magnus was, therefore, much against his will, forced -to dip his limbs into the chilly water, and resume his former -position. It was a strange spectacle, to see all the horned heads -round about sticking out of the water, and Magnus, though he had -always had a thirst for adventures, had never expected to find -himself in such an incredible situation. Fortunately, they were now -approaching the shore, and whatever comfort there was in having -_terra firma_ under his feet would not be wanting to him. The last -minutes were indeed terribly long, and again and again the buck, -overcome with fatigue, dipped his nose under the water, only to -raise it again with a snort, and shake his head as if impatient to -rid himself of his burden. But the boy, with a spark of reviving -hope, clung only the more tenaciously to the antlers, and remained -unmoved. - -At last--and it seemed a small eternity since he had left his -brother and companions--Magnus saw the herd scramble up on the -stony beach. The buck he rode was soon among the foremost, and, -having reached the land, shook his great body and snorted violently. - -“Now’s my chance,” thought Magnus; “now I can slide off into the -snow before he takes to his heels again.” - -But, odd as it may seem, he had a reluctance to part company with -the only living creature (except the wolves) that inhabited this -awful desert. There was a vague chance of keeping from freezing -to death as long as he clung to the large, warm animal; while, -seated alone upon this bleak shore, with his clothes wringing -wet, and the cold breath of the glacier sweeping down upon him, he -would die slowly and miserably with hunger and cold. He was just -contemplating this prospect, seeing himself in spirit lying dead -upon the shore of the lake, and picturing to himself the grief of -his brother and father, when suddenly his glance was arrested by -what seemed a faint column of smoke rising from among the bowlders. -The herd of reindeer had evidently made the same discovery, for -they paused, in a startled manner, and wheeled about toward the -easterly shore, past which a branch of the glacier was pushing -downward into the lower fiord-valley. - -Magnie, who had by this time made up his mind not to give up his -present place except for a better one, strained his eye in the -opposite direction, to make sure that he was not deceived; and -having satisfied himself that what he saw was really smoke, he -determined to leap from his seat at the very first opportunity. But -as yet the speed of the buck made such a venture unsafe. With every -step, however, the territory was becoming more irregular, and made -the progress even of a reindeer difficult. - -Magnus drew up his feet, and was about to slide off, having planned -to drop with as slight a shock as possible upon a flat moss-grown -rock, when, to his utter amazement, he saw a human figure standing -at the edge of the glacier, and aiming a rifle, as it appeared, -straight at his head. He tried to scream, but terror choked his -voice. He could not bring forth a sound. And before even the -thought had taken shape in his bewildered brain he saw a flash, -and heard the report of a shot which rumbled away with tremendous -reverberations among the glaciers. There was a surging sound in his -ears, and strange lights danced before his eyes. He thought he must -be dead. - - -II. - -Magnie never knew how long he was unconscious. The first thing he -remembered was a delicious sense of warmth and comfort stealing -through him, and strange, unintelligible sounds buzzing in the air -about him. Somebody was talking kindly to him, and a large, warm -hand was gliding over his forehead and cheeks. The peace and warmth -were grateful to him after the intense strain of his dangerous -ride. He was even loth to open his eyes when his reviving memory -began to make the situation clear to him. - -“It was a reckless shot, Harry,” he heard someone say in a foreign -tongue, which he soon recognized as English, “even if it did turn -out well. Suppose you had sent your bullet crashing through the -young fellow instead of the buck. How would you have felt then?” - -“I should have felt very badly, I am sure,” answered a younger -voice, which obviously belonged to Magnie’s rescuer; “but I -followed my usual way of doing things. If I didn’t act that way, -I shouldn’t act at all. And you will admit, Uncle, it is a queer -sort of thing to see a fellow come riding on a reindeer buck, in -the midst of a wild herd, and in a trackless wilderness like this, -where nobody but wolves or geologists would be apt to discover any -attractions. Now, I saw by the young man’s respectable appearance -that he couldn’t be a geologist; and if he was a wolf, I didn’t -mind much if I did shoot him.” - -At this point Magnie opened his eyes and stared wonderingly about -him. He found himself in a small, cramped room, the walls of -which were draped with canvas, and scarcely high enough under the -ceiling to allow a man to stand erect. Against the walls a number -of shining brass instruments were leaning, and in a corner there -was a hearth, the smoke of which escaped through a hole in the -roof. Two bunks filled with moss, with a sheet and a blanket thrown -over each, completed the outfit of the primitive dwelling. But -Magnie was more interested in the people than in the looks of the -room. A large, blond, middle-aged man, inclined to stoutness, was -holding Magnie’s hand as if counting his pulse-beat, and a very -good-looking young fellow, of about his own age, was standing at -the hearth, turning a spit upon which was a venison steak. - -“Hallo! Our young friend is returning from the land of Nod,” said -the youth who had been addressed as Harry. “I am glad you didn’t -start on a longer journey, young chap, when I fired at you; for if -you had you would have interfered seriously with my comfort.” - -Magnie, who was a fair English scholar, understood perfectly what -was said to him, but several minutes elapsed before he could -collect himself sufficiently to answer. In order to gain time, -he made an effort to raise, himself and take a closer look at -his surroundings, but was forced by the older man to abandon the -attempt. - -“Not so fast, my dear, not so fast;” he said, stooping over him, -and gently pushing him back into a reclining position. “You must -remember that you have a big lump on your head from your fall, and -it won’t do to be frisky just yet. But before conversing further, -it might be well to ascertain whether we understand each other.” - -“Yes, I think--I think--I do,” stammered Magnie. “I know some -English.” - -“Ah, then we shall get along charmingly,” the man remarked, with -an encouraging smile. “And I think Harry’s venison steak is done -by this time; and dinner, as you know, affords the most delightful -opportunity for getting acquainted. Gunnar, our guide, who is -outside skinning your reindeer buck, will soon present himself -and serve the dinner. Here he is, and he is our cook, butler, -chambermaid, laundress, beast of burden, and interpreter, all in -one.” - -The man to whom the professor alluded was at this moment seen -crawling on his hands and knees through the low door-way, which his -bulky figure completely filled. He was a Norwegian peasant of the -ordinary sort, with a square, rudely cut face, dull blue eyes, and -a tuft of towy hair hanging down over his forehead. With one hand -he was dragging the skin of the buck, and between his teeth he held -an ugly-looking knife. - -“Ve haf got to bury him,” he said. - -“Bury him!” cried Harry. “Why, you blood-thirsty wretch, don’t you -see he is sitting there, looking as bright as a sixpence?” - -“I mean de buck,” replied Gunnar, imperturbably. - -“And why do you wish to bury the buck? I would much rather eat him. -This steak here has a most tempting flavor, and I am quite tired of -canned abominations by this time.” - -“De volves vill be sure to scent de meat, now dat it is flayed, and -before an hour ve might haf a whole congregation of dem here.” - -“Well, then, we will shoot them down,” insisted the cheerful Harry. -“Come, now, Uncle, and let us have a civilized dinner. I don’t -pretend to be an expert in the noble art of cookery; but if this -tastes as good as it smells, I wouldn’t exchange it for a Delmonico -banquet. And if the wolves, as Gunnar says, can smell a dead -reindeer miles away, they would be likely to smell a venison steak -from the ends of creation. Perhaps, if we don’t hurry, all the -wolves of the earth may invite themselves to our dinner.” - -Gunnar, upon whom this fanciful raillery was lost, was still -standing on all-fours in the door, with his front half in the warm -room and his rearward portion in the arctic regions without. He -was gazing helplessly from one to another, as if asking for an -explanation of all this superfluous talk. “Vill you cawme and help -me, Mester Harry?” he asked at last, stolidly. - -“Yes, when I have had my dinner I will, Mester Gunnar,” answered -Harry, gayly. - -“Vel, I haf notting more to say, den,” grumbled the guide; “but it -vould vonder me much if, before you are troo, you von’t have some -unbidden guests.” - -“All right, Gunnar--the more the merrier,” retorted Harry as, with -exaggerated imitation of a waiter’s manner, he distributed plates, -knives, and napkins to Magnie and his uncle. - -They now fell to chatting, and Magnie learned, after having -given a brief account of himself, that his entertainers were -Professor Winchester, an American geologist, and his nephew, Harry -Winchester, who was accompanying his uncle, chiefly for the fun -of the thing, and also for the purpose of seeing the world and -picking up some crumbs of scientific knowledge. The professor was -especially interested in glaciers and their action in ages past -upon the surface of the earth, and, as the Norwegian glaciers had -never been thoroughly studied, he had determined to devote a couple -of months to observations and measurements, with a view to settling -some mooted geological questions upon which he had almost staked -his reputation. - -They had just finished the steak, which would perhaps have been -tenderer if it had not been so fresh, and were helping themselves -to the contents of a jar of raspberry preserves, when Harry -suddenly dropped his spoon and turned, with a serious face, to his -uncle. - -“Did you hear that?” he said. - -“No; what was it?” - -Harry waited for a minute; then, as a wild, doleful howl was heard, -he laid his hand on the professor’s arm, and remarked: “The old -fellow was right. We shall have unbidden guests.” - -“But they are hardly dangerous in these regions, so far as I can -learn,” said the professor, reassuringly. - -“That depends upon their number. We could tackle a dozen; but two -dozen we might find troublesome. At any rate, they have spoiled my -appetite for raspberry jam, and that is something I sha’n’t soon -forgive them.” - -Three or four howls sounding nearer, and echoing with terrible -distinctness from the glaciers, seemed to depress Harry’s spirits -still further, and he put the jar away and began to examine the -lock of his rifle. - -“They are evidently summoning a mass-meeting,” remarked the -professor, as another chorus of howls re-echoed from the glacier. -“I wish we had more guns.” - -“And I wish mine were a Remington or a Springfield breech-loader, -with a dozen cartridges in it!” Harry exclaimed. “These -double-barrelled Norwegian machines, with two shots in them, are -really good for nothing in an emergency. They are antediluvian both -in shape and construction.” - -He had scarcely finished this lament, when Gunnar’s huge form -reappeared in the door, quadruped fashion, and made an attempt to -enter. But his great bulk nearly filled the narrow room, and made -it impossible for the others to move. He examined silently first -Harry’s rifle, then his own, cut off a slice of steak with his -pocket-knife, and was about to crawl out again, when the professor, -who could not quite conceal his anxiety, asked him what he had done -with the reindeer. - -“Oh!” he answered, triumphantly, “I haf buried him among de stones, -vhere he vill be safe from all de volves in de vorld.” - -“But, my dear fellow,” ejaculated the professor, hotly, “why -didn’t you rather let the wolves have it? Then, at least, they -would spare us.” - -“You surely vouldn’t gif a goot fresh reindeer, legs and all, to a -pack of skountrelly volves, vould you?” - -“I would much rather give them that than give them myself.” - -“But it is vort tventy dollars, if you can get it down fresh and -sell it to de English yachts,” protested Gunnar, stolidly. - -“Yes, yes; but you great stupid,” cried the professor in despair, -“what do you think my life is worth? and Master Harry’s? and this -young fellow’s?” (pointing to Magnie). “Now go as quick as you can -and dig the deer out again.” - -Gunnar, scarcely able to comprehend such criminal wastefulness, -was backing out cautiously with his feet foremost, when suddenly -he gave a scream and a jump which nearly raised the roof from -the hut. It was evident that he had been bitten. In the same -moment a fresh chorus of howls resounded without, mingled with -sharp, whining barks, expressive of hunger and ferocity. There -was something shudderingly wild and mournful in these long-drawn -discords, as they rose toward the sky in this lonely desert; and -brave as he was, Magnie could not restrain the terror which he -felt stealing upon him. Weakened by his icy bath, moreover, and by -the nervous strain of his first adventure, he had no great desire -to encounter a pack of ravenous wolves. Still, he manned himself -for the occasion and, in as steady a voice as he could command, -begged the professor to hand him some weapon. Harry, who had -instinctively taken the lead, had just time to reach him a long -hunting-knife, and arm his uncle with an ax, when, through the door -which Gunnar had left open, two wolves came leaping in and paused -in bewilderment at the sight of the fire on the hearth. They seemed -dazed by the light, and stood panting and blinking, with their -trembling red tongues lolling out of their mouths. Harry, whose -gun was useless at such close range, snatched the ax away from the -professor, and at one blow split the skull of one of the intruders, -while Magnie ran his knife up to the very hilt in the neck of the -other. The beast was, however, by no means dead after that, but -leaped up on his assailant’s chest, and would have given him an -ugly wound in the neck had not the professor torn it away and flung -it down upon the fire, where, with a howling whine, it expired. The -professor had also found time to bolt the door before more visitors -could enter; and two successive shots without seemed to indicate -that Gunnar was holding his own against the pack. But the question -was, how long would he succeed in keeping them at bay? He had fired -both his shots, and he would scarcely have a chance to load again, -with the hungry beasts leaping about him. This they read in one -another’s faces, but no one was anxious to anticipate the other in -uttering his dread. - -“Help, help!” cried Gunnar, in dire need. - -“Take your hand away, Uncle!” demanded Harry. “I am going out to -help him.” - -“For your life’s sake, Harry,” implored the professor, “don’t go! -Let me go! What would your mother say to me if I should return -without you?” - -“I’ll come back again, Uncle, don’t you fear,” said the youth, with -feigned cheerfulness; “but I won’t let this poor fellow perish -before my very eyes, even though he is a fool.” - -“It was his foolishness which brought this danger upon us,” -remonstrated the professor. - -“He knew no better,” cried Harry, tearing the door open, and with -ax uplifted rushing out into the twilight. What he saw seemed -merely a dark mass, huddled together and swaying sideways, from -which now and then a black figure detached itself with a howl, -jumped wildly about, and again joined the dark, struggling mass. He -could distinguish Gunnar’s head, and his arms fighting desperately, -and, from the yelps and howls of the wolves, he concluded that he -had thrown away the rifle and was using his knife with good effect. - -“Help!” he yelled, “help!” - -“You shall have it, old fellow,” cried Harry, plunging forward and -swinging his ax about him; and the professor, who had followed -close at his heels, shouting at the top of his voice, pressed in -Harry’s wake right into the centre of the furious pack. But, at -that very instant, there came a long “Hallo-o!” from the lake -below, and a rifle-bullet flew whistling above their heads and -struck a rock scarcely a yard above the professor’s hat. Several -wolves lay gasping and yelping on the ground, and the rest slunk -aside. Another shot followed, and a large beast made a leap and -fell dead among the stones. Gunnar, who was lying bleeding upon -the ground, was helped to his feet, and supported by Harry and the -professor to the door of the cottage. - -“Hallo, there!” shouted Harry, in response to the call from below. - -“Hallo!” someone shouted back. - -The figures of three men were now seen looming up in the dusk, -and Magnie, who instinctively knew who they were, sprang to meet -them, and in another moment lay sobbing in his brother’s arms. -The poor lad was so completely unnerved by the prolonged suspense -and excitement, that he had to be carried back into the hut, -and his brother, after having hurriedly introduced himself to -the professor, came very near giving way to his feelings, too. -Gunnar’s wounds, which were numerous, though not serious, were -washed and bandaged by Grim Hering-Luck; and having been wrapped -in a horse-blanket, to keep out the cold, he was stowed away in a -bunk and was soon asleep. As the hut was too small to admit all -the company at once, Grim and Bjarne remained outside, and busied -themselves in skinning the seven wolves which had fallen on the -field of battle. Harry, who had got a bad bite in his arm, which -he refused to regard as serious, consented with reluctance to his -uncle’s surgery, and insisted upon sitting up and conversing with -Olaf Birk, to whom he had taken a great liking. But after a while -the conversation began to lag, and tired heads began to droop; and -when, about midnight, Grim crept in to see how his invalid was -doing, he found the professor reclining on some loose moss upon -the floor, while Harry was snoring peacefully in a bunk, using -Olaf’s back for a pillow. And Olaf, in spite of his uncomfortable -attitude, seemed also to have found his way to the land of Nod. -Grim, knowing the danger of exposure in this cold glacier air, -covered them all up with skins and horse-blankets, threw a few dry -sticks upon the fire, and resumed his post as sentinel at the door. - -The next morning Professor Winchester and his nephew accepted -Olaf’s invitation to spend a few days at Hasselrud, and without -further adventures the whole caravan descended into the valley, -calling on their way at the _saeter_ where Edwin had been left. It -appeared, when they came to discuss the strange incidents of the -preceding day, that it was Magnie’s silk handkerchief which had -enabled them to track him to the edge of the lake, and, by means of -a raft, which Bjarne kept hidden among the stones in a little bay, -they had been enabled to cross, leaving their horses in charge of a -shepherd boy whom they had found tending goats close by. - -The reindeer cow which Olaf had killed was safely carried down -to the valley, and two wolf-skins were presented to Magnie by -Harry Winchester. The other wolf-skins, as well as the skin of -the reindeer buck, Bjarne prepared in a special manner, and Harry -looked forward with much pleasure to seeing them as rugs upon the -floor of his room at college; and he positively swelled with pride -when he imagined himself relating to his admiring fellow-students -the adventures which had brought him these precious possessions. - - - - -THORWALD AND THE STAR-CHILDREN. - - -I. - -Thorwald’s mother was very ill. The fever burned and throbbed in -her veins; she lay, all day long and all night long, with her eyes -wide open, and could not sleep. The doctor sat at her bedside and -looked at her through his spectacles; but she grew worse instead of -better. - -“Unless she can sleep a sound, natural sleep,” he said, “there is -no hope for her, I fear.” - -It was to Thorwald’s father that he said this, but Thorwald heard -what he said. The little boy, with his dog Hector, was sitting -mournfully upon the great wolfskin outside his mother’s door. - -“Is my mamma very ill?” he asked the doctor, but the tears choked -his voice, and he hid his face in the hair of Hector’s shaggy neck. - -“Yes, child,” answered the doctor; “very ill.” - -“And will God take my mamma away from me?” he faltered, extricating -himself from Hector’s embrace, and trying hard to steady his voice -and look brave. - -“I am afraid He will, my child,” said the doctor, gravely. - -“But could I not do something for her, doctor?” - -The long suppressed tears now broke forth, and trickled down over -the boy’s cheeks. - -“_You_, a child, what can you do?” said the doctor, kindly, and -shook his head. - -Just then there was a great noise in the air. The chimes in the -steeple of the village church pealed forth a joyous Christmas -carol, and the sound soared, rushing as with invisible wing-beats -through the clear, frosty air. For it was Christmas-eve, and the -bells were, according to Norse custom, “ringing-in the festival.” -Thorwald stood long listening, with folded hands, until the bells -seemed to take up the doctor’s last words, and chime: “What can -you do, what can you do, what can you do?” Surely, there could -be no doubt that that was what the bells were saying. The clear -little silvery bells that rang out the high notes were every moment -growing more impatient, and now the great heavy bell joined them, -too, and tolled out slowly, in a deep bass voice, “Thor--wald!” and -then all the little ones chimed in with the chorus, as rapidly as -the stiff iron tongues could wag: “What can you do, what can you -do, what can you do? Thorwald, what can you do, what can you do, -what can you do?” - -“A child--ah, what can a child do?” thought Thorwald. “Christ was -himself a child once, and He saved the whole world. And on a night -like this, when all the world is glad because it is His birthday, -He perhaps will remember how a little boy feels who loves his -mamma, and cannot bear to lose her. If I only knew where He is now, -I would go to Him, even if it were ever so far, and tell Him how -much we all love mamma, and I would promise Him to be the best boy -in all the world, if He would allow her to stay with us.” - -Now the church-bells suddenly stopped, though the air still kept -quivering for some minutes with faint reverberations of sound. It -was very quiet in the large, old-fashioned house. The servants -stole about on tiptoe, and spoke to each other in hurried whispers -when they met in the halls. A dim lamp, with a bluish globe, hung -under the ceiling and sent a faint, moon-like light over the broad -oaken staircase, upon the first landing of which a large Dutch -clock stood in a sort of niche, and ticked and ticked patiently -in the twilight. It was only five o’clock in the afternoon, and -yet the moon had been up for more than an hour, and the stars were -twinkling in the sky, and the aurora borealis swept with broad -sheets of light through the air, like a huge fan, the handle of -which was hidden beneath the North Pole; you almost imagined you -heard it whizzing past your ears as it flashed upward to the zenith -and flared along the horizon. For at that season of the year the -sun sets at about two o’clock in the northern part of Norway, and -the day is then but four hours long, while the night is twenty. To -Thorwald that was a perfectly proper and natural arrangement; for -he had always known it so in winter, and he would have found it -very singular if the sun had neglected to hide behind the mountains -at about two o’clock on Christmas-eve. - -But poor Thorwald heeded little the wonders of the sky that day. -He heard the clock going, “Tick--tack, tick--tack,” and he knew -that the precious moments were flying, and he had not yet decided -what he could do which might please God so well that he would -consent to let his dear mamma remain upon earth. He thought of -making a vow to be very good all his life long; but it occurred -to him that before he would have time to prove the sincerity of -his promise, God might already have taken his mamma away. He must -find some shorter and surer method. Down on the knoll, near the -river, he knew there lived a woman whom all the peasants held in -great repute, and who was known in the parish as “Wise Marthie.” -He had always been half afraid of her, because she was very old -and wrinkled, and looked so much like the fairy godmother in his -storybook, who was not invited to the christening feast, and who -revenged herself by stinging the princess with a spindle, so that -she had to go to sleep for a hundred years. But if she were so -wise, as all the people said, perhaps she might tell him what he -should do to save the life of his mamma. Hardly had this thought -struck him before he seized his cap and overcoat (for it was a -bitter cold night), and ran to the stable to fetch his skees.[10] -Then down he slid over the steep hill-side. The wind whistled in -his ears, and the loose snow whirled about him and settled in his -hair, and all over his trousers and his coat. When he reached Wise -Marthie’s cottage, down on the knoll, he looked like a wandering -snow image. He paused for a moment at the door; then took heart and -gave three bold raps with his skee-staff. He heard someone groping -about within, and at length a square hole in the door was opened, -and the head of the revengeful fairy godmother was thrust out -through the opening. - -“Who is there?” asked Wise Marthie, harshly (for, of course, it was -none other than she). Then as she saw the small boy, covered all -over with snow, she added, in a friendlier voice: “Ah! gentlefolk -out walking in this rough weather?” - -“O Marthie!” cried Thorwald, anxiously, “my mamma is very ill----” - -He wished to say more, but Marthie here opened the lower panel of -the door, while the upper one remained closed, and invited him to -enter. - -“Bend your head,” she said, “or you will knock against the door. I -am a poor woman, and can’t afford to waste precious heat by opening -both panels.” - -Thorwald shook the snow from his coat, set his skees against the -wall outside, and entered the cottage. - -“Take a seat here at the fire,” said the old woman, pointing to a -wooden block which stood close to the hearth. “You must be very -cold, and you can warm your hands while you tell me your errand.” - -“Thank you, Marthie,” answered the boy, “but I have no time to sit -down. I only wanted to ask you something, and if you can tell me -that, I shall--I shall--love you as long as I live.” - -Old Marthie smiled, and Thorwald thought for a moment that she -looked almost handsome. And then she took his hand in hers and drew -him gently to her side. - -“You are not a witch, are you, Marthie?” he said, a little -tremblingly. For Marthie’s association with the wicked fairy -godmother was yet very suggestive. Then, again, her cottage seemed -to be a very queer place; and it did not look like any other -cottage that he had ever seen before. Up under the ceiling, which -was black and sooty, hung bunches of dried herbs, and on shelves -along the wall stood flower-pots, some of which had blooming -flowers in them. The floor was freshly scrubbed, and strewn with -juniper-needles, and the whole room smelt very clean. In a corner, -between the stone hearth and the wall, a bed, made of plain deal -boards, was to be seen; a shaggy Maltese cat, with sleepy, yellow -eyes, was for the present occupying it, and he raised his head and -gazed knowingly at the visitor, as if to say: “I know what you have -come for.” - -Old Marthie chuckled when Thorwald asked if she was a witch; and -somehow her chuckle had a pleasant and good-natured sound, the boy -thought, as he eyed her wistfully. - -“Now I am sure you are not a witch,” cried he, “for witches never -laugh like that. I know, now, that you are a good woman, and that -you will want to help me if you can. I told you my mamma was very -ill” (the tears here again broke through his voice)--“so very ill -that the doctor says God will take her away from us. I sat at her -door all yesterday and cried, and when papa took me in to her, she -did not know me. Then I cried more. I asked papa why God makes -people so ill, and he said it was something I didn’t understand, -but I should understand some day. But, Marthie, I haven’t time to -wait, for by that time mamma may be gone, and I shall never know -where to find her; I must know now. And you, who are so very wise, -you will tell me what I can do to save my mamma. Couldn’t I do -something for God, Marthie--something that he would like? And then, -perhaps, he would allow mamma to stay with us always.” - -The tears now came hot and fast, but the boy still stood erect, and -gazed with anxious questioning into the old woman’s face. - -“You are a brave little lad,” she said, stroking his soft, curly -hair with her stiff, crooked fingers, “and happy is the mother of -such a boy. And old Marthie knows a thing or two, she also, and -you shall not have come to her in vain. Once, child, more than -eighteen hundred years ago, just on this very night, a strange -thing happened in this world, and I dare say you have heard of -it. Christ, the White, was born of Mary in the land of the Jews. -The angels came down from heaven, as we read in the Good Book, -and they sang strange and wonderful songs of praise. And they -scattered flowers, too--flowers which only blossomed until then in -heaven, in the sight of God. And one of these flowers,--sweet and -pure, like the tone of an angel’s voice expressed in color--one of -these wondrous flowers, I say, struck root in the soil, and has -multiplied, and remains in the world until this day. It blossoms -only on Christmas-eve--on the eve when Christ was born. Even in the -midst of the snow, and when it is so cold that the wolf shivers in -his den, this frail, pure flower peeps up for a few brief moments -above the shining white surface, and then is not seen again. It -is of a white or faintly bluish color; and he who touches it and -inhales its heavenly odor is immediately healed of every earthly -disease. But there is one singular thing about it--no one can see -it unless he be pure and innocent and good; to all others the -heavenly flower is invisible.” - -“Oh, then I shall never find it, Marthie!” cried Thorwald, in great -suspense. “For I have often been very naughty.” - -“I am very sorry to hear that,” said Marthie, and shook her head. - -“And do you think it is of any use for me, then, to try to find the -flower?” exclaimed the boy, wildly. “O Marthie, help me! Help me!” - -“Well, I think I should try,” said Marthie, calmly. “I don’t -believe you can have been such a dreadfully naughty boy; and you -probably were very sorry whenever you happened to do something -wrong.” - -“Yes, yes, always, and I always begged papa’s and mamma’s pardon.” - -“Then, listen to me! I will show you the Star of Bethlehem in the -sky--the same one that led the shepherds and the kings of the East -to the manger where Christ lay. Follow that straight on, through -the forest, across the frozen river, wherever it may lead you, -until you find the heavenly flower. And when you have found it, -hasten home to your mother, and put it up to her lips so that she -may inhale its breath; then she will be healed, and will bless her -little boy, who shunned no sacrifice for her sake.” - -“But I didn’t tell you, Marthie, that I made Grim Hering-Luck -tattoo a ship on my right arm, although papa had told me that I -mustn’t do it. Do you still think I shall find the heavenly flower?” - -“I shouldn’t wonder if you did, child,” responded Marthie, with a -reassuring nod of her head. “It is high time for you to start, now, -and you mustn’t loiter by the way.” - -“No, no; you need not tell me that!” cried the boy, seizing his -cap eagerly, and slipping out through the lower panel of the door. -He jumped into the bands of his skees, and cast his glance up to -the vast nocturnal sky, which glittered with myriads of twinkling -stars. Which of all these was the Star of Bethlehem? He was just -about to rush back into the cottage, when he felt a hand upon his -shoulder, and saw Wise Marthie’s kindly but withered face close to -his. - -“Look toward the east, child,” she said, almost solemnly. - -“I don’t know where the east is, Marthie,” said Thorwald, -dolefully. “I always get mixed up about the points of the compass. -If they would only fix four big poles, one in each corner of the -earth, that everybody could see, then I should always know where to -turn.” - -“There is the east,” said Marthie, pointing with a long, crooked -finger toward the distant mountain-tops, which, with their hoods -of ice, flashed and glistened in the moonlight. “Do you see that -bright, silvery star which is just rising between those two snowy -peaks?” - -“Yes, yes, Marthie. I see it! I see it!” - -“That is the Star of Bethlehem. You will know it by its white, -radiant light. Follow that, and its rays will lead you to the -flower which can conquer Death, as it led the shepherds and the -kings of old to Him over whom Death had no power.” - -“Thank you, Marthie. Thank you!” - -The second “thank you” hardly reached the ears of the old woman, -for the boy had shot like an arrow down over the steep bank, and -was now half-way out upon the ice. The snow surged and danced in -eddies behind him, and the cold stung his face like sharp, tiny -needles. But he hardly minded it, for he saw the star of Bethlehem -beaming large and radiant upon the blue horizon, and he thought of -his dear mother, whom he was to rescue from the hands of Death. But -the flower--the flower--where was that? He searched carefully all -about him in the snow, but he saw no trace of it. “I wonder,” he -thought, “if it can blossom in the snow? I should rather think that -Christ allows the angels to fling down a few of them every year -on his birthday, to help those that are sick and suffering; they -say he is very kind and good, and I shouldn’t wonder if he sees -me now, and will tell the angels to throw down the precious flower -right in my path.” - - -II. - -The world was cold and white round about him. The tall pines stood -wrapped in cloaks of snow, which looked like great white ulsters, -and they were buttoned straight up to the chin--only a green -finger-tip and a few tufts of dark-green hair showed faintly, at -the end of the sleeves and above the collar. The alders and the -birches, who had no such comfortable coats to keep out the cold, -stood naked in the keen light of the stars and the aurora, and they -shivered to the very marrow. To Thorwald it seemed as if they were -stretching their bare, lean hands against the heavens, praying for -warmer weather. A family of cedar-birds, who had lovely red caps -on their heads and gray uniforms of the most fashionable tint, had -snugged close together on a sheltered pine-branch, and they were -carrying on a subdued twittering conversation just as Thorwald -passed the river-bank, pushing himself rapidly over the snow by -means of his skee-staff. But it was strictly a family matter they -were discussing, which it would be indiscreet in me to divulge. -They did, however, shake down a handful of loose snow on Thorwald’s -head, just to let him know that he was very impolite to take so -little notice of them. They did not know, of course, that his -mother was ill; otherwise, I am sure, they would have forgiven him. - -Hush! What was that? Thorwald thought he heard distant voices -behind him in the snow. He looked all about him, but saw nothing. -Then, following the guidance of the star, he still pressed onward. -He quitted the river-bed and traversed a wide sloping meadow; -he had to take a zigzag course, like a ship that is tacking, -because the slope was too steep to ascend in a straight line. He -was beginning to feel tired. The muscles in his legs ached, and -he often shifted the staff from hand to hand, in order to rest -the one or the other of his arms. He gazed now fixedly upon the -snow, taking only an occasional glance at the sky, to see that he -was going in the right direction; the strange hum of voices in -the air yet haunted his ears, and he sometimes imagined he heard -words moving to a wonderful melody. Was it the angels that were -singing, inspiring him with courage for his quest? He dared hardly -believe it, and yet his heart beat joyously at the thought. Ah! -what is that which glitters so strangely in the snow? A starry -gleam, a twinkling, like a spark gathering its light into a little -glittering point, just as it is about to be quenched. Thorwald -leaps from his skees and plunges his hand into the snow. The frozen -crust cuts his wrist cruelly; and he feels that he is bleeding. -With a wrench he pulls his hand up; his heart throbs in his throat; -he gazes with wild expectation, but sees--nothing. His wrist is -bleeding, and his hand is full of blood. Poor Thorwald could hardly -trust his eyes. He certainly had seen something glittering on the -snow. He felt a great lump in his throat, and it would have been a -great relief to him, at that moment, to sit down and give vent to -the tears that were crowding to his eyelids. But just then a clear, -sweet strain of music broke through the air, and Thorwald heard -distinctly these words, sung by voices of children: - - “Lead, O Star of Bethlehem, - Me through death and danger, - Unto Christ, who on this night - Lay cradled in a manger.” - -Thorwald gathered all his strength and again leaped into his skees; -he was now on the border of a dense pine-forest, and as he looked -into it, he could not help shuddering. It was so dark under the -thick, snow-burdened branches, and the moon only broke through here -and there, and scattered patches of light over the tree-tops and -on the white carpet of the snow. Yet, perhaps it was within this -very wood that the heavenly blossom had fallen. He must not lose -heart now, when he was perhaps so near his goal. Thrusting his -staff vigorously into the snow-crust, he pushed himself forward and -glided in between the tall, silent trunks; at the same moment the -air again quivered lightly, as with the breath of invisible beings, -and he heard words which, as far as he could afterward recollect -them, sounded as follows: - - “Make my soul as white and pure - As the heavenly blossom-- - As the flower of grace and truth - That blooms upon Thy bosom.” - -Thorwald hardly felt the touch of the snow beneath his feet; he -seemed rather to be soaring through the air, and the trunks of the -huge dark trees marched in close columns, like an army in rapid -retreat, before his enraptured vision. Christ did see him! Christ -would send him the heavenly flower! All over the snow sparkling -stars were scattered, and they gleamed and twinkled and beckoned to -him, but whenever he stretched out his hand for them they suddenly -vanished. The trees began to assume strange, wild shapes, and to -resemble old men and women, with long beards and large hooked -noses. They nodded knowingly to one another, and raised up their -gnarled toes from the ground in which they were rooted, and tried -to trip up the little boy who had dared to interrupt their solemn -conversation. One old fir shook the snow from her shoulders, and -stretched out a long, strangely twisted arm, and was on the point -of seizing Thorwald by the hair, when fortunately he saw the -coming danger, and darted away down the hill-side at quickened -speed. A long, bright streak of light suddenly illuminated the -eastern sky, something fell through the air, and left a golden -trail of fire behind it; surely it was the heavenly flower that -was thrown down by an angel in response to his prayer! Forward and -ever forward--over roots and stumps and stones--stumbling, rising -again, sinking from weariness and exhaustion, kneeling to pray on -the frozen snow, crawling painfully back and tottering into the -skee-bands; but only forward, ever forward! The earth rolls with -a surging motion under his feet, the old trees join their rugged -hands and dance, in wild, senile glee, around him, lifting their -twisted limbs, and sometimes, with their talons, trying to sweep -the stars from the sky. Thorwald struggled with all his force to -break through the ring they had made around him. He saw plainly -the flower, beaming with a pale radiance upon the snow, and he -strove with all his might to reach it, but something held him back, -and though he was once or twice within an inch of it, he could -never quite grasp it with his fingers. Then, all of a sudden, the -strange song again vibrated through the air, and he saw a huge star -glittering among the underbrush; a flock of children clad in white -robes were dancing about it, and they were singing Christmas carols -in praise of the new-born Saviour. As they approached nearer and -nearer, the hope revived in Thorwald’s heart. Ah, there the flower -of healing was, lying close at his feet. He made a desperate leap -and clutched it in his grasp--then saw and felt no more. - - -III. - -The white children were children of earth, not, as Thorwald had -imagined, angels from heaven. It is a custom in Norway for the -children of the poor to go about on Christmas eve, from house to -house, carrying a large canvas star, with one or more lanterns -within it, and sing Christmas carols. They are always dressed in -white robes, and people call them star-children. Whenever they -station themselves in the snow before the front door, and lift up -their tiny, shrill voices, old and young crowd to the windows, -and the little boys and girls who are born to comfort and plenty, -and never have known want, throw pennies to them, and wish them a -merry Christmas. When they have finished singing, they are invited -in to share in the mirth of the children of the house, and are made -to sit down with them to the Christmas table, and perhaps to dance -with them around the Christmas tree. - -It was a company of these star-children who now found Thorwald -lying senseless in the forest, and whose sweet voices he had heard -in the distance. The oldest of them, a boy of twelve, hung up his -star on the branch of a fir-tree, and stooped down over the pale -little face, which, from the force of the fall, was half buried in -the snow. He lifted Thorwald’s head and gazed anxiously into his -features, while the others stood in a ring about him, staring with -wide-open eyes and frightened faces. - -“This is Thorwald, the judge’s son,” he said. “Come, boys, we must -carry him home. He must have been taken ill while he was running on -skees. But let us first make a litter of branches to carry him on.” - -The boys all fell to work with a will, cutting flexible twigs with -their pocket-knives, and the little girls sat down on the snow -and twined them firmly together, for they were used to work, and, -indeed, some of them made their living by weaving baskets. In a -few minutes the litter was ready, and Thorwald, who was still -unconscious, was laid upon it. Then six boys took hold, one at -each corner and two in the middle, and as the crust of the snow -was very thick, and strong enough to bear them, it was only once -or twice that any of them broke through. When they reached the -river, however, they were very tired, and were obliged for a while -to halt. Some one proposed that they should sing as they walked, -as that would make the time pass more quickly, and make their -burden seem lighter, and immediately some one began a beautiful -Christmas carol, and all the others joined in with one accord. It -was a pretty sight to see them as they went marching across the -river, one small boy of six walking at the head of the procession, -carrying the great star, then the six larger boys carrying the -litter, and at last twelve little white-robed girls, tripping two -abreast over the shining surface of the ice. But, in spite of -their singing, they were very tired by the time they had gained -the highway on the other side of the river. They did not like -to confess it; but when they saw the light from Wise Marthie’s -windows, the oldest boy proposed that they should stop there for a -few minutes to rest, and the other five said, in a careless sort -of way, that they had no objection. Only the girls were a wee bit -frightened, because they had heard that Wise Marthie was a witch. -The boys, however, laughed at that, and the little fellow with -the star ran forward and knocked at the door, with Thorwald’s -skee-staff. - -“Lord ha’ mercy on us!” cried Marthie, as she opened the -peeping-hole in her door, and saw the insensible form which the -boys bore between them; then flinging open both portions of the -door, she rushed out, snatched Thorwald up in her arms, and carried -him into the cottage. - -“Come in, children,” she said, “come in and warm yourselves for -a moment. Then hurry up to the judge’s, and tell the folk there -that the little lad is here at my cottage. You will not go away -empty-handed; for the judge is a man who pays for more than he -gets. And this boy, you know, is the apple of his eye. Lord! Lord! -I sent his dog, Hector, after him, and I knew the beast would let -me know if the boy came to harm; but, likely as not, the wind was -the wrong way, and the poor beast could not trace the skee-track on -the frozen snow. Mercy! mercy! and he is in a dead swoon.” - - -IV. - -When Thorwald waked up, he lay in his bed, in his own room, and in -his hand he held a pale-blue flower. He saw the doctor standing at -his bedside. - -“Mamma--my mamma,” he whispered. - -“Yes, it is time that we should go to your mamma,” said the doctor, -and his voice shook. - -And he took the boy by the hand and led him to his mother’s -bed-chamber. Thorwald began to tremble--a terrible dread had come -over him; but he clutched the flower convulsively, and prayed that -he might not come too late. A dim, shaded lamp burned in a corner -of the room, his father was sitting on a chair, resting his head -in his palms, and weeping. To his astonishment, he saw an old -woman stooping over the pillow where his mother’s head lay; it was -Wise Marthie. Unable to contain himself any longer, he rushed, -breathless with excitement, up to the bedside. - -“Mamma! Mamma!” he cried, flourishing his prize in the air. “I am -going to make you well. Look here!” - -He thrust the flower eagerly into her face, gazing all the while -exultantly into her beloved features. - -“My sweet, my darling child,” whispered she, while her eyes kindled -with a heavenly joy. “How can a mother die who has such a noble -son?” - -And she clasped her little boy in her arms, and drew him close to -her bosom. Thus they lay long, weeping for joy--mother and son. An -hour later the doctor stole on tiptoe toward the bed, and found -them both sleeping. - -When the morrow’s sun peeped in through the white curtains, the -mother awoke from her long, health-giving slumber; but Thorwald -lay yet peacefully sleeping at her side. And as the mother’s -glance fell upon the flower, now limp and withered, yet clutched -tightly in the little grimy, scratched and frost-bitten fist, the -tears--happy tears--again blinded her eyes. She stretched out her -hand, took the withered flower, pressed it to her lips, and then -hid it next to her heart. And there she wears it in a locket of -gold until this day. - - - - -BIG HANS AND LITTLE HANS. - - -I. - -On the northwestern coast of Norway the mountains hide their heads -in the clouds and dip their feet in the sea. In fact, the cliffs -are in some places so tall and steep that streams, flowing from the -inland glaciers and plunging over their sides, vanish in the air, -being blown in a misty spray out over the ocean. In other places -there may be a narrow slope, where a few potatoes, some garden -vegetables, and perhaps even a patch of wheat, may be induced to -grow by dint of much coaxing; for the summer, though short, is -mild and genial in those high latitudes, and has none of that -fierce intensity which, with us, forces the vegetation into sudden -maturity, and sends our people flying toward all the points of the -compass during the first weeks in June. - -It was on such a sunny little slope, right under the black -mountain-wall, that Halvor Myrbraaten had built his cottage. Halvor -was a merry fellow, who went about humming snatches of hymns and -old songs and dance-melodies all day long, and sometimes mixed -up both words and tune wofully; and when his memory failed him, -sang anything that popped into his head. Some people said they had -heard him humming the multiplication table to the tune of “Old -Norway’s Lion,” and whole pages out of Luther’s Catechism to jolly -dance-tunes. Not that he ever meant to be irreverent; it was just -his way of amusing himself. He was an odd stick, people thought, -and not of much use to his family. Whatever he did, “luck” went -against him. But it affected his temper very little. Halvor was -still light-hearted and good-natured, and went about humming as -usual. If he went out hunting, and came home with an empty pouch, -it did not interfere in the least with his gayety; but knowing -well the reception which was in store for him; it did occasionally -happen that he paused with a quizzical look before opening the -door, and perhaps, after a minute’s reflection, concluded to -spend the night in the barn; for Turid, his wife, had a mind of -her own, and knew how to express herself with emphasis. She was, -as everyone admitted, a very worthy and competent woman, and -accomplished more in a day than her husband did in a fortnight. -But worthy and competent people are not invariably the pleasantest -people to associate with, and the gay and genial good-for-nothing -Halvor, with his bright irresponsible smile and his pleasant ways, -was a far more popular person in the parish than his austere, -estimable, over-worked wife. For one thing, with all her poverty, -she had a great deal of pride; and people who had never suspected -that one so poor could have any objection to receiving alms had -been much offended by her curt way of refusing their proffered -gifts. Halvor, they said, showed a more realizing sense of his -position: he had the humble and contrite heart which was becoming -in an unsuccessful man, and accepted with equal cheerfulness and -gratitude whatever was offered him, from a dollar bill to a pair of -worn-out mittens. It was, in fact, this extreme readiness to accept -things which first made difficulty between Halvor and his wife. It -seemed to him a pure waste of labor to work for a thing which he -could get for nothing; and it seemed to her a waste of something -still more precious to accept as a gift what one might have -honestly earned by work. But as she could never hope to have Halvor -agree with her on this point, she comforted herself by impressing -her own horror of alms-taking upon her children; and the children, -in their turn, impressed the same sound principles upon their pet -kid and the pussy cat. - -There were five children at Myrbraaten. Hans, the eldest, was ten -years old, and Dolly, the youngest, was one, and the rest were -scattered between. It was a pretty sight to see them of a summer -afternoon on the grass plot before the house, rolling over one -another and gambolling like a sportive family of kittens; only -you could hardly help feeling vaguely uneasy about the mountain, -the steep, black wall of which, sparsely clad with pines, rose so -threateningly above them. It seemed as if it must, some day, swoop -down upon them and crush them. The mother, it must be admitted, -was occasionally oppressed by some such fear; but when she -reflected that the mountain had stood there from time immemorial, -and had never yet moved, or harmed anyone, she felt ashamed of -her apprehension, and blamed herself for her distrust of God’s -providence. - -Besides the children there was another young inhabitant of the -Myrbraaten cottage, and surely a very important one. He too, was -named Hans, but, in order to distinguish him from the son of the -house, the word “Little” was prefixed, and the latter, although -he was really the smaller of the two, was called, by way of -distinction, Big Hans. The most remarkable thing about Little Hans -was that he had, in spite of his youth, a very well-developed -beard. Big Hans, who had not a hair on his chin, rather envied -him this manly ornament. Then, again, Little Hans was a capital -fighter, and could knock you down in one round with great coolness -and sweet-tempered seriousness, as if he were acting entirely from -a sense of duty. He never used any hard words; but the moment -his adversary attempted to rise, Little Hans quietly gave him -another knock, and winked wickedly at him, as if warning him to -lie still. He never bragged of his victories, but showed a modest -self-appreciation to which very few of his age ever attain. Big -Hans, who valued his friend and namesake above others, and had a -hearty admiration for his many fine qualities, declared himself -utterly unable to rival him in combativeness, modesty, and coolness -of temper. For Big Hans, I am sorry to say, was sometimes given to -bragging of his muscle and of his skill in turning hand-springs and -standing on his head, and he could easily be teased into a furious -temper. Now, Little Hans could not turn hand-springs, nor could he -stand on his head; but, though he promptly resented any trifling -with his dignity, I never once knew him to lose his temper. He -never laughed when anything struck him as being funny; in fact, -he seemed to regard every boisterous exhibition of feeling as -undignified. He only turned his head away and stood chewing a piece -of paper or a straw, with his usual look of comical gravity in his -eye. - -Many people wondered at the fast friendship which bound Big -Hans and Little Hans together. Their tastes, people said, -were dissimilar; in temperament, too, they had few points of -resemblance. And yet they were absolutely inseparable. Wherever -Big Hans went, Little Hans was sure to follow. Often they were -seen racing along the beach or climbing up the mountain-side; -and, as Little Hans was a capital hand (or ought I to say foot?) -at climbing, Big Hans often had hard work to keep up with him. -Sometimes Little Hans would leap up a rock which was so steep that -it was impossible for his friend to climb it, and then he would -grin comically down at Big Hans, who would stand below calling -tearfully to his companion until he descended, which usually was -very soon. For Little Hans was very fond of Big Hans, and could -never bear to see him cry. And that is not in the least to be -wondered at, as Big Hans had saved him from starvation and death -when Little Hans was really in the sorest need. Their acquaintance -began in the following manner: one day when Big Hans was up in -the mountains trapping hares, he heard a feeble voice in a cleft -of the rocks near by, and hurrying to the spot, he found Little -Hans wedged in between two great stones, and his leg caught in so -distressing a manner that it cost Big Hans nearly an hour’s work to -set it free. Then he dressed the bruised foot with a rag torn from -the lining of his coat, and carried Little Hans home in his arms. -And as Little Hans’ parents had never claimed him, and he himself -could give no satisfactory account of them, he had thenceforth -remained at Myrbraaten, where all the children were very fond of -him. Turid, their mother, on the other hand, had no great liking -for him, especially after he had devoured her hymn-book (which was -her most precious property) and eaten with much appetite a piece -of Dolly’s dress. For, as I intimated, Little Hans’ tastes were -very curious, and nothing came amiss when he was hungry. He had a -trick of pulling off Dolly’s stockings when she was sitting out on -the green, and if he were not discovered in time, he was sure to -make his breakfast off of them. With these tastes, you will readily -understand, Big Hans could have no sympathy, and the only thing -which could induce him to forgive Little Hans’ eccentricities was -the fact that Little Hans was a goat. - - -II. - -In the winter of 187-, a great deal of snow fell on the -northwestern coast of Norway. The old pines about the Myrbraaten -cottage were laden down with it; the children had to be put to work -with snow-shovels early in the morning, in order to hollow out a -tunnel to the cow-stable where the cow stood bellowing with hunger. -The mother, too, worked bravely, and sometimes when the thin roof -of snow caved in and fell down upon them, they laughed heartily, -and their mother too, could not help laughing because they were -so happy. Little Hans also made a pretence of working, but only -succeeded in being in everybody’s way, and when the cold snow -drizzled down upon his nose he grinned and made faces so queer that -the children shouted with merriment. - -Day after day, and week after week, the snow continued to descend. -Big Hans and his friend sat at the window watching the large -feathery flakes, as they whirled slowly and silently through the -air and covered the earth far and near with a white pall. Soon -there was a scarcity of wood at the Myrbraaten cottage, and Halvor -was obliged to get into his skees and go to the forest. Humming the -multiplication table (so far as he knew it) to the tune of a hymn, -he pulled on his warmest jacket, took his axe from its hiding-place -under the eaves, and went in a slanting line up the mountain-side; -but before he had gone many rods it struck him that it was useless -to go so far for wood, when the whole mountain-slope was covered -with pines. Fresh pine would be a little hard to burn, to be sure, -but then pine was full of pitch and would burn anyhow. He therefore -took off his skees, dug a hole in the snow, and felled three or -four trees only a few hundred rods above the cottage. When his wife -heard the sound of his axe so near the house, she rushed out and -cried to him: - -“Halvor, Halvor, don’t cut down the trees on the slope! They are -all that keep the snow from coming down upon us in an avalanche, -and sweeping us into the ocean!” - -“Oh, the Lord will look out for his own,” sang Halvor, cheerily. - -“The Lord put the pine-trees there to protect us,” replied his wife. - -But the end was that, in spite of his wife’s protests, Halvor -continued to fell the trees. - -The heavy fall of snow was followed in the course of a week by a -sudden thaw. - -Strange creaking and groaning sounds stole through the forest. -Sometimes when a large load of snow fell, it rolled and grew as it -rolled, until it dashed against a huge trunk and nearly broke it -with its weight. - -Then, one night, there came down a great load which fell with a -dull thud and rolled down and down, pushing a growing wall of snow -before it, until it reached the clearing where Halvor had cut his -wood; there, meeting with no obstructions, it gained a tremendous -headway, sweeping all the snow and the felled trunks with it, and -rushed down in a great mass, carrying along stones, shrubs, huge -trees, and the very soil itself, leaving nothing but the bare rock -behind it. How terrible was the sight! A smoke-like cloud rose in -the darkness, and a sound as of a thousand thundering cataracts -filled the night. On it swept, onward, with a wild, resistless -speed! At the jutting rock, where the juniper stood, the avalanche -divided, tearing up the old spruces and the birches by the roots -and hurling them down, but leaving the juniper standing alone on -its barren peak. It was but a moment’s work. The avalanche shot -downward with increased speed--hark!--a sharp shriek, a smothered -groan, then a fierce hissing sound of waves that rose toward the -sky and returned with a long thundering cannonade to the strand! -The night was darker and the silence deeper than before. - - -III. - -Where the Myrbraaten cottage had stood, the bare rock now stares -black and dismal against the sun. The rumor of the calamity spread -like wild-fire through the valley, and the folk of the whole parish -came to gaze upon the ruin which the avalanche had wrought. All -that was left of Myrbraaten was the cow-stable, where the cow and -Little Hans and Big Hans had slept. Little Hans had been very -ill-behaved the night before, so Turid had sent him to sleep with -the cow; and Big Hans, who thought it would be cruel to ask his -companion to spend the night in that dark stable, with only a cow -for company, had gone with him and slept with him in the hay. Thus -it happened that Little Hans and Big Hans both were saved. It was -pitiful to see them shivering in the wet snow. Big Hans was crying -as if his heart would break; and the women who crowded about him -were unable to comfort him. What should he, a small boy of ten, do -alone in this wide world? His father and his mother and his little -brothers and sisters were all gone, and there was no one left who -cared for him. Just then Little Hans, who was anxious to express -his sympathy, put his nose close to Big Hans’ face and rubbed it -against his cheek. - -“Yes, you are right, Little Hans,” sobbed the boy, embracing his -faithful friend; “you do care for me. You are the only one I have -left now, in all the world. You and I will stand by each other -always.” - -Little Hans then said, “Ma-a-a,” which in his language meant, “Yes.” - -The question soon arose in the parish--what was to be done with -Big Hans? He had no relatives except a brother of his mother, who -had emigrated many years before to Minnesota; and there was no one -else who seemed disposed to assume the burden of his support. It -was finally decided that he should be hired out as a pauper to the -lowest bidder, and that the parish should pay for his board. But -when the people who bid for him refused to take Little Hans too, -the boy determined, after some altercation with the authorities, -to seek his uncle in America. One thing he was sure of, and that -was that he would not part from Little Hans. But there was no -one in the parish who would board Little Hans without extra pay. -Accordingly, the cow and the barn were sold for the boy’s benefit, -and he and his comrade went on foot to the city, where they bought -a ticket for New York. - -Thus it happened that Big Hans and Little Hans became Americans. -But before they reached the United States some rather curious -things happened to them. The captain of the steamship, Big Hans -found, was not willing to take a goat as a passenger, and Big Hans -was forced to return with his friend to the pier, while the other -emigrants thronged on board. He was nearly at his wits’ end, when -it suddenly occurred to him to put Little Hans in a bag and smuggle -him on board as baggage. This was a lucky thought. Little Hans was -quite heavy, to be sure, but he seemed to comprehend the situation -perfectly, and kept as still as a mouse in his bag while Big Hans, -with the assistance of a benevolent fellow-passenger, lugged him up -the gang-plank. And when he emerged from his retirement some time -after the steamer was well under way, none of the officers even -thought of throwing the poor goat overboard; for Little Hans became -a great favorite with both crew and passengers, although he played -various mischievous pranks, in his quiet, unostentatious way, and -ate some shirts which had been hung out to dry. - -It was early in April when the two friends arrived in New York. -They attracted considerable attention as they walked up Broadway -together; and many people turned around to laugh at the little -emigrant boy, in his queer Norwegian costume, who led a full-grown -goat after him by a halter. The bootblacks and the newsboys pointed -their fingers at them, and, when that had no effect, made faces -at them, and pulled Big Hans by his short jacket and Little Hans -by his short tail. Big Hans was quite frightened when he saw how -many of them there were, but, perceiving that Little Hans was -not in the least ruffled, he felt ashamed of himself, and took -heart again. Thus they marched on for several blocks, while the -crowd behind them grew more and more boisterous and importunate. -Suddenly, one big boy, who seemed to be the leader of the gang, -sprang forward with a yell and knocked off Big Hans’ hat, while all -the rest cheered loudly; but just as he was turning around to enjoy -his triumph, Little Hans turned around too, and gave him a bump -from behind which sent him headlong into the gutter. Then, rising -on his hind legs, Little Hans leaped forward again and again, and -despatched the second and third boy in the same manner, whereupon -all the rest ran away, helter-skelter, scattering through the side -streets. It was all done in so quiet and gentlemanly a manner that -not one of the grown-up spectators who had gathered on the sidewalk -thought of interfering. Big Hans, however, who had intended to -see something of the city before starting for the West, was so -discouraged at the inhospitable reception the United States had -given him, that he gave up his purpose, and returned disconsolately -to Castle Garden. There he spent the rest of the day, and when the -night came, he went to sleep on the floor, with his little bundle -under his head; while Little Hans, who did not seem to be sleepy, -lay down at his side, quietly munching a piece of pie which he had -stolen from somebody’s luncheon-basket. - -Early the next morning Big Hans was awakened by a gentle pulling -at his coat-collar; and, looking up, he saw that it was Little -Hans. He jumped up as quickly as he could, and he found that -it was high time, for all the emigrants had formed into a sort -of a procession and were filing through the gate on their way -to the railway station. There were some seven or eight hundred -of them--toil-worn, sad-faced men and women, and queer-looking -children in all sorts of outlandish costumes. Big Hans and his -friend ran to take their places at the very end of the procession, -and just managed to slip through the gate before it was closed. -At the railway station the boy exhibited his ticket which he had -bought at the steamship office in Norway, and was just about to -board the train, when the conductor cried out: - -“Hold on, there! This is not a cattle-train! You can’t take your -goat into the passenger-car!” - -Big Hans did not quite comprehend what was said, but from the -expression of the conductor’s voice and face, he surmised that -there was some objection to his comrade. - -“I think I have money enough to buy a ticket for Little Hans, too,” -he said, in his innocent Norwegian way, as he pulled a five-dollar -bill from his pocket. - -“I don’t want your money,” cried the conductor, who knew as little -of Norwegian as Big Hans did of English. - -“Get out of the way there with your billy-goat!” - -And he hustled the boy roughly out of the way to make room for the -other emigrants, who were thronging up to the platform. - -“Well, then,” said Big Hans, “since they don’t want us on the -train, Little Hans, we shall have to walk to Minnesota. And as this -railroad is going that way, I suppose we shall get there if we -follow the track.” - -Little Hans seemed to think that this was a good plan; for, as soon -as the train had steamed off, he started at a brisk rate along the -track, so that his master had great difficulty in keeping up with -him. For several hours they trudged along cheerfully, and both -were in excellent spirits. Minnesota, Big Hans supposed, might, -perhaps, be a day’s journey off, and if he walked fast he thought -he would probably be there at nightfall. When once he was there, he -did not doubt but that everybody would know his Uncle Peter. He was -somewhat puzzled, however, when he came to a place where no less -than three railroad tracks branched off in different directions; -and, as there was no one to ask, he sat down patiently in the shade -of a tree and determined to wait. Presently a man came along with a -red flag. - -“Perhaps you would kindly tell me if this is the way to Minnesota,” -said Big Hans, taking off his cap and bowing politely to the man. - -The man shook his head sullenly, but did not answer; he did not -understand the boy’s language. - -“And you don’t happen to know my uncle, Peter Volden?” essayed the -boy, less confidently, making another respectful bow to the flagman. - -“You are a queer loon of a chap,” grumbled the man; “but if you -don’t jump off the track with your goat, the train will run over -both of you.” - -He had hardly spoken, when the train was seen rounding the curve, -and the boy had just time to pull Little Hans over into the ditch -when the locomotive came thundering along, sending out volumes -of black smoke, which scattered slowly in the warm air, making -the sunlight for awhile seem gray and dingy. Big Hans was almost -stunned, but picked himself up, with a little fainter heart than -before, perhaps; but whispering a snatch of a prayer which his -mother had taught him, he seized Little Hans by the halter, and -started once more upon his weary way after the train. - -“Minnesota must be a great way off, I am afraid,” he said, -addressing himself, as was his wont, to his companion; “but if we -keep on walking, it seems to me we must, in the end, get there; or, -what do you think, Little Hans?” - -Little Hans did not choose to say what he thought, just then, for -his attention had been called to some tender grass at the roadside -which he knew tasted very sweet. Big Hans was then reminded that -he, too, was hungry, and he sat down on a stone and ate a piece of -bread which he had brought with him from Castle Garden. The sun -rose higher in the sky and the heat grew more and more oppressive. -Still the emigrant boy trudged on patiently. Whenever he came to -a station he stopped, and read the sign, and shook his head sadly -when he saw some unfamiliar name. - -“Not Minnesota yet, Little Hans,” he sighed; “I am afraid we shall -have to take lodgings somewhere for the night. I am so footsore and -tired.” - -It was then about six o’clock in the evening, and the two friends -had walked about twenty miles. At the next station they met a -hand-organ man, who was sitting on a truck, feeding his monkey. - -Big Hans, who had never seen so funny an animal before, was greatly -delighted. He went close up to the man, and put out his hand -cautiously to touch the monkey. - -“Are you going to Minnesota, too?” he asked, in a tone of great -friendliness; “if so, we might bear each other company. I like that -hairy little fellow of yours very much.” - -The hand-organ man, who, like most men of his calling, was an -Italian, shook his head, and the monkey shook his head, too, as if -to say, “All that may be very fine, but I don’t understand it.” - -The boy, however, was too full of delight to notice whether he -was understood or not; and when the monkey took off his little -red hat and offered to shake hands with him, he laughed until the -tears rolled down his cheeks. He seemed to have entirely forgotten -Little Hans, who was standing by, glowering at the monkey with a -look which was by no means friendly. The fact was, Little Hans had -never been accustomed to any rival in his master’s affection, and -he didn’t enjoy in the least the latter’s interest in the monkey. -He kept his jealousy to himself, however, as long as he could; but -when Big Hans, after having giving ten cents to the organ-man, -took the monkey on his lap and patted and stroked it, Little Hans’ -heart was ready to burst. He could not endure seeing his affections -so cruelly trifled with. Bending his head and rising on his hind -legs, he darted forward and gave his rival a knock on the head -that sent him tumbling in a heap at Big Hans’ feet. The Italian -jumped up with a terrible shout and seized his treasure in his -arms. The monkey made an effort to open its eyes, gave a little -shiver, and--was dead. The boy stood staring in mute despair at -the tiny stiffened body; he felt like a murderer. Hardly knowing -what he did, he seized Little Hans’ halter; but in the same moment -the enraged owner of the monkey rushed at the goat with the butt -end of his whip uplifted. Little Hans, who was dauntless as ever, -dexterously dodged the blow, but the instant his antagonist had -turned to vent his wrath upon his master, he gave him an impetus -from behind which sent him headlong out upon the railroad track. -A crowd of men and boys (of the class who always lounge about -railroad stations) had now collected to see the fight, and goaded -both combatants on with their jeering cries. The Italian, who was -maddened with anger, had just picked himself up, and was plunging -forward for a second attack upon Little Hans, when Big Hans, seeing -the danger, flung himself over his friend’s back, clasping his arms -about his neck. The loaded end of the whip struck Big Hans in the -back of the head; without a sound, the boy fell senseless upon the -track. - -Then a policeman arrived, and Little Hans, the Italian, and the -insensible boy were taken to the police-station. A doctor was -summoned, and he declared that Big Hans’ wound was very dangerous, -and that he must be taken to the hospital. And there the emigrant -boy lay for six weeks, hovering between life and death; but when, -at the end of that time, he was permitted to go out, he heard with -dread that he was to testify at the Italian’s trial. A Norwegian -interpreter was easily found, and when Hans told his simple story -to the judge, there were many wet eyes in the court-room. And he -himself cried, too, for he thought that Little Hans was lost. But -just as he had finished his story, he heard a loud “Ba-a-a” in his -ear; he jumped down from the witness-stand and flung his arms about -Little Hans’ neck and laughed and cried as if he had lost his wits. - -It is safe to say that such a scene had never before been witnessed -in an American court-room. - -The next day Big Hans and Little Hans were both sent by rail, -at the expense of some kind-hearted citizens, to their uncle in -Minnesota. And it was there I made their acquaintance. - - - - -A NEW WINTER SPORT. - - -It is a curious fact that so useful an article as the Norwegian -_skees_ has not been more generally introduced in the United -States. In some of the Western States, notably in Wisconsin -and Minnesota, where the Scandinavian population is large, the -immigrants of Norse blood are beginning to teach Americans the -use of their national snow-shoes, and in Canada there has been an -attempt made (with what success I do not know) to make skee-running -popular. But the subject has by no means received the consideration -which it deserves, and I am confident that I shall earn the -gratitude of the great army of boys if I can teach them how to -enjoy this fascinating sport. - -Let me first, then, describe a _skee_ and tell you how to have it -made. You take a piece of tough, straight-grained pine, from five -to ten feet long, and cut it down until it is about the breadth of -your foot, or, at most, an inch broader. There must be no knots -in the wood, and the grain must run with tolerable regularity -lengthwise from end to end. - -[Illustration: Bending the Skee.] - -If you cannot find a piece without a knot, then let the knot be as -near the hind end as possible; but such a _skee_ is not perfect, -as it is apt to break if subjected to the strain of a “jump” or -a “hollow” in a swift run. The thickness of the _skee_ should be -about an inch or an inch and one-half in the middle, and it should -gradually grow thinner toward each end. Cut the forward end into -a point--not abruptly, but with a gradual curve, as shown in the -drawings. Pierce the middle latitudinally with a hole, about half -an inch in height and an inch or (if required) more in width; then -bend the forward pointed end by means of five sticks, placed as -the drawing indicates, and let the _skee_ remain in this position -for four or five days, until its bend has become permanent, and it -will no longer, on the removal of the sticks, resume the straight -line. Before doing this, however, it would be well to plane the -under side of the _skee_ carefully and then polish and sand-paper -it, until it is as smooth as a mirror. It is, of course, of prime -importance to diminish as much as possible the friction in running -and to make the _skee_ glide easily over the surface of the snow, -and the Norwegians use for this purpose soft-soap, which they rub -upon the under side of the _skee_, and which, I am told, has also -a tendency to make the wood tougher. In fact, too much care cannot -be exercised in this respect, as the excellence of the _skees_, -when finished, depends primarily upon the combined toughness and -lightness of the wood. Common pine will not do; for although, when -well seasoned, it is light enough, it is rarely strong enough to -bear the required strain. The tree known to Norwegians as the fir -(_Sylvestris pinus_), which has long, flexible needles, hanging -in tassels (not evenly distributed along the branch, as in the -spruce), is most commonly used, as it is tough and pitchy, but -becomes light in weight, without losing its strength, when it is -well seasoned and dried. Any other strong and straight-grained -wood might, perhaps, be used, but would, I think, be liable to the -objection of being too heavy. - -[Illustration: Side and Face View of Skees, showing Cap and Knob.] - -When the _skee_ has been prepared as above described, there only -remains to put a double band through the middle; the Norwegians -make it of twisted withes, and fit its size to the toe of the boot. -If the band is too wide, so as to reach up on the instep, it is -impossible to steer the _skee_, while if it is too narrow the foot -is apt to slip out. Of these two withe-bands, one should stand up -and the other lie down horizontally, so as to steady the foot and -prevent it from sliding. A little knob, just in front of the heel, -might serve a similar purpose. Leather, or any other substance -which is apt to stretch when getting wet, will not do for bands, -although undoubtedly something might be contrived which might be -even preferable to withes. I am only describing the _skees_ as they -are used in Norway--not as they might be improved in America. In -the West, I am told, a good substitute for the withe-band has been -found in a kind of leather cap resembling the toe of a boot. As I -have never myself tried this, I dare not express an opinion about -its practicability; but as it is of the utmost importance that -the runner should be able to free his foot easily, I would advise -every boy who tries this cap to make perfectly sure that it does -not prevent him from ridding himself of the _skee_ at a moment’s -notice. The chief difficulty that the beginner has to encounter is -the tendency of the _skees_ to “spread,” and the only thing for -him to do in such a case, provided he is running too fast to trust -to his ability to get them parallel again, is to jump out of the -bands and let the _skees_ go. Let him take care to throw himself -backward, breaking his fall by means of the staff, and in the soft -snow he will sustain no injury. Whenever an accident occurs in -skee-running, it can usually be traced to undue tightness of the -band, which may make it difficult to withdraw the feet instantly. -A pair of _skees_ kept at the rooms of the American Geographical -Society, New York, are provided with a safeguard against -“spreading” in the shape of a slight groove running longitudinally -along the under side of each _skee_. I have seen _skees_ provided -with two such grooves, each about an inch from the edge and meeting -near the forward point. - -There has, of course, to be one _skee_ for each foot, and the -second is an exact duplicate of the first. The upper sides of both -are usually decorated, either in colors or with rude carvings; the -forward ends are usually painted for about a foot, either in black -or red. - -[Illustration: Staff with a Wheel that Acts as a Brake] - -Now, the reader will ask: “What advantage does this kind of -snow-shoes offer over the ordinary Indian ones, which are in common -use in the Western and Northern States?” Having tried both, I think -I may confidently answer that the _skees_ are superior, both in -speed and convenience; and, moreover, they effect a great saving -of strength. The force which, with the American snow-shoes, is -expended in lifting the feet, is with the _skees_ applied only as a -propeller, for the _skee_ glides, and is never lifted; and on level -ground the resistance of the body in motion impels the skee-runner -with each forward stride several feet beyond the length of his -step. If he is going down-hill, his effort will naturally be to -diminish rather than to increase his speed, and he carries for this -purpose a strong but light staff about six feet long, upon which -he may lean more or less heavily, and thereby retard the rapidity -of his progress. The best skee-runners, however, take great pride -in dispensing with the staff, and one often sees them in Norway -rushing down the steepest hill-sides with incredible speed, with a -whirling cloud of snow following in their track. - -[Illustration: Side View, showing Foot in Position.] - -Although this may be a very fine and inspiriting sight, I should -not recommend beginners to be too hasty in throwing away the staff, -as it is only by means of it that they are able to guide their -course down over the snowy slope, just as a ship is steered by its -rudder. If you wish to steer toward the right, you press your staff -down into the snow on your right side, while a similar manœuvre on -your left side will bend your course in that direction. If you wish -to test your _skees_ when they are finished, put your feet into the -bands, and let someone take hold of the two front ends and slowly -raise them while you are standing in the bands. If they bear your -weight, they are regarded as safe, and will not be likely to break -in critical moments. In conclusion, let me add that the length and -thickness of the _skees_, as here described, are not invariable, -but must vary in accordance with the size of the boy who wishes to -use them. Five feet is regarded as the minimum length, and would -suit a boy from twelve to fourteen years old, while a grown-up man -might safely make them twice that length. - -[Illustration: Under Side and Cross Section of Skee, showing -Groove.] - -In Norway, where the woods are pathless in winter, and where heavy -snows continually fall from the middle of October until the middle -of April, it is easily seen how essential, nay indispensable, the -_skees_ must be to hunters, trappers, and lumber-men, who have -to depend upon the forests for their livelihood. Therefore, one -of the first accomplishments which the Norwegian boy learns, as -soon as he is old enough to find his way through the parish alone, -is the use of these national snow-shoes. If he wakes up one fine -winter morning and sees the huge snow-banks blockading doors and -windows, and a white, glittering surface extending for miles as -far as his eye can reach, he gives a shout of delight, buttons his -thick woollen jacket up to his chin, pulls the fur borders of his -cap down over his ears, and then, having cleared a narrow path -between the dwelling-house and the cow-stables, makes haste to jump -into his _skees_. If it is cold (as it usually is) and the snow -accordingly dry and crisp, he knows that it will be a splendid day -for skee-running. If, on the contrary, the snow is wet and heavy, -it is apt to stick in clots to the _skees_, and then the sport is -attended with difficulties which are apt to spoil the amusement. We -will take it for granted, however, that there are no indications of -a thaw, and we will accompany the Norse boy on his excursions over -the snowy fields and through the dense pine-woods, in which he and -his father spend their days in toil, not untempered with pleasure. - -“Now, quick, Ola, my lad!” cries his father to him; “fetch the axe -from the wood-shed and bring me my gun from the corner behind the -clock, and we will see what luck we have had with the fox-traps and -the snares up in the birch-glen.” - -And Ola has no need of being asked twice to attend to such duties. -His mother, in the meanwhile, has put up a luncheon, consisting of -cold smoked ham and bread and butter, in a gayly painted wooden -box, which Ola slings across his shoulder, while Nils, his father, -sticks the axe into his girdle, and with his gun in one hand -and his skee-staff in the other, emerges into the bright winter -morning. They then climb up the steep snow-banks, place their -_skees_ upon the level surface, and put their feet into the bands. -Nils gives a tremendous push with his staff and away he flies down -the steep hill-side, while his little son, following close behind -him, gives an Indian war-whoop, and swings his staff about his head -to show how little he needs it. Whew, how fast he goes! How the -cold wind sings in his ears; how the snow whirls about him, filling -his eyes and ears and silvering the loose locks about his temples, -until he looks like a hoary little gnome who has just stepped out -from the mountain-side! But he is well used to snow and cold, and -he does not mind it a bit. - -In a few seconds father and son have reached the bottom of the -valley, and before them is a steep incline, overgrown with leafless -birch and elder forests. It is there where they have their snares, -made of braided horse-hair; and as bait they use the red berries of -the mountain ash, of which ptarmigan and thrushes are very fond. -Now comes the test of their strength; but the snow is too deep -and loose to wade through, and to climb a declivity on _skees_ is -by no means as easy as it is to slide down a smooth hill-side. -They now have to plod along slowly, ascending in long zig-zag -lines, pausing often to rest on their staves, and to wipe the -perspiration from their foreheads. Half an hour’s climb brings them -to the trapping-grounds. But there, indeed, their efforts are well -rewarded. - -“Oh, look, look, father!” cries the boy, ecstatically. “Oh, what a -lot we have caught! Why, there are three dozen birds, as sure as -there is one.” - -His father smiles contentedly, but says nothing. He is too old a -trapper to give way to his delight. - -“There is enough to buy you a new coat for Christmas, lad,” he -says, chuckling; “and if we make many more such hauls, we may get -enough to buy mother a silver brooch, too, to wear at church on -Sundays.” - -“No, buy mother’s brooch first, father,” protests the lad, a little -hesitatingly (for it costs many boys an effort to be generous); “my -coat will come along soon enough. Although, to be sure, my old one -is pretty shabby,” he adds, with a regretful glance at his patched -sleeves. - -“Well, we will see, we will see,” responds Nils, pulling off his -bear-skin mittens and gliding in among the trees in which the traps -are set. “The good Lord, who looks after the poor man as well as -the rich, may send us enough to attend to the wants of us all.” - -He had opened his hunting-bag, and was loosening the snare from the -neck of a poor strangled ptarmigan, when all of a sudden he heard -a great flapping of wings, and, glancing down through the long -colonnade of frost-silvered trees, saw a bird which had been caught -by the leg, and was struggling desperately to escape from the snare. - -“Poor silly thing!” he said, half-pityingly; “it is not worth a -shot. Run down and dispatch it, Ola.” - -“Oh, I don’t like to kill things, father,” cried the lad, who with -a fascinated gaze was regarding the struggling ptarmigan. “When -they hang themselves I don’t mind it so much; but it seems too -wicked to wring the neck of that white, harmless bird. No, let me -cut the snare with my knife and let it go.” - -“All right; do as you like, lad,” answered the father, with gruff -kindliness. - -And with a delight which did his heart more honor than his head, -Ola slid away on his _skees_ toward the struggling bird, which, the -moment he touched it, hung perfectly still, with its tongue stuck -out, as if waiting for its death-blow. - -“Kill me,” it seemed to say. “I am quite ready.” - -But, instead of killing it, Ola took it gently in his hand, and -stroked it caressingly while cutting the snare and disentangling -its feet. How wildly its little heart beat with fright! And the -moment his hold was relaxed, down it tumbled into the snow, ran -a few steps, then took to its wings, dashed against a tree in -sheer bewilderment, and shook down a shower of fine snow on its -deliverer’s head. Ola felt quite heroic when he saw the bird’s -delight, and thought how, perhaps, next summer (when it had changed -its coat to brown) it would tell its little ones, nestling under -its wings, of its hairbreadth escape from death, and of the -kind-hearted youngster who had set it free instead of killing it. - -While Ola was absorbed in these pleasant reflections, Nils, his -father, had filled his hunting-bag with game and was counting his -spoils. - -“Now, quick, laddie,” he called out, cheerily. “Stir your stumps -and bring me your bag of bait. Get the snares to rights and fix the -berries, as you have seen me doing.” - -Ola was very fond of this kind of work, and he pushed himself with -his staff from tree to tree, and hung the tempting red berries in -the little hoops and arches which were attached to the bark of the -trees. He was in the midst of this labor, when suddenly he heard -the report of his father’s gun, and, looking up, saw a fox making a -great leap, then plunging headlong into the snow. - -“Hello, Mr. Reynard,” remarked Nils, as he slid over toward the -dead animal. “You overslept yourself this morning. You have stolen -my game so long, now, that it was time I should get even with you. -And yet, if the wind had been the other way, you would have caught -the scent of me sooner than I should have caught yours. Now, sir, -we are quits.” - -“What a great, big, sleek fellow!” ejaculated Ola, stroking -the fox’s fur and opening his mouth to examine his sharp, -needle-pointed teeth. - -“Yes,” replied Nils; “I have saved the rascal the trouble of -hunting until he has grown fat and secure, and fond of his ease. I -had a long score to settle with that old miscreant, who has been -robbing my snares ever since last season. His skin is worth about -three dollars.” - -When the task of setting the snares in order had been completed, -father and son glided lightly away under the huge, snow-laden trees -to visit their traps, which were set further up the mountain. -The sun was just peeping above the mountain-ridge, and the trees -and the great snow-fields flashed and shone, as if oversown with -numberless diamonds. Round about were the tracks of birds and -beasts; the record of their little lives was traced there in the -soft, downy snow, and could be read by everyone who had the eyes -to read. Here were the tracks telling of the quiet pottering of -the leman and the field-mouse, going in search of their stored -provisions for breakfast, but rising to take a peep at the sun on -the way. You could trace their long, translucent tunnels under the -snow-crust, crossing each other in labyrinthine entanglements. Here -Mr. Reynard’s graceful tail had lightly brushed over the snow, as -he leaped to catch young Mrs. Partridge, who had just come out to -scratch up her breakfast of frozen huckleberries, and here Mr. -and Mrs. Squirrel (a very estimable couple) had partaken of their -frugal repast of pine-cone seeds, the remains of which were still -scattered on the snow. But far prettier were the imprints of their -tiny feet, showing how they sat on their haunches, chattering -amicably about the high cost of living, and of that grasping -monopolist, Mr. Reynard, who had it all his own way in the woods, -and had no more regard for life than a railroad president. This and -much more, which I have not the time to tell you, did Ola and his -father observe on their skee-excursion through the woods. And when, -late in the afternoon, they turned their faces homeward, they had, -besides the ptarmigan and the fox, a big capercailzie (or grouse) -cock, and two hares. The twilight was already falling, for in the -Norway winter it grows dark early in the afternoon. - -“Now, let us see, lad,” said Ola’s father, regarding his son with -a strange, dubious glance, “if you have got Norse blood in your -veins. We don’t want to go home the way we came, or we should -scarcely reach the house before midnight. But if you dare risk your -neck with your father, we will take the western track down the -bare mountain-side. It takes brisk and stout legs to stand in that -track, my lad, and I won’t urge you, if you are afraid.” - -“I guess I can go where you can, father,” retorted the boy, -proudly. “Anyway, my neck isn’t half so valuable as yours.” - -“Spoken like a man!” said the father, in a voice of deep -satisfaction. “Now for it, lad! Make yourself ready. Strap the -hunting-bag close under your girdle, or you will lose it. Test your -staff to make sure that it will hold, for if it breaks you are -gone. Be sure you don’t take my track. You are a fine chap and a -brave one.” - -Ola followed his father’s directions closely, and stood with loudly -palpitating heart ready for the start. Before him lay the long, -smooth slope of the mountain, showing only here and there soft -undulations of surface, where a log or a fence lay deeply buried -under the snow. On both sides the black pine-forest stood, tall and -grave. If he should miss his footing, or his _skees_ be crossed or -run apart, very likely he might just as well order his epitaph. If -it had not been his father who had challenged him, he would have -much preferred to take the circuitous route down into the valley. -But now he was in for it, and there was no time for retreating. - -“Ready!” shouted Nils, advancing toward the edge of the slope: -“One, two, three!” - -[Illustration: NORWEGIAN SKEE-RUNNERS.] - -And like an arrow he shot down over the steep track, guiding -his course steadily with his staff; but it was scarcely five -seconds before he was lost to sight, looking more like a whirling -snow-drift than a man. With strained eyes and bated breath, Ola -stood looking after him. Then, nerving himself for the feat, he -glanced at his _skees_ to see that they were parallel, and glided -out over the terrible declivity. His first feeling was that he had -slid right out into the air--that he was rushing with seven-league -boots over forests and mountain-tops. For all that, he did not lose -hold of his staff, which he pressed with all his might into the -snow behind him, thus slightly retarding his furious speed. Now -the pine-trees seemed to be running past him in a mad race up the -mountain-side, and the snowy slope seemed to be rising to meet him, -or moving in billowy lines under his feet. Gradually he gathered -confidence in himself, a sort of fierce courage awoke within him, -and a wild exultation surged through his veins and swept him on. -The wind whistled about him and stung his face like whip-lashes. -Now he darted away over a snowed-up fence or wood-pile, shooting -out into the air, but always coming down firmly on his feet, -and keeping his mind on his _skees_, so as to prevent them from -diverging or crossing. He had a feeling of grandeur and triumphant -achievement which he had never experienced before. The world lay -at his feet, and he seemed to be striding over it in a march of -conquest. It was glorious! But all such sensations are unhappily -brief. Ola soon knew by his slackening speed that he had reached -the level ground; yet so great was the impetus he had received -that he flew up the opposite slope toward his father’s farm, and -only stopped some fifty feet below the barn. He then rubbed his -face and pinched his nose, just to see whether it was frozen. The -muscles in his limbs ached, and the arm which had held the staff -was so stiff and cramped that the slightest movement gave him pain. -Nevertheless, he could not make up his mind to rest; he saw the -light put in the north window to guide him, and he caught a glimpse -of a pale, anxious face behind the window-pane, and knew that it -was his mother who was waiting for him. And yet those last fifty -feet seemed miles to his tired and aching legs. When he reached the -front door, his dog Yutul jumped up on him in his joy and knocked -him flat down in the snow; and oh, what an effort it took to rise! -But no sooner had he regained his feet, than he felt a pair of arms -flung about his neck and he sank, half laughing, half crying, into -his mother’s embrace. - -“Cheer up, laddie,” he heard someone saying. “Ye are a fine chap -and a brave one!” - -He knew his father’s voice; but he did not look up; he was yet -child enough to feel happiest in his mother’s arms. - -One of the most popular winter sports in Norway is skee-racing. A -steep hill is selected by the committee which is to have charge -of the race, and all the best skee-runners in the district enter -their names, eager to engage in the contest. The track is cleared -of all accidental obstructions, but if there happens to be a stone -or wooden fence crossing it, the snow is dug away on the lower -side of it and piled up above it. The object is to obtain what -is called a “jump.” The skee-runner, of course, coming at full -speed down the slope will slide out over this “jump,” shooting -right out into the air and coming down either on his feet or any -other convenient portion of his anatomy, as the case may be. To -keep one’s footing, and particularly to prevent the _skees_ from -becoming crossed while in the air, are the most difficult feats -connected with skee-racing; and it is no unusual thing to see even -an excellent skee-runner plunging headlong into the snow, while -his _skees_ pursue an independent race down the track and tell the -spectators of his failure. Properly speaking, a skee-race is not -a race--not a test of speed, but a test of skill; for two runners -rarely start simultaneously, as, in case one of them should fall, -the other could not possibly stop, and might not even have the -time to change his course. He would thus be in danger of running -into his competitor, and could hardly avoid maiming him seriously. -If there were several parallel tracks, at a distance of twenty to -thirty feet from each other, there would, of course, be less risk -in having the runners start together. Usually, a number fall in -the first run, and those who have not fallen then continue the -contest until one gains the palm. If, as occasionally happens, the -competition is narrowed down to two, who are about evenly matched, -a proposal to run without staves is apt to result in a decisive -victory for one or the other. - -It can hardly be conceived how exciting these contests are, not -only to the skee-runners themselves, but also to the spectators, -male and female, who gather in groups along the track and cheer -their friends as they pass, waving their handkerchiefs, and -greeting with derisive cries the mishaps which are inseparable -from the sport. Prizes are offered, such as rifles, watches, fine -shooting equipments, etc., and in almost every valley in the -interior of Norway there are skee-runners who, in consequence of -this constant competition, have attained a skill which would seem -almost incredible. As there are but two things essential to a -skee-race, viz.: a hill and snow, I can see no reason why the sport -should not in time become as popular in the United States as it -is in Norway. We have snow enough, certainly, in the New England -and Western States; neither are hills rare phenomena. If I should -succeed in interesting any large number of boys in these States in -skee-running, I should feel that I had conferred a benefit upon -them, and added much to their enjoyment of winter. But before -taking leave of them, let me give them two pieces of parting -advice: 1. Be sure your staff is strong, and do not be hasty in -throwing it away. 2. Never slide down a hill on a highway, or any -hard, icy surface. It is only in the open fields and woods and in -dry snow that _skees_ are useful. - - - - -THE SKERRY OF SHRIEKS. - - -I. - -People live even within the Polar Circle, although grown-up folks -are apt to think it a poor sort of life. But to boys the “land of -the midnight sun” is a veritable paradise. Every season of the year -has its own kind of sport; and as schoolmasters are rare birds so -far north, the boys are to a great extent left to follow their -own devices until they are old enough to be sent away to school -in the cities. From morning till night the air is filled with a -screaming host of birds, which whirl in through the fiords like an -approaching snow-storm. The eider-ducks lie gently bobbing upon -the water, the black surf-scoters dive in the surf and make short -work of the young whiting, and the puffins sit in long soldier-like -rows on the rocks, and plunge headlong into the sea at the first -signal of danger. In this glorious region the fish and fowl from -all quarters of the globe seem to have appointed an annual meeting -about New Year’s; and the Norwegian peasants, who are dependent -upon the inhabitants of the sea and the air for their living, are -on the lookout for them, and hasten to the coast to give them a -fitting reception. - -Harry Winchester’s motive, however, for visiting the Arctic -wonderland was quite a different one. He had made the acquaintance -of the Birk boys during the previous summer, and he had struck up -a warm friendship with one of them, named Magnus. His parents, -who lived in New York, had permitted him to accept the invitation -of Mr. Birk to spend the winter with his sons, and Harry was so -completely fascinated with the sports and adventures which every -day offered in abundance that he would have liked to prolong his -stay indefinitely. - -Hasselrud, the estate of the Birks, was a fine, old-fashioned -mansion, which peeped out from the dense foliage of chestnut and -maple trees. Mr. Birk conducted a large business in fish and -lumber, and manned every year several boats and sent them to the -Lofoten fisheries. His three sons, Olaf, Magnus, and Edwin, were -brisk and courageous lads, who had been accustomed to danger from -their earliest years, and could handle a gun and manage a sail -as well as any man in that region. Olaf was nineteen years old, -and wore the uniform of a midshipman in the navy, and by courtesy -was styled lieutenant; Magnus, who was sixteen, was a fair-faced, -curly-headed lad, with frank blue eyes, a straight, handsome nose, -and a singular talent for getting into mischief. Edwin was but -twelve years old; but, as he does not figure conspicuously in this -narrative, there is no need of describing him. But altogether the -most important person at Hasselrud, next to Mr. Birk, was Grim -Hering-Luck, a hoary, bow-legged fisherman, who was Mr. Birk’s -right-hand man and captain of his boat-guild. Grim had a stern, -deep-wrinkled face, framed in a wreath of grayish whiskers. He -had small, piercing eyes, and bushy, gray-sprinkled hair. On his -head he wore a sou’wester. The seat and knees of his trousers and -the elbows of his coat were adorned with great shiny patches of -leather. The leathern girdle about his waist did not quite fulfil -its duties as suspenders, but allowed the trousers to slip down -on his hips, leaving some four inches of shirt visible under the -border of the waistcoat. Grim was a gruff old customer, but it -was commonly believed that his bark was worse than his bite. He -liked the bright American boy better than he cared to confess, -and therefore neglected no opportunity for quarrelling with him. -In fact, everybody admired Harry’s enterprising spirit and was -entertained by his lively talk. Olaf was fairly dazzled by his -knowledge and experience of the world, and little Edwin copied his -walk and his picturesque recklessness to the extent of his small -ability; but among all the family there was no one who was more -ardently attached to Harry than Magnus. The two were inseparable; -from morning till night they roamed about together, setting traps -for hares and ptarmigan, spearing trout in the shallows of the -river, trawling for mackerel in the salt water, and sometimes -tacking in and out of the fiord in a furious gale. At such times, -however, they were sure to have Grim in the boat, and Grim was a -capital man to have in a boat in case of an emergency. Thus they -spent the beautiful autumn months until the November storms began -to blow, the snow began to fall, and the air, when they looked out -the fiord, was thick and the sky threatening. The great trees bent -in agony and howled in the blast with voices of despair. Then Grim -would begin to investigate and to mend the nets which hung in long -festoons along the walls of the boat-houses, and, with his friendly -grunt, he would say in reply to Magnus’ queries: - -“Wal, Mester Yallertop, the Lord he looks out fer them as they look -out fer themselves. He puts the cod in the sea, but I never heared -of his puttin’ it in yer mouth fer ye. He made the land poor up -here, but he made the sea rich, jest fer to make the average right -in the end. He lets ye starve like a toothless rat if ye have a -taste fer starvin’. But thar ain’t no call for anybody to starve -here north, ef he can bait a hook and ain’t afeared of bein’ late -to his funeral.” - -“Being late to your own funeral, Grim!” Magnus would exclaim, in -amazement; “how can a man be late to his funeral?” - -“Wal, now, Mester Yallertop, that I’ll tell ye. Fur that ain’t no -uncommon case here north. Suppose ye go out in the mornin’ with -the fishin’ fleet, and it blows up right lively, and ye don’t -never come back again. Then after a week or so the parson reads -the sarvice over yer name and prays fer ye, and the next mornin’, -likely as not, yer legs drift ashore, quite independent-like, jest -because the cod found yer tarred top-boots indergestible.” - -“And do such things ever happen, Grim?” the boy would ask, -shuddering at the ghastly picture which his friend’s words -suggested. - -“Do they ever happen? Wal, I reckon they do. I might jest mention -to ye that I ain’t in the habit of tellin’ no lies. My father--God -ha’e mercy on his soul--he sent only his legs fur to represent -him at his funeral; and my grandfather--wal, the cod turned the -tables on him; he had meant to eat them, but--it ain’t no use bein’ -squeamish about it--they ate him. It war in the great storm of the -11th of February, 1848, when five hundred fisherman cheated the -parson out of his funeral fees.” - -“How terrible, Grim! How can you go to the fisheries every winter, -when both your father and your grandfather lost their lives there?” - -“Wal, now ye are puzzlin’ me, Mester Magnus,” Grim replied, -taking his clay pipe from the corner of his mouth, and looking up -seriously from his labor; “but I’ll tell ye a yarn I heared when I -was young. I reckon it is true, because I have never heared nobody -say it warn’t. Some city chap axed a fisherman purty much what ye -have axed me, and the fisherman says, says he: ‘Whar did yer father -die?’ ‘Why, he expired peacefully in his bed,’ said the city chap. -‘And yer grandfather?’ axed the fisherman. ‘Wal, he had jest the -same luck,’ says the city chap. ‘And yer great-grandfather?’ ‘He, -too, turned up his toes in the same style.’ ‘Wal, now,’ says the -fisherman, ‘if I were you I wouldn’t never go to bed again, sence -all yer forbears come to their death in it.’ Now, I reckon that is -the way with all of us. Ef the Lord wants us he will know whar to -find us, wharsoever we be.” - -When the Christmas holidays, with all their old-fashioned -hospitality and sports, were over the question was seriously -debated whether the boys should be permitted to accompany Grim and -the housemen (tenants) to the Lofoten fisheries. It was decided -that three boats should be manned, and Grim was as usual elected -captain of the whole guild. The “tokens” had been uncommonly good -this year, and a profitable fishery was expected. Mr. Birk, who -well knew the dangers connected with this enterprise, was very -unwilling to let the boys start out in the open boats, and suffer -the discomforts which were inseparable from the life on these -barren islands, where thousands of people were huddled together -in booths and shanties, and quarrels and fights were the order -of the day. Harry, however, argued that such an experience would -scarcely offer itself to him a second time in his life, and that -it was easy to avoid danger while still observing all that was -interesting and instructive in the lives of the people. Olaf and -Magnus, too, added their powers of persuasion to those of Harry, -and in the end Mr. Birk (after enjoining a hundred precautions) -had to yield, stipulating only that Edwin should remain at home. -Grim promised to keep a careful look-out over the movements of the -boys, but he refused to be responsible for their safety, because, -as he remarked, “they were too lively a lot to be controlled by a -stiff-legged old crab like himself.” - -It was a gray morning in January that the long eight oared boats -were made ready, the chests containing provisions and clothes were -placed in the stern, and the sails with a rattling noise flew up -and bulged before the wind. The sky had a peculiar whitish-gray -color, which has always an ominous look and promises squalls. Yet -it was a glorious sensation to feel the boats shooting away over -the crests of the waves, dashing the spray like smoke about them -and yielding like living things to the slightest prompting of the -rudder. Grim himself sat in the stern of the first boat, which the -boys had named “The Cormorant,” holding the tiller in his left hand -and the sheet in his right. Magnus had found a rather elevated seat -in the prow, from whence he could observe the captain’s manœuvres -and take lessons in seamanship. Harry and Olaf sat on the middle -bench, watching the horizon and seeing the squalls dash down from -the mountains and sweep their trails of smoke across the fiord. - -“It must be dangerous sailing here, Grim,” Harry observed, uneasily. - -“It ain’t no joke--fer goslings,” answered Grim. - -“I should think, on the whole, it would be more comfortable for -goslings than for men,” retorted Harry, carelessly. “They wouldn’t -mind a ducking half as much as I should.” - -“If ye are afeard just say so, and I’ll put ye ashore,” said Grim, -sternly. - -“Afraid!” said Harry, indignantly; “not much, old man; guess I can -give you odds any day if you want to try my courage.” - -“I want to try ef ye can hold your tongue,” was the captain’s -ungracious reply. “I ain’t much for gassin’ on the water.” - -Harry, thinking that perhaps the situation was graver than he -supposed, failed to resent the snub, and fell again to watching -the horizon. They shot away at a tearing speed over the waves, and -sometimes “The Cormorant” careened heavily to leeward and shipped -a sea, but Grim still made no motion to reef the sail. The other -Hasselrud boats, which had kept bravely in the wake of their -leader, were now falling behind, and the blinding spray often hid -them completely from sight. The fiord was growing wider, and the -long “ground swell” showed that they were nearing the ocean. The -stormy petrel was seen skimming lightly, half flying, half running, -over the tops of the billows, and her shrill scream pierced like -a sharp instrument through the deep bass of the wind. The boats -round about them multiplied, and a whole fleet of reddish-brown -sails was seen steering toward the Lofoten Islands. The day passed -without any incident, and when about three o’clock in the afternoon -the darkness came rolling in like a gray curtain from the west, -Grim put into port and the boys devoured between them a five-pound -cod, whereupon they all crawled into the same bunk in a fisherman’s -lodging-house and slept the sleep of the just. - -The next morning they were aroused before daybreak, and after -a frugal repast of coffee and sandwiches were hurried into the -boat. The wide ocean now stretched out before them, rolling with -a mighty thundering rhythm against the rock-bound coast. A light -mist was hovering over the water, but the wind was fair, and -hundreds of boats were already scudding northward toward the rich -fishing-banks. As soon as the fog rose and was scattered, the -invisible sun sent a faint semblance of light up among the low -clouds, and immediately thousands of gulls and auks and cormorants -were on the wing, and whirled with a wild confusion of screams in -the wake of the fishing-fleet. When toward noon the wind slackened -a little, Magnus swung out a trawling-line and had almost in the -same moment a bite which sent the line whizzing over the gunwale. - -“Gracious! I am afraid I have caught a whale,” he shouted, standing -up in the boat, and holding on to the line with all his might; but -being unable to keep his footing, he flung himself prone across the -row-bench and would inevitably have been pulled overboard if Harry -and Olaf had not caught hold of him by the legs and told him to let -the line go. - -“You remind me of the Englishman at the siege of Quebec who had -caught three Frenchmen,” said Harry. “I should say it was the -whale who had caught you, in the present case, if a whale it is. -Now _I_ am going to try my luck,” he added, seizing the wooden -frame to which the line was attached just as it was about to fly -overboard. He braced himself against the mast and flung his body -backward, but the line cut into his hands so terribly that he had -to cry for help. Then Olaf was promptly at his side, and by their -united efforts they succeeded in hauling in a couple of fathoms; -but it was not until one of the boatmen added his strength to -theirs that they made any sensible headway. Great was their delight -when, at the end of five minutes, they caught sight of an enormous -halibut, weighing some forty or fifty pounds, but, as well might be -imagined, it was no easy job to get such a monster into the boat -without upsetting it. The only way was evidently to tire him out -until he lost all power of resistance, and as he had swallowed the -metal bait with tremendous vim there was no danger of his escaping. - -It was well on toward evening when they put into harbor on the -northern coast of Lofoten, where they were to remain while the -fisheries lasted. An endless double row of boats stretched -along the shore, and behind these the so-called “Hjælder,” or -drying-houses, rose in gaunt perspective against the dark sky. -Thousands of boats were drawn up along the whole beach, and the -smell of fish pervaded the air and seemed even to be borne in on -the ocean breeze. Grim, followed by all the men from the three -boats, marched up to the Hasselrud booth, which he unlocked, -and ordered the temporary cook to make a fire on the hearth and -to prepare supper. It was a large empty room, one wall of which -was occupied by the hearth and two by rows of bunks, one above -the other, resembling the berths in the steerage of an immigrant -steamer. It looked cheerless, and the boys, whose expectations -had pictured to them something quite different, shivered at the -sight of the bare and sooty walls. Nevertheless when the fire had -been lighted, and a couple of burning pine knots stuck into the -wall, they took heart again and determined to make the best of the -situation. - -The next morning at daybreak they jumped into their clothes, -pulling complete oil-cloth suits on the outside of their ordinary -garments. Then fastening their yellow sou’westers under their -chins, they surveyed each other with undisguised looks of -admiration and began to feel like real fishermen. The breakfast was -swallowed in haste, and they scarcely noticed how the hot coffee -scalded their mouths, so eager were they to be off. Nevertheless, -as they had no nets to draw as yet, they delayed their departure -for several hours. It was a raw, cold morning, but the signals -at the government station indicated fair but blustery weather. -The whole fleet had already started, and the Hasselrud boats were -among the last to set sail for the fishing-banks. It was glorious -to see the wide ocean studded, as far as the eye could reach, with -swelling sails, and the air filled for miles with a screaming host -of great, white-winged sea-birds. Round about the whales were -spouting, shooting columns of water into the gray light of the -morning: and the auks were rocking upon the waves, and vanishing, -quick as a flash, as soon as a boat approached them. The fresh -sea-breeze blew into the faces of the three boys, and they felt -like Norse Vikings of the olden time starting out in search of -fame and adventures. It was about twelve o’clock when they arrived -at the fishing-banks; the sails were lowered and the nets sunk by -means of lead sinkers and stones attached to their lower edge. -Wooden floats, similarly attached to their upper edge, held them -in position in the water. Grim sat, grave and imperturbable, in -the stern, issuing his commands in a voice which rose high above -the rushing of the water and the whizzing of the wind, and every -man obeyed with a promptness as if his life depended upon it. The -sea was so packed with cod that the nets often stopped, gliding -slowly over the backs of the fishes, and being again arrested by -the myriads of finny creatures below. Often the same net had to be -taken up and disentangled several times before it made its way to -the bottom. The water was thick with spawn, which clung in long -gelatinous ropes to the blades of the oars, and doubled their -weight to the rowers. The boys, leaning out over the gunwale, could -see the huge male cods winding themselves onward through the dense -throngs of females which stood still with their noses against the -current, moving their fins, and shedding their spawn. It seemed a -positive mercy to haul up a million or so of them, just to make -room for the rest. - -“I understand now,” exclaimed Harry, “how the Canadians managed -to cheat us out of so much money--six millions, more or less, I -think--because we had encroached upon their fishing-grounds. I -would myself pay a good round sum for sport like this; and the joke -of it is that you are making money at it and have all the fun in -the bargain.” - -“And have ye fisheries in America too, lad?” Grim asked, with -visible interest, as he let the last float slip from his hand. - -“Have we got fisheries in America? Well, I should say we had, old -man,” said Harry, fired with patriotic ardor. “You just tell me -what we haven’t got in America. If you’ll come over and see I shall -be happy to entertain you.” - -“Ye are safe in invitin’ me, lad,” Grim retorted, biting a quid -from his roll of tobacco. “A purty figger an old sea-dog like me -would make in your ma’s carpeted parlor.” - -Harry in his heart admitted the force of this remark, and he -laughed to himself at the thought of Grim’s ungainly form seated in -one of his mother’s spindle-legged blue satin chairs; but, for all -that, he liked Grim too much to wish to offend him, and therefore -stuck bravely to his invitation, insisting that it was sincerely -meant. As they were amicably squabbling, the sun suddenly burst -forth, and flung its dazzling radiance upon the ocean. The noise of -the sea-birds grew louder, making the vast vault of the sky alive -with countless varieties of screams. The fishes leaped, the whales -spouted lustily, the stormy petrel danced over the crests of the -billows; thousands of boats lay bobbing up and down on the waves, -while the lines were being baited; a thousand voices shouted to -each other from boat to boat; oars and rudders rattled, and the -wind sang in the mast-tops. It was a scene which once seen could -never be forgotten. - - -II. - -Long before the Hasselrud men had their lines set the whole fleet -had rowed back toward land. But Grim’s boat-guild, which had just -arrived, and had as yet no nets to draw, lingered for a while -eating their dinner, which they had brought with them in the boats. -They chatted and told stories about Draugen, the sea-bogey, who -rows in a half boat, and whose scream sounds terribly through -the tempest. Any man who sees him knows that he will never see -land again. Draugen is only out in the worst weather; he has a -sou’wester on his head, his face is white and ghastly as death -itself, and his empty eye-sockets have no eyes in them. The boys -shuddered at the horrible picture which was conjured up before -them, and it was a relief to them when the time came for pulling up -the lines, and the great codfishes were hauled sprawling into the -boat; each one had plenty to do now in cutting out the hooks and -in winding the lines upon their frames. A smart gale had sprung up -while they were thus engaged, and Grim began to look wistfully at -the lurid sunset. - -“The sun draws water,” he said; “that means lively weather. Hoist -the sails, lads, and let us turn our noses shoreward.” - -He had hardly uttered his command when a thick curtain seemed to be -drawn across the face of the sun, and the sea became black as ink. - -“Clew up the sail!” he shouted, in a voice of thunder; “we are in -for it.” - -With a roar as of a chorus of cataracts the storm advanced, lashing -the water into smoke which whirled heavenward, making the sky dense -as night. The masts creaked, the boats tore away with a frantic -speed, and the waves rose mountain-high, with steep, black gulfs -between them. - -“Cap’n,” one of the men ventured to remonstrate, “are we not -carryin’ too much sail?” - -Grim deigned him no reply, but, with a sharp turn of the tiller, -ran The Cormorant closer to the wind. Forward bounded the boat, -cleaving the coming wave with a blow of her bows which made her -timbers groan. The spray was dashed fathoms high, and would -have drenched every man on board if his oil-skins had not been -water-tight. Of the other boats only two were visible, and it was -splendid to see how they rose out of one sea, until half the length -of their keels were visible, then buried their noses in the next, -while great sheets of foam splashed on either side, and were torn -into shreds by the gale. - -“This is rather lively work, I should say,” remarked the -midshipman. “I think I should prefer a man-of-war to The Cormorant -in this sort of weather.” - -“I confess to a weakness for Cunarders,” said Harry; “yet I dare -say I shall enjoy this affair well enough when we get safely -ashore.” - -“You mean _if_ we get safely ashore,” said Magnus, quietly. “This -has rather an ugly look to me. Though I dare say Grim knows what he -is about.” - -He had scarcely spoken when a harsh voice bellowed, “Lay hold of -the mast, lads!” and in the same moment they seemed to be flung to -a dizzying height; a huge wave towered in front, showing a white -whirling top which seemed on the point of breaking right over them. -They had just time to clasp the mast when the boat, lying flat on -her side, pressed down by her weight of canvas, plunged her nose -into this mountain of water, but by some astonishing manœuvre -righted herself, slid down within another black hollow, and again -rose high on the crest of another wave. - -“All hands bail!” roared the captain. - -The command came not a moment too soon; the water was rushing in -from the leeward, and the flying wreaths of foam struck the boy’s -faces with a terrible force and made them smart furiously. - -“Grim! Grim!” shouted Olaf, making himself heard with a difficulty -above the storm, “you are carrying too much sail.” - -“Hold your tongue, gosling,” Grim thundered back; “we have got -nothin’ but the sail fer to save us.” - -“What point are you making for?” - -“The Bird Islands.” - -“I thought there was no harbor there.” - -“Reckon ye be right.” - -“Gracious heavens!” cried Olaf, turning a terrified countenance -toward his comrades; “he means to wreck the boat; but he knows what -he is about. There is no other chance.” - -He sat for a moment silent, gazing up into the cloud rack which -scudded along at a furious rate before the wind. Strips of -storm-riven sky, with momentary vistas of blue, were now and then -visible, but vanished again, making the dusk more dismal by their -memory. - -“Breakers ahead!” shouted Olaf, “look out!” - -“I see a black ridge against the sky,” cried Harry; “now it is gone -again!” - -He was going to say more, but the wind came with a howling screech -and forced his breath down his throat. He gasped, and as the boat -gave a tremendous lurch, diving down into a black hollow, he could -only cling to the base of the mast, lest the next tumble might toss -him overboard. The sound of a steady rhythmic roar rose and fell -upon the air, and made them strain their eyes in the direction from -which it was coming. - -“Why, Grim, you are steering away from the island,” Magnus -screamed, pointing to the black ridge which was, once more, for a -moment revealed. - -“He means to land us on the leeward side,” Olaf bawled in his -brother’s ear; “the chances are that the water is there a bit -smoother.” - -To reach the leeward side was, however, a task which required -no mean order of seamanship. The distance was too short for -tacking, and moreover the water was filled with blind rocks and -skerries which made the approach tenfold dangerous. It seemed to -the unskilled eyes of the boys that for nearly half an hour The -Cormorant was tumbling aimlessly upon the waves, shipping seas -which it was a wonder did not swamp her, and righting herself, -as by a miracle, when again and again she seemed on the point of -capsizing. And yet all these wonderful feats were only the result -of the coolest calculation and the most consummate skill. - -Just as they were clearing the hidden skerries at the western point -of the island the wind veered a point to the north, but did not -fall off perceptibly. The spray rose from the shore like a dense -and blinding smoke, and in the depths of every black abyss which -opened before them death’s jaws seemed to be yawning. Harry closed -his eyes; and though he was no coward, his heart failed him. - -“What is the use of fighting any longer?” he said to Magnus, who -was lying at his side, clinging like him to the mast; “we are going -to the bottom, any way. The archangel Gabriel himself couldn’t land -us on this shore, with all the heavenly hosts to assist him.” - -“But Grim is a better sailor than Gabriel,” Magnus replied, quite -unconscious of his joke. “He knows every inch of the bottom here -from the time he was a boy and used to row out here and gather -eider-down. He has told me about it often. If I were you I wouldn’t -give up yet.” - -“All right, old fellow,” Harry answered, taking heart once more. “I -am ready for anything. But I am an unlucky chap--a sort of a Jonah, -who has a talent for getting into scrapes. I shouldn’t wonder if, -in case you threw me overboard, the storm would fall off and you -might sail home in comfortable fashion.” - -“We mean to go overboard, all of us, in a few minutes,” Magnus -retorted, hugging Harry tightly with his left arm, which he had -freed for that purpose. “Now I am going to propose something to -you. Let us tie ourselves together with a rope so that each may -help the other; and we may either live or perish together.” - -“I am afraid you would be the loser by that arrangement,” his -friend exclaimed. “You are a good deal stronger than I am, and you -will need every bit of your strength if you are to plow your way -through those awful breakers.” - -Magnus, instead of answering, slipped the end of a rope about -Harry’s waist and secured it tightly; the other end he tied about -his own waist, although he came near losing his balance, and going -headlong over the gunwale. The Cormorant had now slipped around -to the leeward side of the island, where, under the shelter of -the steep rock, the water was a trifle less tumultuous. And yet a -gigantic surf was running and the undertow on the steeply sloping -bottom seemed strong enough to take an elephant off his feet. The -wind yelled and screeched from the top of the towering rock, and -rushed down in thundering eddies on the leeward side. If it had -not been for a momentary clearing of the sky, which showed the -position of the breakers and the outline of the shore, it would -have been madness to risk landing; and even as it was, the chance -of being dashed to pieces against the rocks seemed altogether to -preponderate. But Grim apparently took a different view of the -situation; as long as the sail was whole and the boat true to her -rudder he saw no cause for despair. - -“Now, lads,” he roared, hoarsely, “steady on yer shanks. No -chicken-hearted chap among ye! Uncoil the rope! Thar’s a bit of -sandy beach thar--sixty or a hundred feet wide. If we be in luck -we’ll be thar in a minute.” - -The ridge of the island was now half visible against the dark -horizon, but the beach below was wrapped in a dense smoke, through -which came glimpses of the black jagged rock. - -“Almighty Lord! thar’s a skerry ahead,” screamed one of the -boatmen, as the retreating surf broke with a wild uproar over the -hidden rock and rose like a mighty water-spout against the sky. -There was a moment of breathless suspense. Each man seemed to hear -the beating of the other’s heart. As the boat was flung upward -again on the next wave, the wind gave a frantic shriek; the mast -bent forward under the terrible strain. The incoming surf buried -the skerry under a mountain of towering water, and high upon its -crest The Cormorant rode triumphant, only to be hurled from its -crest, fairly shooting through the air, upon the beach. - -“Jump overboard!” bellowed Grim, and seizing Magnus in his arms he -leaped from the stern just as the boat struck the sand and broke -into fragments. Every man followed his example; but the undertow -swept them off their feet. Still Grim stood like a rock, holding -with his gigantic strength the rope to the other end of which Harry -was attached. Once he tottered, and if he had had sand under his -feet he would have been dragged down by his double burden. But by -a lucky chance he had planted his heels upon a bowlder which rose -slightly out of the surf. When the wildest force of the wave had -been exhausted he sprang up on the beach, depositing Magnus and -the half-unconscious Harry beyond the reach of the waves. Back he -rushed again to his former station, just as one of the boatmen, who -had momentarily regained his footing, was scrambling up toward him. - -“I am tied to the rope,” shouted the man; “someone is tugging at -it.” - -“Hand it to me,” commanded Grim. - -The man struggled to his feet and planted himself resolutely at his -captain’s side. All this was the work of a moment. With the next -incoming wave, which was happily much smaller than the preceding -one, four men were flung up on the sand; but they seemed half dead, -and made no effort to save themselves. Grim, who thought he saw a -glimmer of brass buttons in the water, dashed forward and seized -Olaf by the collar, just as he would have been sucked back by the -undertow. He bore him up on the shore, while the boatman came -dragging two of his unconscious comrades out of the roaring surf. -One was still missing; but as the next wave that broke in tumult at -their feet showed no trace of him, they knew that he was beyond the -reach of human help. - -The work of resuscitating the men was a long and tedious one; but -Grim and Magnus both worked with their hearts in their throats, yet -with a resolution which scorned fatigue. Harry revived the moment -they had poured a glass of brandy down his throat, and he soon -recovered his spirits and volunteered his help. But the midshipman -was both badly battered and had swallowed a quantity of water; and -it was only after long and persistent efforts on Grim’s part that -his breath came back to him. Their next thought was of fire; for -the wind was raw and chill, and the last glimmer of daylight was -vanishing. The problem, however, was a serious one, for there was -not a tree growing on the island, except perhaps a few stunted -juniper shrubs up in the crevices of the rocks. And to get at these -in the dark was no easy undertaking. Nor was their situation in -other respects an enviable one. Above them loomed the black cliff, -and the surf was thundering at their feet. And there they were -sitting, huddled together in a heap to keep each other warm, and -yet shivering in their wet clothes, and thinking with horror of -the long hours of the night which must pass before they could be -rescued. - -“Lads,” cried Magnus, suddenly extricating himself from Harry and -Olaf’s embrace, “I am the only one of you who is not wet to the -skin, and I am going to explore this island and see if we can’t -scare up some fuel. To sit here hugging each other in the dark is a -dismal sort of business, and I am not so affectionately disposed as -the rest of you.” - -“A mighty peart chap ye be, lad,” Grim said, raising his tall -figure out of the group; “but ye had better let me crawl ahead, and -ye keep astern o’ me. I know summat o’ the island and ye don’t know -nothin’.” - -“I’ll keep abreast of you, Grim,” Magnus replied, “but your stern -would obscure my view; so take your bearings and let’s be off.” - -“Ye be a mighty lively customer,” Grim grumbled, admiringly, giving -the boy a caressing pat in the dark. - -They had scarcely crawled fifty yards up the beach when their -fumbling hands touched something cold and clammy, which felt like -the nose of some aquatic animal. There came immediately a little -chorus of whining barks, which was followed by a great flapping, as -if something broad and wet struck against the stones. - -“Thunder and lightning, Grim,” cried Magnus, “what sort of beasts -are these?” - -“A herd of seals,” answered Grim, quietly; “it was funny I didn’t -think o’ them. Here we have got our fuel.” - -In the same moment a cold nose was stuck right into Magnus’ face -and he tumbled backward, scarcely knowing how to return the -unexpected caress. - -“Draw yer knives, lads,” shouted Grim to the men, “a herd of seals -is a comin’ right upon ye.” - -The seals were now in full flight, rolling, tumbling, and pushing -themselves on over the smooth sand. They instinctively knew, even -in the dark, the way to the water, and they thus came plump down -upon the shipwrecked men, who had arisen in response to Grim’s call -and were ready to give them a warm reception. In the storm and the -fright of the sudden attack the keen scent of the animals scarcely -served them at all. They rushed right down upon their enemies, and -within a few minutes fully a dozen of them lay gasping and bleeding -upon the beach. The rest plunged into the surf, where their -plaintive bark was heard as they battled with the raging sea. - -Grim and Magnus in the meanwhile pushed on, groping their way over -the slippery bowlders, and keeping close together so as to help -each other in case of accident. But the farther they climbed the -steeper grew the rock, and as far as they could ascertain by their -sense of touch there was no sign of vegetation. - -“Now look sharp, lad,” cried Grim, warningly. - -“Look sharp!” repeated Magnus, “how am I to look sharp when it is -as dark as pitch about me?” - -“Right ye be, lad, right ye be,” the other retorted; “ye be a smart -chap and a peart one. But don’t ye lay hold o’ nothin’ here before -ye know it is rock. Thar be thousands o’ birds here on the lee’ard -side when thar be a storm from the north; and ef ye mistook a gull -or a cormorant fer somethin’ solid ye might tumble down and break -yer precious neck. Mark ye my word, chap, thar will be a mighty -lively hubbub here in a couple o’ minutes.” - -Grim had hardly uttered this prophecy when Magnus felt something -feathery under his touch, and in the same instant there came a -piercing scream and a powerful wing dealt him a blow across the -bridge of his nose. Immediately there commenced a wild chorus of -screams and chattering protest, as if the more sober-minded birds -were deprecating this senseless uproar. Magnus thought, too, that -he heard his name called from below, but the deafening thunder -of the surf and the noise of the birds drowned all other sounds, -and he concluded that he had been deceived. It was a terrible -sensation, all these invisible wings flapping about him in the -dark; unseen bodies precipitated against him and tumbling blindly -about him with a murderous tumult from a thousand discordant -voices. He raised his elbows above his head to protect himself from -the blind assaults and the perpetual beating of wings. It hardly -occurred to him to assume the offensive until he heard Grim’s voice -shouting to him: - -“Draw yer knife, lad, and make it lively fer them screamin’ -rascals. Their down is worth money and they’ve got blubber as -thick as a seal’s. Give ’em no odds, I tell ye, my laddie.” - -Magnus followed this advice promptly. He drew his knife, and fought -with a will, thrusting and striking right and left, and hearing -the great birds tumbling about him down the steep sides of the -rock. He had been thus occupied for a few minutes when suddenly, -to his unutterable amazement, a great blaze rose from the strand -below, lighting up the barren wall of the cliff, and showing him -how narrow the ledge was upon which he was sitting. It was a superb -spectacle, too, to see the whirling host of gulls, auks, and -cormorants eddying wildly about his head, the great black cliff -looming up above him, and the spray of the surf spouting, with -angry brawl, high up into the nocturnal air. - -“Hurrah! lad,” yelled Grim, through the ear-splitting noise and -confusion, “I war a blasted fool not to think on it. They be -a-burnin’ the wreck.” - -The descent was a much easier affair than the ascent; for the light -of the fire below blazed up every now and then and enabled them to -see where they were treading. They picked up between them several -dozen birds, of nearly half as many varieties, and flung them down -before the fire, where the company were now seated in comparative -comfort, warming their stiffened limbs. Two of the boatmen were -engaged in skinning the seals and cutting off the blubber, which, -after squeezing out the blood, they flung into the fire. Soon the -oil began to ooze out, and, flowing over the wood, burned with a -clear and strong flame. - -“I am going to make myself comfortable, fellows,” said Harry, who -was looking very pale and chilly after his involuntary bath; “and -if you don’t mind it, I’ll make a scarf of this big duck. She fits -very nicely about my throat, though she won’t accommodate herself -to the bow-knot. This little one I am going to stuff down my bosom. -She feels so deliciously warm and downy! I tell you,” he went -on, with emphasis, suiting his actions to his words, “I mean to -patent this invention, when I get back home, as an infallible cure -for rheumatism, toothache, consumption, chillblains, corns, and -kidney disease. I am going to call it Winchester’s In-_w_incible -_W_ivifier. That will sound well and catch the public eye. I was -about ready to give up the ghost awhile ago, and now I feel quite -jolly.” - -He stretched himself luxuriously on the windward side of the fire, -arranged half a dozen ducks and auks under his head as a pillow, -and closed his eyes. Magnus and Olaf soon followed his example, -each tying a big gull about his throat, and feeling a grateful -warmth creeping through their half-frozen bodies. The men had the -good luck to find a bunch of drift-wood large enough to keep the -fire going until morning, and to satisfy their hunger they roasted -a piece of seal-flesh, which, in spite of its oily flavor, tasted -better than they had expected. When Grim saw that the boys were -asleep he covered them carefully with his own oil-skin clothes, -while he himself kept marching up and down on the beach to keep his -blood in motion. After midnight the wind shifted suddenly to the -west and fell off gradually, the clouds were scattered, and the -moon sailed calmly through the dark-blue sky. - -The three boys slept soundly after their terrible hardships, and -the eastern sky was already bright with the dawn when they opened -their eyes. The whole screaming colony of birds were again on the -wing, and whirled about the projecting crags of the cliff with wild -clamor. Several sails were already visible on the horizon and, -as soon as signals of distress were hoisted, steered toward the -island. Harry, who was ravenously hungry, made a courageous assault -upon the roasted seal-flesh, but after two futile attempts declared -that he was not sufficiently acclimated to relish such diet. If -necessity compelled him, he preferred to roast his boots, and to -use the seal-oil as gravy. - -“What do you say you call this island?” he asked Grim, who was -trotting at his side up and down on the sand. - -“The Bird Island,” answered Grim. - -“I should rather call it the ‘Skerry of Shrieks,’” said Harry; “for -in all my living days I have never heard a finer assortment of -varied yells than I heard here last night. It must be a jolly place -in summer, when the nights are light and the weather comfortable.” - -“It ain’t bad fer such as like it,” was Grim’s non-committal reply. - -“And do you know,” Magnus put in eagerly, “during the early fall -the island is quite covered with eider-ducks’ nests, so that you -can hardly move your feet without stepping into them. All those -little round depressions up on the slope there are such nests; and -thousands of dollars have been made here in times past by gathering -the down with which the eider-duck lines her nest; and it is even -possible during the brooding season to catch the bird alive and -pull the down from her breast; though I think that would be cruel, -as she probably needs all she has left after having picked herself -for the benefit of her young.” - -“The eider-duck must be very tame,” Harry observed. - -“Yes, it is very tame, indeed, because people rarely molest it,” -said Magnus; “the peasants have a kind of superstitious respect for -it, and they won’t allow anyone to kill it. It is very much the -same kind of feeling as they have for the swallow. They think a -misfortune will befall him who robs or pulls down a swallow’s nest.” - -Several boats were by this time within hailing distance, and they -were easily persuaded to run up and take the shipwrecked company -on board. They insisted, however, upon drawing their nets before -returning, and thus it happened that it was nearly noon before the -party set foot on shore. They now learned that a great many boats -besides their own had been wrecked during yesterday’s storm, and -that some fifty or sixty men had been drowned. Many dead bodies -were washed ashore during the day, and some were even drawn up in -the nets and sent home to their sorrowing widows. Sad, indeed, was -the sight of the little fleet of boats which sailed southward that -afternoon, each with a tarred pine box showing above its gunwales. -The three boys, although they would scarcely have admitted that -the disaster had discouraged them, concluded, after a short -consultation, that the experience they had already had of the -fisheries was an instructive one and would probably last them for -the remainder of their lives. They therefore, without much regret, -induced Grim to hoist the sails and pilot them safely home. - - - - -FIDDLE-JOHN’S FAMILY. - - -I. - -“Queer sort of chap that Fiddle-John is,” said the men, when -Fiddle-John went by. - -“Quaint sort o’ cr’atur’ is Fiddle-John,” echoed the women; “not -much in the providin’ line.” - -“A singular individual is that Violin-John,” said the parson; -“I can never make up my mind whether he is a worthless scamp or -a man of genius.” “Possibly both,” suggested the parson’s wife. -“Apartments to let,” remarked the daughter, tapping her forehead -significantly. - -“Hurrah! There is Fiddle-John,” cried the children, flocking -delightedly about him, clinging to his arms, his legs, and his -coat-tails. “Sing us a song, Fiddle-John! Tell us a story!” - -Then Fiddle-John would seat himself on a stone at the road-side, -while the children nestled about him; and he would tell them -stories about knights and ladies, and ogres, and princesses, and -all sorts of marvellous things. - -“Worthless fellow, that Fiddle-John,” said the passers-by; “there -he sits in the middle of the day talking nonsense to the children, -when he ought to be working for the support of his family.” - -It was perfectly true; Fiddle-John ought to have been working. -He would readily have admitted that himself. He was well aware -that his wife, Ingeborg, was at home, working like a trooper to -keep the family from starving. But then, somehow, Fiddle-John had -no taste for work, while Ingeborg had. He much preferred singing -songs and telling stories. And a very pretty picture he made, as -he sat there at the roadside, with his handsome, gentle face, his -large blue eyes, and his wavy blond hair, and the children nestling -about him, listening in wide-eyed wonder. There was something very -attractive about his face, with its mild, melancholy smile, and -a sort of diffident, questioning look in the eyes. He had an odd -habit of opening his mouth several times before he spoke, and then, -possibly, if his questioner’s face did not please him, he would -go away, having said nothing. And, after all, it was diffidence -and not insolence which prompted this action. It would never have -occurred to Fiddle-John to take a critical view of anybody; he -approved of all humanity in general, only he had an intuitive -suspicion when anyone was making fun of him, and in such cases he -found safety only in flight and silence. - -By profession Fiddle-John was a ballad-singer; a queer profession, -you will say, but nevertheless one which in Norway enjoys a certain -recognition. He had a voice which the angels might have envied -him--a clear and sweet tenor which rang through the depths of the -listener’s soul. Hearing that voice, it was impossible not to stay -and listen. The deputy sheriff, who once came to arrest Fiddle-John -for vagrancy, when Fiddle-John began to sing, sat and cried. It -came over him so “sorter queer,” he said. The parson, who had made -up his mind to give Fiddle-John a thundering reproof for neglect of -his family, the first time he should catch him, quite forgot his -sinister purpose when, one day, he saw the ballad-singer seated -under a large tree, with a dozen children climbing over him, and, -with rollicking laughter, tumbling and rolling about him. And when -Fiddle-John, having quieted his audience, took two little girls on -his lap, while the boys scrambled and fought for the places nearest -to him, the parson could not for the life of him recall the harsh -things he had meant to say to Fiddle-John. The fact was--though, of -course, it is scarcely fair to tell--the ballad which Fiddle-John -sang to the children reminded the parson of the time (now long ago) -when he was paying court to Mrs. Parson, and sometimes, on slight -provocation, dropped into poetry. - - “Thy cheeks are like the red, red rose, - Thy hands are like the lily.” - -These were the very extraordinary sentiments which the parson had, -at that remote period, professed toward Mrs. Parson, and these were -the very words which Fiddle-John was now singing. No wonder the -parson forgot that he had come to scold Fiddle-John. “I suppose -that such good-for-nothings may be good for something, after all,” -he said to his wife as he related the incident at the dinner-table. - -Fiddle-John and his family lived in a little cottage close up -under the mountain-side, where the sun did not reach until late in -the afternoon. In the winter they were sometimes snowed down so -completely that they had to work until noon before they could get -a glimpse of the sky. The two boys, Alf and Truls, would go early -in the morning with their snow-shovels and dig a tunnel to the -cow-stable, where a lonely cow, a pig, and three sheep were penned -up. Their father would then sit at the window, holding a lantern, -the light of which vaguely penetrated the darkness and showed -them in what direction they were digging; but, after awhile, this -monotonous occupation wearied him, and he would take his fiddle and -play the most mournful tunes he could think of. It never occurred -to him to lend a helping hand; and it never occurred to the boys to -ask him. - -They accepted their fate without much reasoning; it seemed part of -the right order of things that they and their mother should work, -while their father played and sang. Ingeborg, their mother, had -nursed a kind of tender reverence for him in their hearts, since -they were babes. He seemed scarcely part of the coarse and common -work-a-day world to which they belonged; with his gentle, handsome -face, and his clear blue eyes, he seemed like some superior being -who conferred a favor upon them by merely consenting to grant them -his company. His songs travelled from one end of the valley to -the other, and everybody learned them by heart and sang them at -weddings, dances, and funerals. Even though the parishioners might -themselves find fault with Fiddle-John, and call him quaint and -queer, they stood up for him bravely if a stranger ventured to -attack him. - -They knew there was not another such singer in the whole land, -and it was even said that people had come from foreign lands and -had made him enormous offers if he would go with them and sing -at concerts in the great foreign cities. Thousands of dollars he -might have earned if he had gone, but Fiddle-John knew better -than to abandon the valley of his birth, where he had been -known since his babyhood, and trust himself to the faithless -foreign world. Thousands of dollars! Only think of it! The very -thought made Fiddle-John dizzy; ten or twenty dollars would have -presented something definite to his imagination, which he would -have comprehended, but thousands of dollars was a blank enormity -which diffused itself like mist through his dazed brain. And yet -Fiddle-John could never stop thinking of the thousands of dollars -which he might have earned, if he had gone with the foreigner. If -the truth must be told, he himself would have liked well enough to -go; and it was only the persuasions of Ingeborg, his wife, which -had restrained him. “What could you do in the great foreign world, -John,” she had said to him; “you, with your want of book-learning -and your simple peasant ways? They would laugh at you, John, dear, -and that would make me cry, and we should both be miserable. And -all the little children here in the valley, what would they do -without you, and who would sing to them and tell them stories when -you were gone?” - -The last argument was what decided Fiddle-John, He did not believe -that people would laugh at him in the great foreign world, but he -did believe that the children would miss him when he was gone, -and he could not bear to think of someone else sitting under the -great maple-tree at the roadside and telling them stories. For all -that, he regretted many a time that he had been soft-hearted, and -had allowed the gate of glory to be slammed in his face, as he -expressed it. He had never suspected it before; but now the thought -began to grow upon him, that he was a great man, who might have -gained honor and renown if his wife had not deprived him of the -opportunity. - -Every day the valley seemed to be growing darker and narrower; the -sight of the mountains became oppressive; it was as if they weighed -upon Fiddle-John’s breast and impeded his breath. With feverish -restlessness he roamed about from farm to farm and played, until -every string on his fiddle seemed on the point of snapping. - -“I am a great man,” he reflected indignantly, “and might have -earned thousands of dollars. And yet here I go and fiddle for -half-drunken boors at twenty-five cents a night.” - -And to drown the voices that rose clamorously out of the depths of -his soul, he strummed the strings wildly; and the peasants whirled -madly around him, shouted, and kicked the rafters in the ceiling. -The gentleness and the mild radiance which had made the children -love him passed out of his countenance; his eyes grew restless, his -motions aimless and unsteady. Sometimes he flung back his head -defiantly and mumbled threats between his teeth; at other times he -shuffled along dejectedly, or lay under a tree, dreaming of the -great world which had forever been closed to him. - -“If I had only dared!” he whispered to himself; “oh, if I had only -dared!” - -At that moment someone stepped up to him and shook him by the -shoulder. “Hallo, old chap,” said the man, “you are just the fellow -I want! You are the party they call Fiddle-John?” - -There was something brisk and aggressive about the stranger which -almost frightened Fiddle-John. It was easy to see that he came -from afar; for he had smartly-cut city-clothes, a tall shiny hat, -and a huge watch-chain from which half a dozen seals and trinkets -depended. Fiddle-John had never seen anything so magnificent; he -was completely dazzled. He sat half-raised upon his elbow and -stared at the stranger in mute wonder. “Well, Fiddle-John,” the -latter went on glibly; “you don’t seem very cordial to an old -friend. Or perhaps you don’t know me. Reckon I’ve changed some -since you used to tell me stories about the Ashiepattle and the -ogre who stowed his heart away for safe keeping inside of a duck -in a goose-pond, some thousands of miles off. I have often thought -of that story since. Fact is, that is just the kind of arrangement -I am after. I’ve too much heart, Fiddle-John, too much heart. My -heart is always getting me into trouble, and if I could make an -arrangement to leave it behind here in Norway, while I myself -return to America, I should like it first rate. You don’t happen -to know of any party who would be willing to keep it for me during -my absence, hey, Fiddle-John?” - -The man here laughed uproariously and slapped Fiddle-John on the -shoulder. - -“You are the same rum old customer you used to be, Fiddle-John,” he -said in a tone of cordial good-fellowship; “but you don’t seem as -talkative as you used to be--don’t even tell me you are glad to see -me. Now, that’s what I call hard, Fiddle-John. Don’t even know the -name of your little friend James Forrest--or--beg your pardon--Jens -Skoug, I mean to say, who used to climb on your back and listened -in rapture to your wonderful voice and your marvellous fairy tales.” - -A gleam of intelligence flitted across Fiddle-John’s features, as -he heard the name Jens Skoug, and he arose with bashful hesitancy -and extended his hand to the talkative stranger. He remembered well -that Jens’ family had emigrated, some ten years ago, to the United -States, and he remembered also vividly the uncouth little creature -in skin-patched trousers and ragged jacket who had embarked, at -that time, in the great steamer that came to take the emigrants off -to Bergen. And now this little creature was a tall, dazzling man -with a silk hat and showy jewellery, and an address which a prince -might have envied. Thus reasoned Fiddle-John in his simplicity. -Such a marvellous transformation he had never in all his life -witnessed. The name James Forrest which Jens had dropped by a -deliberate accident also impressed him strangely. It seemed to add -greatly to Jens’ magnificence. A man who could afford to have such -a foreign-sounding name must indeed be a person of enterprise and -prominence. It surrounded Jens with a delightful foreign flavor -which captivated his friend even more than his brilliant talk. -“Jens,” he said, making an effort to conquer his diffidence, “you -have grown to be a great man, indeed. How could you expect me to -recognize you?” - -“A great man!” exclaimed Jens, expanding agreeably under his -friend’s sincere flattery; “no, Fiddle-John, I am not a great -man--that is, not yet, Fiddle-John. But I mean to become a great -man before I die. In America, where I live, every man can become -great if he only chooses to. But I thought, being young yet, -that I could afford to spend a couple of months in opening to my -countrymen the same road to fortune which is open to myself, before -I settled down to tackle life in earnest. Fact is, Fiddle-John, as -I said before, I have too much heart. My conscience would leave me -no peace, whenever I thought of my poor countrymen who were toiling -here at home for twenty-five or forty cents a day, and scarcely -could keep body and soul together, while I could earn five and ten -dollars a day as readily as I could blow my nose. I positively -cried, Fiddle-John, cried like a girl, when I thought of you and -your small chaps and of all the other poor fellows here in the -valley who had such a hard time of it, tearing off their caps and -bowing and scraping before the parson and the judge and all the big -guns, while in America we step up to the President himself, wring -his hand and say, ‘How are you, old chap? I’ll drop in and take -pot-luck with you to-morrow, if you don’t happen to have company.’ -And he, likely as not, will say to me, ‘Right welcome shall you be, -Jim; bring a couple of good fellows along with you. We don’t stand -on ceremony around the White House. Perhaps I may be able to hunt -up a consulship or a foreign mission for you, if you should happen -to be out of office and pressed for cash.’ Now, that’s what I call -good manners, Fiddle-John, and the chances are ten to one that, if -you call upon him with a note from me, he may set you up in a right -fat office, where you may cock your head at parsons and judges and -feel yourself as big as the very biggest.” - -Fiddle-John listened with eager ears and open mouth to this -alluring narrative. It did not occur to him to question the truth -of what Jens said, for did not his appearance and his independent -and dazzling demeanor plainly show that he was a great and -prosperous man? And, moreover, how could he have undergone such a -startling transformation in a few years, if it had not been true, -as he said, that the President of the United States or some other -mighty personage took an interest in him. Fiddle-John had often -heard it said that in America all things were possible; and he -had himself read letters from persons who here at home had been -poor tenants or even day laborers, and who over there had become -colonels, and merchants, and legislators. Therefore, he was not -in the least surprised at the good luck which had overtaken his -former friend. He was only surprised that the thought of going to -America had never occurred to him before, and he made up his mind -on the spot to sell his cow, his pig, and his three sheep, and take -the first ship for New York. He could scarcely stop to bid Jens -Skoug good-by, so eager was he to rush home and communicate his -resolution to his wife and children. He foresaw that he would meet -with opposition from Ingeborg; but he steeled his heart against all -her entreaties and vowed to himself that this time he would have -his own way. Was it not enough that she had once nearly ruined his -life? Should he permit her again to snatch the chance of greatness -away from him? - -He was flushed and breathless when he reached his little cottage up -under the mountain-wall. It had never looked so mean and miserable -to him as it did at this moment. The walls were propped up on the -north and west sides with long beams, and dry, brownish grass from -last year grew in tufts along the roof-tree and drooped down over -the eaves. His two sons, Alf and Truls, were playing bear with -their little sister Karen, who was seven years old. But they rose -hurriedly when they saw their father, and brushed the sand from the -knees of their trousers. There was something in his bearing and in -the expression of his face which vaguely alarmed them. He stooped -no more in walking, but strode along proudly with uplifted head. - -“Boys,” he cried, joyously, “run in and tell your mother, to-morrow -we are going to America!” Ingeborg, who was just coming across the -yard with a new-born lamb in her arms, paused in consternation, and -gazed with a frightened expression at her husband. - -“What has happened to you, John?” she asked, gently. “I thought -that matter about the foreigner was settled long ago.” - -“I tell you, no!” he shouted, wildly; “it is not settled. It never -will be settled as long as there is breath left in my body. This -time I mean to have my own way. Jens Skoug has come back from -America, and he says that America is the place for me. I knew it -all along, and whether you will follow me or not, I am going.” - -“Follow you, John? Yes, if go you must, then I will follow you. -But to America I will not go willingly, unless I know what we are -to do there, and how we are to make our living. It is a long, long -distance, John, across the great ocean; they speak a language there -which neither you nor I understand.” - -Fiddle-John turned impatiently on his heel, as if to say that he -knew all that twaddle from of old; but Ingeborg, giving the lamb to -Alf, went up to him, laid her hand on his arm, and said: - -“You and I have lived together for so many years, John, and we love -each other too well ever to be happy away from each other. Don’t -let us speak harsh words. They rankle in the bosom and cause pain, -long after they are spoken. If you must go to America, I will go -with you. But I have a feeling that I shall never get there alive. -I beg of you, don’t decide rashly and don’t believe all that Jens -Skoug tells you. He was not a truthful child, and I doubt if he has -grown up to be a good man. Let us say no more about it to-night. We -will sleep on it, and see how it will look to us to-morrow.” - -Fiddle-John was not a bad fellow; on the contrary, he was quite -soft-hearted and easily moved. This wife of his had toiled in -poverty and ill-health all her life long, and he had never offered -to lift a finger to help her. Yet she loved him, accepting her lot -meekly, and never uttering a word of reproach against him. He had -never observed before how thin and worn she looked, how hollow her -cheeks were, and how large her eyes. He felt for the first time -in his life a pang of remorse. He had not been a good husband, he -thought; not as good as he might have been. But then he was a great -man, and great men were never the best of husbands. And when he -reached America, and his greatness became generally recognized, -and fortune began to smile upon him, then he would shower kindness -upon her, and she would be rewarded a thousand-fold for all she had -suffered. Surely, he would turn over a new leaf--in America. - -Thus Fiddle-John consoled himself, when his conscience grew uneasy. -When only they got to America, he reasoned, then everything would -be right. He would have started without delay if Ingeborg’s health -had not failed so rapidly that the doctor positively forbade her to -think of travelling. The look of suffering and sweet forbearance -upon her face seemed a perpetual reproach to Fiddle-John, and he -roamed restlessly from one end of the valley to the other, playing, -singing, and telling his stories, in order to earn money for the -voyage, he said to his sons; but, in reality, to escape from the -unspoken reproach of his wife’s countenance. But the day soon came -when he needed no longer to flee from her presence. One bright -spring day, just as the snow was melting, and the bare spots on the -meadows steamed in the sun, Ingeborg closed her weary eyes forever; -and a few days later she was laid to rest in the shadow of the old -church down on the headland, where the song-thrush warbles through -the brief Arctic summer night. - - -II. - -Down in the valley the Easter bells were chiming; the bell-strokes -trembled through the clear, sun-steeped air. There was commotion in -the valley, too, in spite of the fact that it was Easter Sunday. -Out in the middle of the fiord lay a huge black steamer, which -panted and shrieked, as if it were in distress, and sent volumes of -gray smoke out of its chimneys. Around about little black fragments -of coal-dust were drizzling through the air and swimming on the -water; and the gulls which kept whirling about the smoke-stacks -were quite shocked when they caught the reflections of themselves -in the tide; with wild screams they plunged into the fiord. They -probably mistook themselves for crows. - -The pier, which broke the line of the beach at the point of the -headland, was thronged with men, women, and children. The men were -talking earnestly together; most of the women were weeping, and the -children were gazing impatiently toward the steamboat and tugging -at their mother’s skirts. Some twenty or thirty boats, heavily -laden with chests and boxes, lay at the end of the pier; and one -after another, as it was filled with people, put off and was rowed -out to the steamer. Only the old folk remained behind; with heavy -hearts and tottering steps they walked up the sloping beach and -stood at the roadside, straining their eyes to catch a last glimpse -of the son or daughter, whom they were never to see again. Some -flung themselves down in the sand and sobbed aloud; others stooped -over the weeping ones and tried to console them. - -At last there was but one little group left on the pier; and that -was composed of Fiddle-John and his three children. Jens Skoug, -the emigration agent, was standing in a boat, shouting to them -to hurry, and the boys were scrambling down the slippery stairs -leading to the water, while the father followed more deliberately, -carrying the little girl in his arms. - -There was a Babel of voices on board; and poor Fiddle-John and -his sons, who had never heard such noise in their lives before, -stood dazed and bewildered, and had scarcely presence of mind -to get out of the way of the iron chains and pulleys which were -hoisting on board enormous boxes of merchandise, horses, cattle, -pigs, and a variety of other commodities. It was not until they -found themselves stowed away in a dark corner of the steerage, -upon a couple of shelves, by courtesy styled berths, which had -been assigned to them, that they were able to realize where they -were, and that they were about to leave the land of their fathers -and plunge blindly into a wild and foreign world which they had -scarcely in fancy explored. - -The first day on board passed without any incident. The next day, -they reached Hamburg, and were transferred to a much larger and -more comfortable steamer, named the Ruckert, and before evening -the low land of North Germany traced itself only as a misty line -on the distant horizon. Night and day followed in their monotony; -Russian Mennonites, Altenburg peasants, and all sorts of queer and -outlandish-looking people passed in kaleidoscopic review before -the eyes of the astonished Norsemen. It was the third day at sea, -I think, when they had got somewhat accustomed to their novel -surroundings, that a little incident occurred which was fraught -with serious consequences to Fiddle-John’s family. - -The gong had just sounded for dinner, and the emigrants were -hurrying down-stairs with tin cups and bowls in their hands. The -children were themselves hungry, and needed no persuasion to follow -the general example. They unpacked their big tin cups, which -looked like wash-basins, and took their seats at an interminably -long table, while the stewards went around with buckets full of -steaming soup, which they poured into each emigrant’s basin, as it -was extended to them, by means of great iron dippers. Many of the -Russians were either so hungry or so ill-mannered that they could -not wait until their turn came, but rushed forward, clamoring for -soup in hoarse, guttural tones; and one of the stewards, after -having shouted to them in German to take their places at the -tables, finally, by way of argument, gave one of them a blow on the -head with his iron dipper. Then there arose a great commotion, and -everybody supposed that the angry Mennonites would have attacked -the offending steward. But instead of that, the crowd scattered and -quietly took their places, as they had been commanded. They were an -odd lot, those Mennonites, thought the Norse boys, who did not know -that their religion forbade them to fight, and compelled them to -pocket injuries without resentment. - -Next to Alf, on the same bench, sat a swarthy boy, fourteen or -fifteen years old, with yellow cheeks and large black eyes. He -had a thin iron chain about his wrist and seemed every now and -then to direct his attention to something under the table. Alf -concluded that, in all probability, he had his bundle of clothes -or his trunk hidden under his feet. But he was not long permitted -to remain in this error. Just as the steward approached them and -extended the long-handled dipper, filled with soup, a fierce growl -was heard under the bench, and a half-grown black bear-cub rushed -out and made a plunge for his legs. The frightened steward made -a leap, which had the effect of upsetting the soup-pail over his -assailant’s head. - -A wild roar of pain followed, and everybody jumped on tables and -benches to see the sport; while the Savoyard boy who owned the bear -darted forward, his eyes flashing with anger, and hurled a flood of -unintelligible imprecations at the knight of the soup-pail. There -was a sudden change of tone, as he stooped down over his scalded -and dripping pet, and, showering endearing names upon it, hugged it -to his bosom. - -The emigrants jeered and shouted, the waiters swore, and the -purser, who had been summoned to restore order, elbowed his way -ruthlessly through the crowd until he reached the author of the -tumult. - -“How do you dare, you insolent beggar, to bring a bear into the -steerage?” he cried, seizing the boy by the collar, and shaking -him. “Who permitted you to bring such a dangerous beast----” - -His harangue was here suddenly interrupted by the bear, which -calmly rose on its hind legs and, showing its teeth in an -unpleasant manner, prepared to resent such disrespectful language. -The purser took to his heels, while the steerage rang with jeers -and laughter, and the Savoyard had all he could do to prevent -his friend from pursuing him. The Norse boys, whose sympathy was -entirely with the bear and his master, quite forgot their hunger in -their excitement over the stirring incident; and when the Savoyard, -feeling that the steerage was scarcely a safe place for him after -what had occurred, mounted the stairs, dragging his bear after him, -they could not resist the temptation to follow him at a respectful -distance. But when they saw him crouching down behind the big -smokestack and gazing timidly about him while he wiped the bear’s -head and face with his sleeve, they could not conquer the impulse -to make the acquaintance of so distinguished and interesting a -personage. They accordingly sidled up slowly, holding their sister -between them, and were soon face to face with the Savoyard. - -“What is your name?” asked Truls with a boldness which raised him -immensely in his brother’s esteem. - -The Savoyard shook his head. - -“What do people call you when they speak to you?” Truls repeated, -raising his voice and drawing a step nearer. - -“_Non capisco. Je ne sais pas_,” answered the boy in Italian and -French, giving them the choice of the only two languages he knew. - -“Capisco,” Truls went on confidently in his Norse dialect; “that is -a very funny name. I am afraid you don’t understand me. It wasn’t -the bear’s name I asked for; it was your own.” - -The Savoyard shrugged his shoulders expressively, then poured out a -torrent of speech which bewildered his Norse friends exceedingly. -If the bear had opened its mouth and addressed them in the ursine -language, it would not have succeeded in being more unintelligible. - -“You are a very funny chap,” Truls remarked with a discouraged air. -“Why don’t you talk like a Christian?” - -He was determined to make no more advances to so irrational a -creature, and was about to lead the way back to the dinner-table, -when the arrival of the purser and the third officer of the ship -again arrested his attention. The purser had evidently been hunting -for the Savoyard; for, as he caught sight of him, he made an -exclamation in German and called out to the third officer: - -“There is the vagabond! Make him understand, please, that his bear -must be shot and that he must get out of the way. He has taken -out no ticket for his beast and we don’t take that kind of freight -gratis!” - -The third officer, who spoke French fluently, explained the purport -of the purser’s remarks to the Savoyard, but in a gentle and kindly -manner which almost deprived them of their cruel meaning. The boy, -however, made no motion to stir, but remained calmly sitting, with -his arm thrown over the bear’s neck and one hand playing with his -paws. - -The officer, seeing that his words had no effect, repeated his -remark with greater emphasis. A startled look in the boy’s eyes -gave evidence that he was beginning to comprehend. But yet he -remained immovable. - -“Get out of the way, I tell you!” cried the purser, drawing a -revolver from his hip-pocket and pointing it at the bear’s head. -“I have orders to kill this beast, and I mean to do it now. Quick, -now, I don’t want to hurt you!” - -The boy gazed for a moment with a fascinated stare at the muzzle -of the terrible weapon, then sprang up and flung himself over the -bear, covering it with his own body. The animal, not understanding -what all this ado was about, took it to mean a romp, and began to -lick his master’s face and to claw him with his limp paws. - -“Well, I have given you fair warning!” the purser went on, -excitedly, as he vainly tried to find an exposed vital spot on the -bear at which he could fire. “If you don’t look out, you will have -to take the consequences.” A large crowd had now gathered about -them, and a loud grumble of displeasure made itself heard round -about. The purser began to perceive that the sentiment was against -him, and that it would scarcely be safe for him to execute his -threat. Yet he found it inconsistent with his dignity to retire -from the contest, and he was just pausing to deliberate when, all -of a sudden, a small fist struck his wrist and the pistol flew -out of his hand and dropped over the gunwale into the sea. A loud -cheer broke from the crowd. The purser stood utterly discomfited, -scarcely knowing whether he should be angry with his small -assailant or laugh at him. He would, perhaps, have done the latter -if the cheering of the people and their hostile attitude toward him -had not roused his temper. - -“Bravo, Tom Thumb!” they cried. “At him again! don’t be afraid of -the brute because he has got brass buttons on his coat.” - -“Good for you, Ashiepattle!” the Norwegians shouted; “go it again! -We’ll stand by you!” - -It was Truls, Fiddle-John’s son, who had thus suddenly become the -hero of the hour; he had acted in the hot indignation of the moment -and was now abashed and bewildered at the sensation he was making. -He looked anxiously about for his brother and sister, and as soon -as he caught sight of them, was about to make his escape when the -purser seized him by the collar and bade him remain. - -“You are a nice one, to be attacking your betters, who have never -given you any provocation,” he said in German, which Truls, -fortunately, did not understand. “I am going to take you to the -captain, and he will have you punished for assault.” - -He made a motion to drag the struggling boy away, but the crowd -closed about him on all sides, and pressed in upon him with angry -shouts and gestures. The third officer, who had so far taken no -part in the proceedings, now stepped up to the purser and begged -him to release the boy. - -“Of course,” he said, “you are in the right; but if I were you, I -would waive my right this time. It’s hardly worth while making a -row about so small a matter; and it is always bad policy to go to -the captain with squabbles and grievances, especially when they -might so easily have been avoided. I assure you, you will only -injure yourself by doing it.” - -They talked for a minute together, while the ever-increasing throng -surged hither and thither about them. Whether purposely or not, -the irate purser, in the zeal of his argument, released his hold -on Truls’ collar, and the liberated boy dodged away, as quickly as -possible, and was soon lost in the crowd. The Savoyard and his bear -had long before seized the opportunity to withdraw from the public -gaze. - - -III. - -The life on shipboard did not agree with Fiddle-John. Like a -spoiled child, he was restless and unhappy when he was unnoticed. -All day long he sat on the top of a coil of rope in the forecastle -of the ship and sang. The forecastle was often deserted, and there -were probably not many among the emigrants who would have been -capable of judging whether his voice was in any way extraordinary. -And yet, one there was who found an untold amount of comfort in -listening to that clear, sweet tenor of Fiddle-John’s, and that -one was the Savoyard boy. It had been his constant effort, since -his encounter with the purser, to make himself as inconspicuous as -possible, and it would have gratified him much if he had possessed -some means of making the bear invisible. As the forecastle was the -least visited portion of the ship, he had chosen to hide himself -there behind the anchor-cable. - -He trembled whenever anyone approached, and threw the end of the -tarpaulin which covered the deck-freight over his friend, the -bear. The only people whose company did not incommode him were -Fiddle-John and his children, for whom he testified his devotion by -smiles and gestures and all sorts of endearing Italian diminutives, -which, on account of his caressing tones, even a dumb brute could -not have failed to appreciate. After a long and exciting pantomime, -Truls ascertained that his name was Annibale Petrucchio and that -his bear gloried in the name of Garibaldi. - -Both boys felt that they had made great progress in each other’s -friendship when these facts had been established, and another hour -of dumb show, intersprinkled with exclamations, resulted in a still -more astonishing revelation, which was that Annibale and his friend -slept every night on deck, because they feared to arouse once -more the purser’s displeasure by invading the steerage. Sometimes -Annibale curled himself up with Garibaldi within the coil of the -anchor-cable--he jumped up, dragging the bear after him, to show -the attitude in which they slept--but when it rained, or when the -sea was high enough to sprinkle the deck, they both crept under -the deck-freight tarpaulin, where they had made themselves a -little house between two trunks which they had pushed apart. The -only trouble was that the April nights were very cold--Annibale -shivered all over to show how cold he was--and anchor-cables and -deck-freight were not particularly soft to sleep upon. - -As Alf and Truls became duly impressed with the unpleasantness of -the Savoyard’s situation, they took counsel in order to ascertain -how they might relieve his distress. But all the plans that were -suggested were found to be risky, and night came before they -arrived at a decision. The weather had been raw and blustery all -the afternoon, and the officer on the bridge had been looking -every minute uneasily at the falling barometer. After sunset the -gale increased in violence and the ship pitched and rolled in the -heavy sea. In the steerage there was a terrible commotion; women -prayed and screamed and moaned, children of all ages joined in the -chorus, the lamps swung forward and backward in their brass frames, -and bottles, glasses, and loose crockery made a terrible racket, -sliding to starboard and back again to port with every motion -of the ship. The wind howled in the rigging, and every now and -then a big wave swept across the deck and poured out through the -scupper-holes. - -Alf and Truls, who had been lying awake for hours listening to the -hollow boom of the waves and the shrieking of the wind, conversed -in a whisper about the poor Savoyard, who had to be on deck in -that terrible weather, and they finally summoned courage to creep -toward the ladder and slowly to mount it, tightly clutching each -other’s hands. It was a risky undertaking, and their hearts stuck -in their throats as they clung to the door-knob, hesitating whether -they should open the door. Without knowing, however, they must -have given the knob a twist; for suddenly the door swung open with -a tremendous bang, and Truls was flung across the deck against -the bulwarks with such force that for an instant he scarcely knew -whether he had lighted on his head or his feet. - -He picked himself up, however, without any serious damage, and as -there was a momentary lull in the storm, he half rolled, half crept -up toward the prow, where a couple of lanterns were swinging in the -fore-royal stays. Nevertheless it was so dark that he could not -discern an object ahead of him, and only groped his way along the -bulwarks, until he stumbled upon a demoralized mass of rope which -he knew to be the anchor-cable. - -“Annibale!” he shouted at the top of his voice, “are you here?” -But before he had time to receive a reply the ship plunged into a -monstrous wave, which rose in a storm of spray and drenched the -whole forecastle up to the mainmast. Truls, in his effort to keep -his footing, tumbled forward and grabbed hold of something wet and -hairy, which slid along with him for a couple of yards, and then -was hauled back by some unseen force. The boy crawled along in the -same direction and shouted once more, “Annibale! where are you?” -And a voice close to his ear answered: - -“_Ah, Monsieur Truls, Garibaldi et moi, nous sommes à demi -morts._”[11] - -“Now, don’t jabber at me, Annibale,” Truls observed, making his -voice heard above the wind; “but if you will come along with me, -Alf and I will give you half of our berth; and Garibaldi can sleep -at our feet.” - -Whether Annibale understood the words or not, he could not fail to -comprehend the friendly gestures which accompanied them. He eagerly -seized Truls’ hand and they plunged bravely forward, but slipped on -the wet deck, and the bear and the boys slid with great speed in -the direction of the descent to the steerage. They were drenched to -the skin and considerably bruised when, after several unsuccessful -efforts, they seized the door-knob. Alf, as it turned out, -feeling too ill to keep watch, had already preceded them to bed. -Garibaldi, who seemed keenly conscious of his disgrace since the -day he molested the purser, slunk along as meekly as possible, and -only now and then shook his wet skin and coughed in a dispirited -fashion. He was not as grateful, moreover, as might have been -expected, when he was assigned his place on the straw at the foot -of the berth, but gradually pushed himself upward until his nose -nearly touched that of his master; whereupon he curled himself up -comfortably and went to sleep. It was a very pretty sight to see -the blond Norse boys and the swarthy Savoyard peacefully reposing -on the same pillow, with the shaggy head of the bear between them, -and the Savoyard half unconsciously clutching his pet in his -embrace. - -Toward morning the storm began to abate, and the dim light peeped -in through the port-holes. The steerage was comparatively quiet. -Fiddle-John arose and went on deck; a strange oppression had come -over him. The dim, gray light, the all-enveloping dampness, and the -incessant throbbing and clanking of the machinery wrought upon his -sensitive soul, until he seemed in danger of going mad. The world -seemed so vast and so empty! The waves heaved and wrestled in their -gray monotony, until it made him dizzy to look at them. Merely to -rid himself of this terrible oppression, Fiddle-John lifted up -his voice and sang wildly against the wind; his beautiful tenor -seemed to cut through the fog like a bright sword and to flash -and ring under the sky. His soul expanded with his voice; the sun -broke forth from the clouds, and he felt once more free and happy. -He scarcely knew how long he sang; but when by chance he turned -about, he saw to his surprise that a crowd of well-dressed cabin -passengers had gathered about him. His three children stood holding -one another’s hands, looking in astonishment at the fine ladies -shivering in fur-trimmed cloaks, and wondered why their father was -attracting so much attention. - -“Charming!” “Wonderful!” “Magnificent!” exclaimed the fine people, -when Fiddle-John had stopped singing; and a portly American -gentleman, with gray side-whiskers, who seemed more enthusiastic -than the rest, gave him a slap on his shoulder, and said that if -he himself were ten years younger, he would undertake to make a -fortune out of Fiddle-John, which, of course, was a very generous -offer on his part. Jens Skoug, the emigration agent, translated -the remark; and as the American seemed to have more to say to -Fiddle-John, offered his services as interpreter. - -“What is your trade?” asked the gentleman. - -“I sing and play,” said Fiddle-John. - -“But I mean, how do you make your living?” repeated his questioner. - -“By singing and playing,” said Fiddle-John. - -“You won’t make much of a living by that in America; people won’t -understand you, unless you sing in English,” remarked the American. - -It had actually never before occurred to Fiddle-John that his songs -would be unintelligible in America. He had supposed that music -appealed equally to all nations and needed no interpreter. The -remark of his new friend, therefore, was a positive shock to him, -and it took him fully a minute to recover from its effect. - -“I will sing to the President of America,” he said, in an injured -tone. “Jens Skoug, there, says that the President will make me a -great man when he hears my voice.” - -It did not suit Skoug’s convenience to translate this remark -correctly; and he observed instead, with a confidential air, that -Fiddle-John was a harmless monomaniac who had got it into his -head that he wanted to sing to the President. The American was -evidently amused at this, and said, with a laugh, that he feared -the President was not so great an authority in music as in affairs -of state. - -Fiddle-John was extremely puzzled and a little distressed at the -jocose manner of the American gentleman; it could scarcely be -possible that he was making fun of him. But American ways were -probably different from Norwegian ways, and he would therefore not -be hasty in taking offence. - -“I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to -appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything -you choose.” - -“Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians -say. Now I begin to understand. Perhaps you can make a song about -me,” suggested the American. - -“Indeed I can!” cried the Norseman. - -“Well, let us have it!” urged the other. - -Fiddle-John never needed much urging to sing. He straightened -himself up, flung back his head and was about to begin, when his -son Truls, whose ears had been burning uncomfortably during the -whole interview, seized his father’s hand and entreated him not to -sing. - -“Don’t sing to that man, father,” he said. “He is making sport of -you. Please don’t! Both Alf and I are distressed to think that the -gentleman should dare to speak to you as he does. He thinks----” - -“Get out of the way, sonny! No one is talking to you,” interrupted -Jens Skoug, pushing Truls rudely aside; but the boy, fired with -sudden wrath, wheeled quickly around. - -“It is you who have brought all this misery upon us,” he cried, -excitedly. “I know you mean to desert us as soon as we get to New -York, and I only wish I were big enough to give you the thrashing -you deserve, now, on the spot.” - -“Why, little chickens can crow like big roosters!” Jens Skoug -exclaimed; “but if you don’t keep a civil tongue in your head,” he -added, with a menacing scowl, “I will make you dance a jig to a -very lively tune--the hazel tune; perhaps you may have heard of it.” - -This was more than Truls could stand; and with clinched fists, -a flushed face, and eyes blazing with anger, he rushed at the -exasperating emigration agent. But the American, who thought that -the fun had now gone far enough, seized the angry boy by the collar -and restrained him. “Hold on, my little fellow!” he said; “it is -time to stop for refreshments. You are a lively little customer for -your years. I don’t know exactly what you are mad about, but I can -assure you it isn’t worth fighting for. Now, simmer a little, and -then cool down.” - -During this scene, Fiddle-John had been standing irresolutely -shifting his weight from one foot to the other and gazing with a -bewildered air at Jens and Truls. He could not understand what had -happened to arouse the anger of his son, and his excited words had -scarcely furnished him with a clew to the mystery. - -“Why--why--why, don’t you want me to sing, Truls?” he stammered, -helplessly. “I am sure I sing as well as anybody, and need not be -ashamed to be heard.” - -“Oh, it isn’t that, father!” the son responded in a tone of -tender consideration, which appealed strongly to the American. -“You sing beautifully; but these people would not understand -you--and--and--wait till we are alone, father; I will tell you what -I mean.” - -It was the manner, rather than the words, of the boy which gave the -stranger an insight into the relations which existed between him -and his father; and what he saw, and still more what he inferred, -interested him greatly. There was a diffidence in Truls’ tone, and -at the same time an air of protectorship, which, in one of his -years, was quite touching. The American could not help admiring -his spirited behavior, and he only wished he could have told him -how far he was from wishing to humiliate either him or his father. -But he had lost confidence in Mr. Skoug as an interpreter, and he -saw no one else who, for the moment, could take that gentleman’s -place. He therefore put his hand caressingly on the boy’s head and, -trusting to his intuition rather than his knowledge of English, -said: - -“If you should ever happen to need a friend in the United States, -you must remember to come to me. My name is Alexander Tenney, and I -live in New York. Here is my card, with my address upon it.” - -He gave Fiddle-John and his son each a friendly nod and -sauntered away toward a group of ladies who were seated in their -steamer-chairs, conversing with the captain about the state of the -weather. - - -IV. - -It was a beautiful sunny morning in May that the steamer cast -anchor in the bay of New York. Fiddle-John and his children and -a thousand other poorly clad people from all parts of the world -were carried by little steam-tugs to a large building by the -water, where there was a babel of noise and confusion. Everybody -was shouting at the top of his voice; children were crying, women -hunting for their husbands, husbands hunting for their baggage; -policemen were pushing back the crowd of screaming hotel-runners -who were besieging the doors, and an official, standing on the top -of a barrel, was yelling instructions to the emigrants in half a -dozen different languages. - -Fiddle-John, to whom this spectacle was positively terrifying, -could do nothing but stare about him in a hopeless and dazed -manner, while he pressed his violin-case tightly in his arms and -allowed himself to be pushed hither and thither by the surging -motion of the crowd. He was finally pushed up to a gate, where an -official sat writing at a desk. - -“How old are you?” asked the official, or, rather, the interpreter, -who was standing at his elbow. - -“Thirty-five years,” said Fiddle-John; but a vague alarm took -possession of him at the question, and his heart began to beat -uneasily. - -“What is your occupation?” - -“Occupation? Well, I sing. I am a singer.” - -“A singing-teacher? Is that what you are?” - -“No, I don’t teach.” - -“What do you do, then, for a living? Perhaps you are a sort of -theatrical chap--a play-actor?” - -Fiddle-John looked greatly mystified; he had never heard of such a -thing as a theatre in all his life, and the word “actor” was not -found in his vocabulary. Nevertheless, he thought it best to keep -on good terms with the great official, and he therefore made one -more effort to explain the nature of his occupation. - -“If you will pardon my boldness,” he began, with a quaking voice, -“I may say that I am a kind of poet--a minstrel----” - -“Aha, that’s what you are!” roared the official, with a laugh, as -if he had at last found the solution of the problem; “you are a -negro-minstrel, an end-man, clog-dancer, and lively kind of a chap -generally.” - -Fiddle-John stood aghast; he was not a combative character, but the -recent scene with the American gentleman on shipboard had aroused -his suspicion, and the conclusion now suddenly flashed upon him -that the official was making fun of him. The blood mounted to his -head and his whole frame trembled. - -“How dare you mock me?” he cried, passionately; “how dare you call -me a negro? Don’t you see with your own eyes that I am as white as -you are?” - -“Keep a civil tongue in your head, now, or I’ll have you arrested -on the spot,” the other replied, coolly. “I can’t afford to waste -my time on you. So far as I can learn, you are a beggar who walks -about in the street, singing. Now, that kind of thing won’t go -down over here; and you had better not try it. How much money have -you?” - -“I haven’t any money.” - -“And what is your destination? Where do you intend to go?” - -“I am going to see the American President, and sing to him.” - -“Sing to the President! Well, I expected as much. Why, my good -friend, it seems you are a lunatic as well as a beggar. I shall -send you to the Island, and you will be returned by the next -steamer to Norway. It is only able-bodied, self-supporting -emigrants we receive here, not street-singers and crazy people!” - -The poor Norseman stood as if riveted to the spot. A sudden -faintness came over him, and he felt as if he were going to sink -into the ground. He made desperate attempts to speak, but his words -stuck in his throat and he could not utter a sound. A policeman -was summoned and he was unceremoniously hustled through the crowd -and forced to board a small steam-tug, where, with three other -forlorn and miserable-looking individuals, he was locked up in a -dirty and ill-smelling cabin. All this had been done so quickly -that he scarcely had time to realize what was happening to him. But -now the thought of his three children came over him with terrible -force, and a sickening sense of his helplessness took possession -of him. In one moment the blood throbbed in his face and temples, -and he burned with heat and indignation; in the next, the thought -of what was to become of his dear ones, alone and friendless as -they were, in a foreign land, suddenly drove the blood away from -his cheeks and he shivered with dread. He was in the midst of these -tormenting fancies, when the tug gave a couple of shrill whistles -and steamed through the harbor toward an island covered with gray, -dismal-looking stone buildings, the very sight of which filled -Fiddle-John’s breast with fear. - -The children, in the meanwhile, had an experience hardly less -discouraging. They had seen their father led away by a policeman, -and had shouted to him with all their might; but their voices had -been drowned in the general confusion, and in spite of all their -efforts they had not been able to make their way to him through the -dense throng. They searched for hours, but could find no trace of -him. Being afraid of the man at the desk, who had been so severe -with their father, they hit upon the plan of slipping through the -gate in the train of a German family which had so many children -that it seemed hopeless to count them. This scheme succeeded -admirably, and toward evening they found themselves in a broad -square planted with trees and budding shrubs. They still had some -hope of finding their father, thinking that perhaps his detention -would merely be temporary; and they sat upon the benches or roamed -along the Battery esplanade with a miserable feeling of loneliness -gnawing at their hearts. They were hungry, but they did not know -where to turn to obtain bread. The world seemed so vast and strange -and bewildering that it gave one a headache only to look at it. -To ears accustomed only to the murmur of the pines in the summer -night and the song of birds and the river’s monotonous roar, the -huge city, with its varied noises and its incessant, deafening -rattle of wheels over stone pavements, seemed overwhelming and -terrible. - -Only Truls, who had a spirit less sensitive and less easily daunted -than his brother and sister, could summon courage to think--to -devise a way, if possible, out of their perplexities. He carefully -investigated first his own pockets, then his brother’s, in the -hope of finding something that might be exchangeable for a loaf -of bread. But he could find nothing except a couple of buttons, -some curious snail-shells, and a folding knife, the blades of -which had been sharpened until there was scarcely anything left of -them. After a few minutes’ meditation, he resolved, although with -an aching heart, to part with his valuable treasures; and he took -Karen by one hand and Alf by the other, and led the way through -the Battery Park toward Greenwich Street, where he hoped to find a -baker’s shop. - -They had advanced but a short distance, however, when they caught -sight of their friend Annibale, who was sitting on a bench, -swinging his legs with an air of deep dejection. His eyes lighted -up a little when he recognized Truls; he jumped up and, pointing to -something resembling a large muff under the bench, exclaimed, in a -tearful voice: - -“Garibaldi is very sick. Garibaldi will die. He has been ill a long -time; he will not stand up any more. He hangs his head like this.” - -Annibale here demonstrated, with pathetic absurdity, the pitiful -manner in which the little bear hung his head. There could be no -doubt; it was a serious case. Truls was especially conscious of -this, after having stooped down and noted Garibaldi’s symptoms. His -eyes were much inflamed, his nose was hot, and he frothed slightly -at the corners of his mouth. Yes, it was plain that Garibaldi was -going to die. - -Alf and Truls nearly forgot their hunger and their distress at -the thought of this great calamity. By signs and gestures, they -persuaded Annibale to seek lodgings where his pet might receive -proper care and perhaps stand some chance of recovering. This -seemed sound advice, and Annibale was not slow in following it, -when once he understood it. But it was a very sad march; for -Garibaldi refused to move, and the three boys had to carry him as -best they could. - -A lodging-house was finally found where supper and bed could be -procured for twenty cents; and though neither was particularly -inviting, the boys were too hungry and tired to be fastidious. The -Savoyard fortunately had a little money, which he was very willing -to share with his Norse friends, as soon as he had gained an -inkling of the day’s adventures. Moreover, he had relatives in the -city, and knew the addresses of many Italian friends. He therefore -had no fear of suffering want, and, as he asserted in his own -jargon, could well afford to be generous. - -The boys and the bear slept in a little square box of a room in -which there were two beds, while a kind-hearted servant carried -weary little Karen to her own apartment. Truls, out of gratitude -to Annibale, offered to watch over the bear; but, unhappily, his -gratitude was not lively enough to keep him awake, though he -struggled bravely to keep his eyes open. Toward midnight his head -sank slowly down upon Garibaldi’s back, and when the daylight -peeped in through the dusty window-panes he was yet sleeping -peacefully. The sunbeams crept, inch by inch, across the floor, -until they lighted on Truls’ chin, then climbed up to his nose and -reached his eyes. Then he awoke with a pang, sprang up, and stared -confusedly about him. - -Suddenly his eyes fell upon Garibaldi, who lay immovable at the -foot of the bed; he stooped down and touched him. The poor bear -was stone cold! It had died quietly in the night. Truls, with -a dim notion that Garibaldi’s death was due to his own lack of -watchfulness, made haste to rouse his friend and explain to him, -with tears of grief and remorse, that he had, without meaning -to do it, used Garibaldi as a pillow, and that the poor animal -had probably died in consequence. Annibale, however, showed no -disposition to reproach Truls, but, leaping out of bed with a -frightened face, flung himself down over the bear, hugged him, and -wept over him, overwhelming him with caresses and endearing names. -But it was all in vain. Garibaldi was, and remained, dead. He had -caught a violent cold during the night of the storm at sea, from -which he had never recovered. - -Although it was yet early in the morning, all the city seemed to be -awake and to be surging and roaring outside of the windows like -a storm-beaten sea. Stage-coaches, carriages, and enormous drays -laden with bales and barrels and boxes, were pouring in steady -streams up and down the street; people of all sorts and conditions -were hurrying hither and thither; and out in the harbor, but a -stone’s throw distant, there was a forest of masts, and big and -little steam-boats rushed shrieking in all directions. It seemed -like tempting Providence to venture out into this wild turmoil, and -Truls implored Annibale not to risk it, when he perceived that the -latter was bent upon some such dangerous expedition. - -Annibale, however, had seen great cities before, and gave no heed -to his companion’s fear, but tore himself away, promising to return -before noon. With a painful fascination Truls stood watching him -from the window, following his lithe and dexterous motions as he -wound himself through the crowd and dodged the huge wheels and -wagon-poles, as they seemed on the point of knocking him down. When -at last the Savoyard vanished around a street-corner, and Truls -was about to relapse into his sad meditations, the kind-hearted -servant-girl caused a sensation by entering with Karen and a tray, -upon which were three pieces of bread and three cups of coffee. -Truls then awakened his brother, who had slept soundly through -the recent excitement, and the three had quite a pleasant meal, -considering their forlorn condition. - -They covered Garibaldi with a blanket. He had had a hard life of -it on board the steamer, and had suffered much. Now his career -was finished. At least, so Alf and Truls supposed, until a very -extraordinary thing happened. - -They had finished their breakfast some little time, when the door -opened and Annibale entered with a little, smoky, and shrivelled-up -Italian. He was Annibale’s uncle; his name was Giacomo Bianchi, and -by trade he was a tobacconist. When he talked he used his arms, -legs, eyes, and mouth, all with equal vigor. Fiddle-John’s children -stood and gazed at him in undisguised wonder; they had never in all -their lives seen anything so lively. - -“_Ecco!_” he cried, pointing excitedly first to the dead bear and -then to Truls; “the fit is perfect. He is of the same height, and -will do perfectly well. If he has ordinary intelligence, and not -too much of it, he can act the bear as well as if he were born -one. I will prepare the skin for you, and stuff it just enough to -fit his figure. Then you can make money like the sands of the sea. -I have a small hand-organ at home, and a tambourine which that -vagabond Gregorio left me for a debt. You give me half of what -you earn, and I will lend you all these things. You will become a -rich man before you die. The bigger boy can play the hand-organ, -the little girl can strike the tambourine, and you yourself lead -the bear and make him dance. Behold, my son, your fortune is made. -_Ecco_, I have spoken!” - -Giacomo’s dark eyes flashed with enthusiasm as he unfolded this -glorious scheme, and he flourished his stick so violently in the -direction of Karen that she grew frightened and began to cry. Her -brothers, too, viewed the excitable little man with suspicion, and -listened in no friendly spirit to his unintelligible talk. To their -guileless Norse minds his gestures seemed at first to indicate -insanity, but after awhile they concluded that, for some reason, he -was angry at their sister. Then they clinched their fists in their -pockets and made themselves ready to pounce upon him, the very -moment he ventured to touch her. - -His apparent wrath suddenly left him, however, and he came up to -shake hands with each of them, smiling, and nodding his shaggy -head with extreme affability. Still they could not quite conquer -their distrust of him, and it required a long and lively pantomime -to induce them to accompany him to his own dwelling. At last they -yielded, because they knew of nothing else to do. Garibaldi was put -into a bag, and Giacomo and the boys, taking each a corner, carried -him easily. First they went to Castle Garden to inquire for their -father, but there was no one there who knew anything about him. -Another steamer had just come in with over eleven hundred Polish -Jews, and the officials were too busy to give heed to the questions -of the strange-looking boys who talked a strange-sounding language. -All their attempts to get possession of the baggage were also -unavailing; and with heavy hearts they plodded along together with -the Italian and Garibaldi, winding their way through a labyrinth of -dirty streets, until they reached a little, ill-smelling bird-shop -in Canal Street. - -Here, too, there was a bedlam of noise, and the young Norsemen -remained standing in the middle of the floor, staring about -them in helpless bewilderment. Two great blue-and-yellow macaws -were shrieking overhead, an ancient and wise-looking cockatoo -was apparently scolding them for their undignified behavior, and -uncounted paroquets, pigeons, and canary-birds were chirping, -cooing, and screaming in a confused chorus which would have racked -the nerves of a mummy. The barking of a number of dogs, which -seemed to object to the limited area of their cages, added to the -uproar; and it was a great relief to the whole juvenile company -when Giacomo invited them up-stairs, where he had his own personal -domicile. - -The bird-store, according to Annibale’s assertion, was a source -of enormous revenue, but belonged to his other uncle, Matteo, -who was a citizen of much weight and influence in the Italian -colony. This great man, however, it was understood, had more -important matters to attend to, and left the business in charge of -his humbler brother, Giacomo. A vague impression of these facts -Annibale had managed to communicate to his friends, in spite of -the linguistic difficulties under which he labored; and the Norse -boys, who during the two weeks on the steamship had learned the -Italian names for many common things and ideas, were pleasantly -surprised at the readiness with which they comprehended the mixture -of signs, gestures, and words which constituted Annibale’s medium -of communication. - -Uncle Giacomo’s rooms proved much more agreeable than the -shop below. The noise of the birds penetrated the floor only -as a subdued confusion of sounds, and did not interfere with -conversation. On a little low table at the window there was a -multitude of small, sharp tools, and an array of bottles which -emitted strong but not unpleasant odors. Some of them had feathers -sticking through their stoppers, and others were labelled “Poison” -in big red letters. About the walls there were rows of shelves, -upon which stood bright-colored birds, perching upon twigs, as if -on the point of taking flight, owls with big yellow eyes and a -dignified sullenness of expression, hawks with wings outspread, -swooping down upon unseen, unsuspicious rabbits; and, besides, -there were little pet dogs and birds, whose skins had been -preserved by the taxidermist’s art for sorrowing owners. - -All these objects the boys and Karen found highly entertaining, and -Uncle Giacomo, who was bent upon making a good impression, allowed -them to take down and examine anything that struck their fancy. The -work of skinning poor Garibaldi also served to occupy their minds, -and thus the forenoon passed rapidly until it was time to sit -down to dinner. They did not sit down, however, for their dinner -consisted only of bread and milk, and that could be eaten just as -well standing. In the afternoon they were allowed to fetch up some -rabbits and guinea-pigs from the store, and when they had played -with them for a couple of hours, Uncle Giacomo brought them a green -parrot that could talk and scold in both English and Italian. -Neither Alf nor Truls nor Karen understood its talk; but, for all -that, it entertained them, and served for a time to keep their -minds from dwelling on their misfortunes. They scarcely knew what -was to become of them; the world seemed so vast and so pitiless, -and they themselves such a very small part of it. They thought with -flutterings of hope and fear of their father, and determined never -to abandon their search for him until they should find him. - -Their fate seemed strange and incomprehensible. But a few weeks ago -they were living happily in their quiet Norse home, in the little -cottage under the mountain-wall. Now they were flung out, helpless -and alone, into a huge whirlpool of foreign life; their mother, -whom they had loved more than anyone else in the whole world, was -dead, and their father was wandering about, no one knew where, -vainly seeking them, perhaps, and not knowing whither to turn. -Indeed, much can happen in two short weeks. If they had but known -what was to befall them before they left their happy home! Oh, if -they had but known! - - -V. - -Nearly a week passed before Garibaldi’s skin was properly padded -and prepared for the reception of its new occupant; but then it -fitted to perfection, and was as soft and flexible as an overcoat. -Truls put it on with perfect ease, and breathed as freely through -Garibaldi’s nose as if it had been his own. Fortunately the bear -had been of the shaggy, long-haired kind, and when the opening was -laced together with fine silk cords the joining was completely -hidden by the fur. The children had repeated rehearsals in Uncle -Giacomo’s room; and they all agreed that Truls made a very -respectable bear. He could walk on his hind-legs beautifully, he -could salute with his right fore-paw, and he could even nod with -his head in a very intelligent fashion. In fact, there was a danger -that he might be too intelligent. - -“Now, do remember,” Alf would cry out to him, “a bear cannot blow -his nose. He may be allowed to sneeze, and even to cough; but he -must not be too frisky and intelligent. And remember, that if you -laugh or make any sound whatever, the game is up and we are ruined. -Uncle Giacomo only keeps us to make money with us, but he is not -unkind, and as long as we don’t starve, we ought to be thankful. -It all depends upon you, whether we shall have a home or be thrown -into the streets.” - -It was with a great flutter of excitement that the Savoyard and his -Norse friends started out early one Monday morning in the middle -of May. Alf was carrying the hand-organ, Karen the tambourine, and -Annibale was leading the make-believe bear by the same iron chain -which had regulated the movements of Garibaldi. They were about -to open their first performance on the sidewalk at the corner of -Broadway and Canal Street, but two policemen were immediately on -hand and sternly commanded them to “trot.” Trot they accordingly -did; but the sidewalks were everywhere so crowded that they seemed -in danger of being knocked down, in case they should offer to -obstruct the hurrying stream of humanity. - -It was not until they reached the broad steps of the Sub-Treasury -in Wall Street that they summoned courage to make a second stop; -and Truls was by that time so tired of the unnatural four-footed -gait that he rose, without invitation, and began to promenade in a -very unbearlike fashion. Presently Alf’s hand-organ began to wail a -very sad air from “Il Trovatore,” and Karen struck the tambourine -with a vigor which threatened to ruin both her knuckles and the -drum-skin. A number of newsboys and bootblacks instantly scampered -up to witness this attractive entertainment, and half a dozen -brokers and bank-messengers also paused to view the antics of the -little bear. Annibale shouted and swung his whip, and the animal -saluted and danced slowly and clumsily (as he had been commanded), -and at the end of five minutes quite a shower of pennies dropped -into the Savoyard’s hat. The crowd increased; the newsboys screamed -with delight, and scrambled up the steps, pell-mell, whenever the -bear approached them. Truls began to enjoy the fun, and chuckled -to himself at the thought that he could chase a whole flock of big -boys who, if they had known what sort of a creature he was, would -in all likelihood have chased him. This reflection made him every -moment bolder, and he would have been in danger of overstepping his -part altogether if Alf had not screamed to him in Norwegian: - -“Now, take care, smarticat, don’t be too intelligent!” - -Nevertheless, just as he was resolving to heed this advice, a -little ragged bootblack, while trying to back away from him, fell, -turned a dexterous somersault, and came down on his feet on the -sidewalk at the foot of the stairs. The sight was so comical that -Truls lost control of himself and burst out laughing; but in the -same instant his brother and sister were at his side, and made -so terrific a noise with their respective instruments that his -laughter was completely drowned in the din. Someone, however, must -have noticed his mirth; for there was a shriek of merriment among -the boys, and one of them cried out: - -“Did you hear that? The bear is a-laughin’! He is a jolly old coon, -that bear is.” - -“No, he was only a-yawnin’!” shouted another boy. “He is a queer old -party, and he knows lots of tricks.” - -“Them b’ars is a mighty funny lot,” the first boy rejoined. “I once -seed one at the circus; he could ride bare-back and drink beer.” - -“I once knowed one as could smoke cigars and kiss his boss,” -shouted number two, determined not to be outdone. - -All these comments escaped the bear’s brother, but Annibale caught -a suspicion that something was wrong. He hastily gathered in the -second shower of pennies, and made a sign to his friends to stop -the entertainment. They made their way as quickly as they could -down to the water-front, and thence to the Battery Park, where -there was plenty of room for another exhibition. The newsboys -and bootblacks followed them for a couple of blocks, but seeing -that they had no intention of stopping, gradually dropped behind -and returned to their accustomed haunts. Alf and Truls heaved -a sigh of relief when the last of their importunate followers -had disappeared; and it was with a lighter heart that they took -their station under the trees of the park and commenced the same -programme which had been so successful in Wall Street. - -Their audience was here even larger than it had been at their -first performance, but it was not nearly so profitable; for the -foreign emigrants and corner-loafers who abound in this locality -had probably no money to spare, or they preferred to have their -entertainment gratis. Hardly half a dozen pennies dropped into -Annibale’s hat, in spite of his repeated invitations to contribute. -It was obvious that they had hit upon a bad locality, where art was -not properly appreciated. - -As Karen’s knuckles were by this time quite numb, it was agreed -that Annibale should take his turn at the hand-organ and give Alf -a chance to distinguish himself at the tambourine. They had just -completed this arrangement, and were strolling rather aimlessly -past Castle Garden toward the Coney Island Pier, when they saw -a dense crowd gathered at the entrance of the great immigration -depot. Curiosity prompted them to discover the cause of the -demonstration, and as everyone fell aside to make room for the -bear, they had no difficulty in reaching the open space in the -centre of the throng. - -What was their horror when they suddenly found themselves -confronted with a real bear--a huge black beast which was dancing -slowly upon his hind-legs, and every now and then, with an angry -yawn, showing an array of terrible teeth! They wished themselves -well out of sight again, and strove with all their might to avoid -attracting attention. But instead of that, they found themselves -pushed right into the middle of the ring. And the moment the huge -bear spied a comrade, down he dropped on all-fours and insisted -upon making his acquaintance. With a wild scream which was anything -but bearlike, Truls rose up and rushed toward his brother Alf, -flinging his paws about his neck. The keeper of the big bear gave -him a cut with his whip, but he still strained at his chain and -gave forth angry growls. The people fled in all directions, and Alf -grabbed his disguised brother in his arms and ran as fast as he -could carry him. The others followed; but before they had overtaken -him he was stopped by a policeman, who inquired whether he had a -license. The boy stared in abject terror at the officer of the law. - -“Pl-please, sir,” he stammered, imploringly, in his native tongue, -“don’t hurt my brother! He isn’t a bear at all, if you please, sir; -and--and--I am a harmless lad who--who--arrived from Norway the -other day, and--and--never did mortal thing any harm as long as I -lived, sir!” - -“Don’t jabber yer Dutch at me, ye young scalawag!” the policeman -replied, seizing the boy by the arm and shaking him. “Ef it is an -honest loivelihood ye’re afther, why don’t ye drap that poor dumb -cr’atur’ and foind some dacent imployment, begorra?” - -Alf was altogether too frightened to make any answer to this -suggestion, of which, moreover, he understood not a word. He only -gazed with his large blue eyes at the policeman, and moved his -lips nervously, without being able to utter a sound. - -“Pl--please, sir,” he faltered, after several vain attempts to -speak, “please let me go.” And Truls, completely forgetting his -disguise, raised two hairy paws imploringly toward the officer and -begged tearfully. - -“Please, sir, do let my brother go!” - -The policeman’s face underwent a sudden and startling change. His -eyes nearly popped out of his head, his jaw dropped down on his -chest, and the veins on his forehead swelled. “I’ll be blowed,” he -cried in breathless amazement, “ef the dumb cratur’ ain’t a-talkin’ -Dutch!” - -He stooped for a minute, with his hands resting upon his knees, -and stared with a perplexed expression at the supposed bear; then -the situation began to dawn upon him, and he burst out into a -tremendous laugh. - -“Oh, it is a foine bear ye be, sonny!” he exclaimed, lifting the -boy-bear unceremoniously on his arm, and grabbing hold of Alf’s -collar with his disengaged hand. “A smart young un ye be, be -jabers! It is an alderman ye will be before ye doi--if ye only vote -the roight ticket. ’Tis a shame, it is, ye don’t talk a Christian -language, sech as a gintleman can understand.” - -He was moving up Greenwich Street, talking in this humorous strain, -half to himself and half to his prisoners, whom he was dragging -reluctantly along, when his progress was suddenly arrested by a -little girl who became unaccountably entangled in his legs. - -[Illustration: IN BATTERY PARK.] - -“Mr. Policeman,” the child cried, in the same unintelligible -tongue, gazing up with a pale and excited face at the tall -officer, “please don’t hurt my brothers. And won’t you please take -me along, too? I have been bad, too, Mr. Policeman--much badder -than Truls.” - -“Why, how-de-do, sis!” the officer asked, with a broad grin. “Is it -the bear ye be, did ye say, as lent yer skin to this little chap? -Ah, be jabers! now I begin to take in yer capers. It is a moighty -mixed-up lot ye be, and up to no end of thricks. But jest ye wait -till his honor gits hold on ye, and he will know how to git each -one of ye back into his roight skin.” - -This sinister allusion was lost, however, on the three culprits, -and even if they had understood it, it would probably not have -impressed them greatly. Their life had been so exciting since they -left their quiet Norse valley, that they had almost ceased to be -surprised at anything that might happen to them. Alf and Karen -plodded on wearily at the policeman’s side, holding on to the tails -of his coat, and showing no desire to part company with him; and -Truls, who was wellnigh exhausted by the labors and excitement -of the day, was only too glad to be able to rest his shaggy head -on the officer’s shoulders, and to embrace his neck with his two -hairy paws. The officer, somehow, seemed to enjoy the situation; -for he laughed and chuckled incessantly to himself, as if he were -contemplating some delightful plan which promised a great deal of -amusement. He shook his club good-naturedly at the crowd which -followed him, and pushed his way onward, until he reached a large -brick building, over the door of which was carved, in big Roman -letters, “Police Precinct, No. ----.” Here he entered with his -prisoners, and after having made an entry in a book, consigned them -to a large, bare, and dreary-looking room, where a few miserable -people were reposing in various attitudes upon the floor. - -The two Norse boys, who vaguely understood that this was some -kind of a prison, looked with horror upon the ragged and untidy -occupants of the room, and withdrew with their sister into the -remotest corner they could find, so as to escape observation. Here -they held a consultation, glancing all the while fearfully about -them, and lowering their voices to a whisper. - -“Truls,” said Alf, raising his guileless eyes to those of his -younger but braver-hearted brother, “what do you think will become -of us? do you think we shall have to stay long in this dreadful -place?” - -“Oh, no, you sillibub!” replied the ursine Truls, with well-feigned -cheerfulness; “we will be let out before night; and anyhow, I -know what I am going to do. You remember that handsome American -gentleman on board the steamboat, whom I wanted to fight because I -thought he was making fun of father?” - -“Yes, I remember,” said Alf. - -“Well, he gave me his card, which I gave you to keep in your -pocket-book; and he made me promise that if ever I needed a friend, -I should send for him. There is an address on the card, and I -shouldn’t wonder if he is a great man; and then everybody will be -sure to know him.” - -“Oh, Truls!” his brother exclaimed, admiringly; “you are always so -bright and so clever; and I have the card here; and I’ll not lose -it. But don’t you think you had better take off your bear-skin, so -that the judge may see you aren’t a bear, but a little boy?” - -“I have thought of that,” Truls rejoined, earnestly; “but the -trouble is I haven’t anything else to put on. So I shall have to go -to the judge as I am, and I guess he won’t be so very mad, when I -tell him I haven’t got nothing else under.” - -A dreary hour passed--dreary beyond expression. The two boys tried -each to persuade the other that he was, on the whole, not at all -afraid, but really quite cheerful. The only one whose argument was -really convincing, however, was Karen; for she went peacefully to -sleep on Truls’ shoulder, and did not wake until the policeman came -and summoned them all into court. They made quite a sensation when -they entered; and people rose and craned their necks to catch a -glimpse of the curious group. It was probably the first time that a -bear had marched on its hind-legs into a police-court and taken its -place behind the bar as a prisoner. The judge smiled a little when -he saw it, and leaned himself half over to the policeman who was -apparently giving an account of the case. - -“The officer charges you with roaming about with an unlicensed -bear,” he said severely, fixing a stern glance upon Alf. “What have -you to say to the charge?” - -Alf gazed up helplessly, and shook his head. - -“Why don’t you answer?” repeated the judge, impatiently. “Why -didn’t you take out a license for your bear?” - -The policeman again leaned over and explained that the prisoners -were Dutch, or some other kind of foreigners, and that they did not -understand a word of English. - -“Hm,” growled his Honor, “why didn’t you tell me that before? Is -there anyone in this court-room,” he went on, raising his voice, -“who understands foreign languages and would be willing to help the -court out of a difficulty?” - -He looked expectantly about the large room, but no one volunteered -to act as interpreter of anything so comprehensive as “foreign -languages.” - -“The gintleman over there,” the policeman remarked, pointing out a -well-dressed man in the audience, “looks as if he understood furrin -languages.” - -The gentleman in question disclaimed all knowledge of the languages -referred to, and the Court visited him with a look of serious -displeasure. It was very annoying, and there seemed positively no -way of disposing of the case, except to recommit the prisoners -until an interpreter could be found. The judge was about to resort -to that expedient, when a new prisoner was led into the court, and -the boys gave a simultaneous exclamation of surprise at beholding -Jens Skoug, the emigration agent. Mr. Skoug had evidently come -into collision with a policeman’s club, or some other unyielding -substance, for his left eye was much blackened, and he had a great -bump on his forehead. He had been arrested the previous night for -disturbing the peace. - -“That man, it appears, is acquainted with these Dutch boys,” the -Court remarked, nodding to the policeman who had charge of Mr. -Skoug; “bring him up.” - -“Do you understand foreign languages?” the justice went on, -addressing the emigration agent in his severest judicial tones. - -“Yes, lots of them,” replied Jens, drowsily. - -“Do you know these boys?” - -Jens contemplated the boys with a puzzled frown; then he shook his -head boozily and replied: - -“No, yer Honor, I never saw them in all my life. They are not my -style, yer Honor; don’t look as if they had moved in the best -society.” - -“Well, never mind that,” interrupted the Court; “but can’t you find -out anything about them? why they did not license their bear? Who -provides for them? Where do they live?” - -Jens, in turning his back to the Court, gave Alf and Karen and -the bear a fierce glance, as if to say that he would make them -smart, if they dared in any way to compromise him. Then, to their -surprise, he stooped down and talked with them earnestly for -several minutes. - -“Your Honor,” he resumed, rising and facing the judge; “these boys -are, as you supposed, Dutch. They are utterly destitute, and have -no money wherewith to buy a license for their bear. In other words, -they are vagrants; and if I may be permitted to make a suggestion, -I think the Reform School or the workhouse would be the right place -for them. They are a hardened lot, I am afraid, judging by their -talk----” - -“You may spare your suggestions,” the judge interrupted curtly; -“though they happen to fit in exactly with what I had determined to -do with them. Their bear will have to be killed or sold, and they -are hereby recommitted, and will be sent to the Island for thirty -days.” - -Mr. Skoug again stooped down and explained to the two culprits; but -he had no sooner mentioned the word “kill” than Alf gave a shout, -half of anger, half of dread, pulled his Norse tolle-knife[12] from -its sheath, and with one swift motion slit the bear’s skin from the -neck downward. The policeman rushed forward, the audience jumped -up on the benches, the judge himself started at the flash of the -knife, and was on the point of leaping over his desk. What was his -amazement when, instead of a bear, he saw a little shivering boy -in very scanty attire! A roar of laughter and a deafening salvo -of applause burst forth from all parts of the room, and it was in -vain that the judge hammered with all his might on his desk, and -in thunderous tones demanded order. The Irish policeman, to whose -taste for practical jokes the whole scene was due, laughed as if -he were going to split his sides. He would not have ventured to -confess that he had planned some such dramatic incident, although, -as he admitted to himself, it had turned out even more startling -than he had dared to hope. - -When order was finally restored, the Court commanded that -the prisoners be removed; but Truls, who now comprehended the -situation, and was determined not to submit to further imposition, -marched boldly up to the judge, and put Mr. Tenney’s card before -him on the desk. - -“This gentleman,” he said, confidently, “made me promise to send -for him if I should ever need a friend. Now I need him, and if you -would kindly send someone to fetch him, I should be much obliged.” - -The judge understood the purport of this speech, even though the -words were unintelligible to him. Mr. Tenney’s name was well known -to him, as that of a citizen of great wealth and influence, and his -prisoners immediately rose in his estimation when he heard that -they enjoyed the protection of so prominent a man. He therefore -beckoned to a policeman, wrote a hasty note, and told him to -have it instantly despatched. The boys and their sister, in the -meanwhile, were permitted to sit down in the court-room, awaiting -Mr. Tenney’s arrival. Mr. Skoug, who betrayed a great anxiety to be -off, pleading a variety of business engagements, was then examined -and fined ten dollars. He had just managed to disappear through -a side-room when Mr. Tenney’s tall and portly figure was seen -entering. He gave the boys a friendly nod, as he walked rapidly up -to the judge, with whom he conversed amicably for several minutes. -There was something brisk, energetic, and business-like in all his -movements. He laughed very heartily when the recent incident with -the bear was related to him, and the judge joined in the laugh, -and asserted that it was the most amusing thing that ever had -occurred in all his long experience on the bench. Then Mr. Tenney -apologized for having taken up so much of the Court’s valuable -time, and the Court expressed itself delighted to have made Mr. -Tenney’s acquaintance and to have been in any way able to serve -him; whereupon Mr. Tenney had the three children conveyed to his -carriage, and they drove away through the glorious May sunshine, up -one street and down another, until they reached a large and stately -house on Madison Avenue. Here they stepped out of the carriage, -and a liveried servant flung the doors open before them, as they -entered the house. - -Such magnificence the boys had never beheld before: long, wonderful -mirrors which looked like strips of lake standing on end, carpets -which felt soft under the feet like fine moss, and gilt and carved -furniture, which seemed to have stepped right out of a fairy story. -It was certainly very extraordinary; but still more extraordinary -was the kindness and consideration with which they were treated by -Mr. Tenney and his wife. Two pretty rooms were assigned to them -on the fourth floor of the house; little Karen was dressed in -beautiful clothes, and the boys themselves got each a new suit, the -like of which they had never had on their backs before. They felt -like young princes, and if they could only have talked with the -kind people who took so much trouble on their account, they would -have expressed to them their gratitude, and perhaps, too, solicited -their aid in ascertaining the whereabouts of their lost father. - -Mr. Tenney, however, guessed their thoughts, and did not need to -be told that their minds were torn with anxiety. He first procured -a Norwegian interpreter from one of the steamship companies, and -made the boys describe to him accurately the time and circumstances -of Fiddle-John’s disappearance. He wrote letters to the emigration -commissioners, inserted advertisements in the newspapers, and set -the whole official machinery in motion to get a clew by which to -unravel the mystery. - -Investigations were set on foot, detectives were employed, the -Castle Garden officials were questioned and cross-examined, but -there was no one who had the slightest recollection of having seen -Fiddle-John. Thus three days passed. Mr. Tenney’s determination -to accomplish his purpose increased, the greater the obstacles -were that he encountered. There was a streak of obstinacy in his -temperament, and there seemed to be an impression abroad that Mr. -Tenney was not to be trifled with, when once he was aroused, and -that may have been the reason why Fiddle-John grew in the course -of a week to be a kind of public character, and people asked each -other jocosely when they met in street cars or in hotel vestibules: - -“How do you do? Seen Fiddle-John?” - -Someone, it appears, had seen Fiddle-John, and that was the purser -of the steamboat Ruckert, whose encounter with the lamented -Garibaldi was yet fresh in the boys’ memories. He came late one -evening to Mr. Tenney’s residence, and explained to him that a -man called Fiddle-John had just been put aboard the ship, as a -lunatic, to be taken back to Norway free of charge. The ship -was to sail the next day at noon; and if Mr. Tenney would hold -himself responsible for the consequences, the purser said he would -undertake to restore Fiddle-John to his family within--well, within -five minutes. - -Mr. Tenney was quite ready to assume all the responsibility in the -matter, and accordingly the purser raised the window, and beckoned -to a carriage which had stopped on the other side of the street. -The carriage drove up before the door, and out stepped Fiddle-John. -But oh, how miserable he looked! The light from the gas-lamp fell -upon his pale face, his disordered hair, and his tall, stooping -figure. He was led carefully up the steps, and the children flew -into his arms, hugging him, kissing him, and weeping over him. -He sat down on a low stool, and stared about him in a bewildered -fashion. But gradually, as his eyes rested upon the dear familiar -faces, his expression softened, the wild look of fright departed -from his face, and the tears began slowly to course down his cheeks. - -“O, children!” he said in a hoarse, broken voice; “I thought I -should never see you again!” - -He covered his face with his hands, and wept long and silently. - -“They wanted to make a madman of me,” he sobbed; “and they almost -succeeded. Whatever I did or said--it made no difference--it only -proved that I was mad. I came to believe it, children, and the -thought was terrible to me; if I had staid another day, I should -never have recovered my reason.” - - -VI. - -Five years have passed since Fiddle-John and his sons were rescued -from misery by Mr. Tenney. They now live in the porter’s lodge of -Mr. Tenney’s beautiful Berkshire country-seat; and Fiddle-John, -with all his eccentricities, makes a very acceptable porter. The -little stone cottage at the gate of the larger villa looks very -picturesque with the green vines trailing over it, and it is very -comfortably and prettily furnished. Little Karen is now a matronly -little body, with a strict sense of order, and many housewifely -accomplishments. She goes to the public school in the morning, but -studies at home in the afternoon, and keeps her father company. The -boys are both big fellows now, and they are as good Americans as -any to the manner born. Truls brags of American enterprise, and the -blessings of democratic institutions, as if every drop of his Norse -blood had become naturalized. He is an engineer, and earns good -wages, and is full of hopefulness for the future. It need scarcely -be said that his sister adores him, and regards him as one of the -most remarkable men of the century. - -Alf, who has inherited his father’s handsome face, and incapacity -for practical concerns, is at present preparing to enter college. -Mr. Tenney is much interested in him, as a lad of unusual ability -and a singular sweetness of character; and it is owing to his -generosity that Alf has been able to follow the career for which -he is by nature and inclination adapted. He has his father’s -beautiful voice, too, and makes a sensation in the church choir -every Sunday when he sustains the lovely tenor solo in the anthems -“As Pants the Hart,” and “I Know that My Redeemer Liveth.” - -He is a rather serious fellow, with thoughtful eyes, and a frank -and open countenance. Some think he would have a fine career as a -clergyman, but it is difficult to tell whether his inclination, -in later years, will turn in that direction. His father, however, -does all in his power to encourage this ambition, and it is not -unlikely that his hopes may some day be fulfilled. In fact, it -is Fiddle-John’s favorite occupation to hope and dream about the -future of his sons. - -During the long summer afternoons he sits in the shadow of the -vines, outside of his cottage, while his daughter reads aloud to -him from the old Norse ballad books which he yet loves so dearly. -And it happens very frequently, then, that the young ladies and -gentlemen who are visiting at the neighboring villas come, in a -company, and beg him to sing to them. They throw themselves down -in easy attitudes upon the soft, close-trimmed lawn; and their -bright garments, their crimson sunshades, and their fresh, youthful -faces make a fine picture against the green background of elms and -chestnut trees. - -To the gentle and guileless minstrel it is a great pleasure to see -these gay and happy creatures; and when the young girls hang upon -his arms and urge him to sing, his eyes beam with delight. - -“Now, do sing, Fiddle-John,” they coaxingly say. “You know we have -walked miles and miles to hear your voice. And here is a young lady -from New York, who never heard a Norse song in all her life, and is -disappointed, because you look so nice and gentle, and not wild and -savage as a son of the Vikings should.” - -Fiddle-John likes this kind of banter very well; and when, finally, -he yields to their coaxing and lifts up his clear, strong voice, -singing the sad, wild ballads of his native land, there falls a -hush upon the noisy company, as if they were in the presence of -a renowned artist. These are Fiddle-John’s happiest moments. And -it was just on such an occasion when, on a beautiful afternoon in -July, he had been entertaining the young people with his songs, -that a swarthy-looking Savoyard walked up before his door, and -began to whip up a bear which danced to a tune from “Il Trovatore,” -played upon a wheezy hand-organ. - -“Stop, you sacrilegious brute!” said one of the young men, -addressing, not the bear, but his master; “we have a better kind of -music here than your asthmatic organ can produce.” - -The Savoyard, being apparently well accustomed to this manner of -address, swung his organ across his back and was about to take his -departure, when Karen, prompted by some idle impulse, stepped up to -the bear and patted it. Then a sudden change came over the young -man’s countenance. He stared for a moment fixedly at the little -girl. - -“Take care, _Carina mia_,” he said, with a smile; “that bear is a -real one!” - -“Annibale!” she cried in surprise; and, to be sure, it was Annibale! - -He had grown five years older, but in other respects he had changed -but little. He knew but very little more English than he had done -on the day of his arrival, and his ambition still did not extend -beyond hand-organs and bears. He reaped a plentiful harvest of -coins that night; but that was owing to little Karen, and not to -the doleful hand-organ. She ran into the cottage and spread out -upon the lawn a rug, made out of a small bear-skin. “Do you know -that, Annibale?” she cried. - -“Garibaldi, my poor Garibaldi!” exclaimed the Savoyard, while the -tears glittered in his eyes; and he stooped down and caressed the -furry head. - -Now the curiosity of the young ladies was excited, and the whole -company clamored for the story of Annibale and the bear-skin. They -all seated themselves in a ring about Fiddle-John, and he told the -story, as I have told it to you. For I had the good luck to be one -of the listeners. - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Skees are a kind of snowshoe, four to six feet long, bent -upward in front, with a band to attach it to the foot in the middle. - -[2] Lord Dufferin tells, in his Letters from High Latitudes, -how the Icelandic pilots conversed with him in Latin, and other -travellers have many similar tales to relate. - -[3] Professor Willard Fiske, formerly of Cornell University, was -instrumental in collecting in the United States a library of -several thousand volumes, which he presented to the Icelanders on -the one thousandth birthday of their nation. - -[4] The auk cannot fly well, but uses its wings for swimming and -diving. - -[5] The burgomaster gull is the largest of all gulls. It is thirty -inches long, exclusive of its tail, and its wings have a span of -five feet. - -[6] The national knife of Norway. It has a round or oblong handle -of wood, bone, or ivory, often beautifully carved, and a slightly -curved, one-edged blade, with a sharp point. - -[7] The sheriffs in Norway are by law required to pay, in behalf -of the State, certain premiums for the killing of bears, wolves, -foxes, and eagles. - -[8] A species of grouse. - -[9] The finishing-stroke. - -[10] Skees (Norwegian _skier_) are a peculiar kind of snow-shoes, -generally from five to nine feet long, but only a few inches -broad. They are made of tough pine-wood, and are smoothly polished -on the under side, so as to make them glide the more easily over -the surface of the snow. In the middle there are bands to put the -feet into, and the front end of each skee is pointed and strongly -bent upward. This enables the runner to slide easily over logs, -hillocks, and other obstacles, instead of thrusting against them. -The skee only goes in straight lines; still the runner can, even -when moving with great speed, change his course at pleasure by -means of a long pole which he carries for this purpose, and uses -as a sort of rudder. Skees are especially convenient for sliding -downhill, but are also, for walking in deep snow, much superior to -the common American snow-shoes. - -[11] “Ah, Mr. Truls, Garibaldi and I are half dead.” - -[12] All Norse peasant lads wear a sheathed knife at the side, -called a “tolle-knife.” - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, - and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, - book-case, bookcase; hind-legs, hind legs; drift-wood, driftwood; - bowlder; despatch; skee; inspiriting. - - Pg 4, “the otto’s name” replaced by “the otter’s name”. - Pg 51, “tore his watstcoat” replaced by “tore his waistcoat”. - Pg 82, “gentle plashing” replaced by “gentle splashing”. - Pg 115, “to find himself himself in” replaced by “to find himself in”. - Pg 125, “into the the twilight” replaced by “into the twilight”. - Pg 257, “I onct seed” replaced by “I once seed”. - Pg 257, “I onct knowed” replaced by “I once knowed”. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Modern Vikings, by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MODERN VIKINGS *** - -***** This file should be named 53070-0.txt or 53070-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/0/7/53070/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, John Campbell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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- margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; -} - -.transnote p {text-indent: 0em;} - - - </style> - </head> - -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Modern Vikings, by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Modern Vikings - Stories of Life and Sport in the Norseland - -Author: Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen - -Release Date: September 17, 2016 [EBook #53070] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MODERN VIKINGS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, John Campbell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="transnote"> -<p><strong>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</strong></p> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been -corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within -the text and consultation of external sources.</p> - -<p>More detail can be found at <a href="#TN">the end of the book.</a></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p6" /> -<hr class="full pg-brk" /> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h1>THE MODERN VIKINGS</h1> - - -<p class="p6" /> -<hr class="full pg-brk" /> - -<p class="pfs150 lsp">THE SCRIBNER SERIES<br /> -FOR YOUNG PEOPLE</p> - -<p class="pfs90">EACH WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR</p> - -<hr class="chapa" /> - -<div class="center fs80"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" width="90%" summary=""> -<tr><td class="tdc fs150" colspan="2">BOOKS FOR BOYS</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl wd60">THE MODERN VIKINGS</td><td class="tdr">By H. H. Boyesen</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">WILL SHAKESPEARE’S LITTLE LAD</td><td class="tdr">By Imogen Clark</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE BOY SCOUT and Other Stories for Boys</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">STORIES FOR BOYS</td><td class="tdr">By Richard Harding Davis</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">HANS BRINKER, or, The Silver Skates</td><td class="tdr">By Mary Mapes Dodge</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY</td><td class="tdr">By Edward Eggleston</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE COURT OF KING ARTHUR</td><td class="tdr">By William Henry Frost</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">WITH WOLFE IN CANADA</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">REDSKIN AND COWBOY</td><td class="tdr">By G. A. Henty</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AT WAR WITH PONTIAC</td><td class="tdr">By Kirk Munroe</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">TOMMY TROT’S VISIT TO SANTA CLAUS and</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">A CAPTURED SANTA CLAUS</td><td class="tdr">By Thomas Nelson Page</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">BOYS OF ST. TIMOTHY’S</td><td class="tdr">By Arthur Stanwood Pier</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">KIDNAPPED</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">TREASURE ISLAND</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">BLACK ARROW</td><td class="tdr">By Robert Louis Stevenson</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">A JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA</td><td class="tdr">By Jules Verne</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">ON THE OLD KEARSAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">IN THE WASP’S NEST</td><td class="tdr">By Cyrus Townsend Brady</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE BOY SETTLERS</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE BOYS OF FAIRPORT</td><td class="tdr">By Noah Brooks</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE CONSCRIPT OF 1813</td><td class="tdr">By Erckmann-Chatrian</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE STEAM-SHOVEL MAN</td><td class="tdr">By Ralph D. Paine</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE MOUNTAIN DIVIDE</td><td class="tdr">By Frank H. Spearman</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE STRANGE GRAY CANOE</td><td class="tdr">By Paul G. Tomlinson</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE ADVENTURES OF A FRESHMAN</td><td class="tdr">By J. L. Williams</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">JACK HALL, or, The School Days of an American Boy</td><td class="tdr">By Robert Grant</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdc fs150" colspan="2">BOOKS FOR GIRLS</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">SMITH COLLEGE STORIES</td><td class="tdr">By Josephine Daskam</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE HALLOWELL PARTNERSHIP</td><td class="tdr">By Katharine Holland Brown</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">MY WONDERFUL VISIT</td><td class="tdr">By Elizabeth Hill</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">SARAH CREWE, or, What Happened at Miss Minchin’s</td><td class="tdr">By Frances Hodgson Burnett</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="chapa" /> - -<p class="pfs120">CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS</p> -<p class="p4" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="FRONTIS" id="FRONTIS"></a> -<p class="p2" /> -<img src="images/i_frontis.jpg" width="600" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -BETWEEN SEA AND SKY.</div> -</div> - - -<div class="tpage"> -<br /> -<p><span class="xxl">THE MODERN VIKINGS</span></p> -<br /> -<p><span class="xl smcap">Stories of Life and Sport in the<br /> -Norseland</span></p> -<br /> -<p><span class="xs">BY</span></p> -<p><span class="xl">HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN</span></p> -<br /> -<br /> -<p><span class="medium">ILLUSTRATED</span></p> -<br /> -<br /> -<p><span class="medium">NEW YORK</span><br /> -<span class="large">CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS</span><br /> -<span class="medium">1921</span></p> - -</div> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> - -<p class="p6" /> -<p class="pfs80"> -<span class="smcap">Copyright, 1887, by</span><br /> -CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS</p> - -<hr class="r5a" /> - -<p class="pfs80"><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1915, by</span><br /> -HJALMAR H. BOYESEN<br /> -ALGERNON BOYESEN<br /> -BAYARD H. BOYESEN<br /> -</p> -<p class="p6" /> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_vii.jpg" width="650" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="pfs150">TO THE THREE VIKINGS:</p> - -<p class="pfs120"><em>HJALMAR, ALGERNON, AND BAYARD</em>.</p> - -<div class="poetry-containerx"><div class="poetry italic"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">Three little lovely Vikings</p> -<p class="verse4">Came sailing over the sea,</p> -<p class="verse">From a fair and distant country,</p> -<p class="verse4">And put into port with me.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">The first—how well I remember—</p> -<p class="verse4">Sir Hjalmar was he hight.</p> -<p class="verse">With a lusty Norseland war-whoop,</p> -<p class="verse4">He came in the dead of night.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">He met my respectful greeting</p> -<p class="verse4">With a kick and a threatening frown;</p> -<p class="verse">He pressed all the house in his service,</p> -<p class="verse4">And turned it upside-down.</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">He thrust, when I meekly objected,</p> -<p class="verse4">A clinched little fist in my face;</p> -<p class="verse">I had no choice but surrender,</p> -<p class="verse4">And give him charge of the place.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">He heeded no creature’s pleasure;</p> -<p class="verse4">But oft, with a conqueror’s right,</p> -<p class="verse">He sang in the small hours of morning,</p> -<p class="verse4">And dined in the middle of night.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">And oft, to amuse his Highness—</p> -<p class="verse4">For naught we feared as his frowns—</p> -<p class="verse">We bleated and barked and bellowed,</p> -<p class="verse4">And danced like circus-clowns.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">Then crowed with delight our despot;</p> -<p class="verse4">So well he liked his home,</p> -<p class="verse">He summoned his brother, Algie,</p> -<p class="verse4">From the realm beyond the foam.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">And he is a laughing tyrant,</p> -<p class="verse4">With dimples and golden curls;</p> -<p class="verse">He stole a march on our heart-gates,</p> -<p class="verse4">And made us his subjects and churls.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">He rules us gayly and lightly,</p> -<p class="verse4">With smiles and cajoling arts;</p> -<p class="verse">He went into winter-quarters</p> -<p class="verse4">In the innermost nooks of our hearts.</p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">And Bayard, the last of my Vikings,</p> -<p class="verse4">As chivalrous as your name!</p> -<p class="verse">With your sturdy and quaint little figure,</p> -<p class="verse4">What havoc you wrought when you came!</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">There’s a chieftain in you—a leader</p> -<p class="verse4">Of men in some glorious path—</p> -<p class="verse">For dauntless you are, and imperious,</p> -<p class="verse4">And dignified in your wrath.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">You vain and stubborn and tender</p> -<p class="verse4">Fair son of the valiant North,</p> -<p class="verse">With a voice like the storm and the north-wind,</p> -<p class="verse4">When it sweeps from the glaciers forth.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">With the tawny sheen in your ringlets,</p> -<p class="verse4">And the Norseland light in your eyes,</p> -<p class="verse">Where oft, when my tale is mournful,</p> -<p class="verse4">The tears unbidden arise.</p> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<p class="verse">For my Vikings love song and saga,</p> -<p class="verse4">Like their conquering fathers of old;</p> -<p class="verse">And these are some of the stories</p> -<p class="verse4">To the three little tyrants I told.</p> -</div></div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span><br /> - <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="lsp"><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</a></h2> -<hr class="r30" /> - -<div class="center smcap"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" width="90%" summary=""> -<tr><td class="tdl"></td><td class="tdr fs70">PAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Tharald’s Otter,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Between Sea and Sky,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Mikkel,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">The Famine among the Gnomes,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">How Bernt Went Whaling,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">The Cooper and the Wolves,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_91">91</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Magnie’s Dangerous Ride,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_102">102</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Thorwald and the Star-Children,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_128">128</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Big Hans and Little Hans,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_147">147</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">A New Winter Sport,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_165">165</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">The Skerry of Shrieks,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_182">182</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Fiddle-John’s Family,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_211">211</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span><br /> - <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS">ILLUSTRATIONS</a></h2> - -<div class="center smcap"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" width="90%" summary=""> -<tr><td class="tdl">Between sea and sky</td><td class="tdr fvnormal"><a href="#FRONTIS"><em>Frontispiece</em></a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"></td><td class="tdr fs70">PAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">The baron sprang up with an exclamation of fright</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#FP76">76</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">Norwegian skee-runners</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#FP178">178</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">In Battery Park</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#FP260">260</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="THARALDS_OTTER" id="THARALDS_OTTER"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">THARALD’S OTTER.</a></h2> - - -<p>Tharald and his brother Anders were bathing one day -in the lake. The water was deliciously warm, and the -two boys lay quietly floating on their backs, paddling -gently with their hands. All of a sudden Tharald gave -a scream. A big trout leaped into the air, and almost in -the same instant a black, shiny head rose out of the -water right between his knees. The trout, in its descent, -gave him a slap of its slimy tail across his face. -The black head stared out at him, for a moment, with -an air of surprise, then dived noiselessly into the deep.</p> - -<p>Anders hurried to shore as rapidly as arms and legs -would propel him.</p> - -<p>“It was the sea-serpent,” said he.</p> - -<p>He was so frightened that he grew almost numb; his -breath stuck in his throat, and the blood throbbed in his -ears.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you sillibub!” shouted his brother after him, “it -was an otter chasing a salmon-trout. The trout will -always leap, when chased.”</p> - -<p>He had scarcely spoken when, but a few rods from -Anders, appeared the black, shiny head again, this time -with the trout in its mouth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> - -<p>“He has his lair somewhere around here,” said Tharald; -“let us watch him, and see where he is going.”</p> - -<p>The otter was nearing the shore. He swam rapidly, -with a slightly undulating motion of the body, so that, -at a distance, he might well have been mistaken for a -large water-snake. When he had reached the shore, he -dragged the fish up on the sand, spied cautiously about -him, to see if he was watched, and again seizing the trout, -slid into the underbrush. There was something so delightfully -wild and wary about it that the boys felt the -hunter’s passion aroused in them, and they could scarcely -take the time to fling on their clothes before starting in -pursuit. Like Indians, they crept on hands and feet over -the mossy ground, bent aside the bushes, and peered -cautiously between the leaves.</p> - -<p>“Sh—sh—sh! we are on the track,” whispered Tharald, -stooping to smell the moss. “He has been here -within a minute.”</p> - -<p>“Here is a drop of fish-blood,” answered Anders, pointing -to a twig, over which the fish had evidently been -dragged.</p> - -<p>“Serves him right, the rascal,” murmured his elder -brother.</p> - -<p>“If we haven’t got him now, my name is not Anders,” -whispered the younger.</p> - -<p>They had advanced about fifty rods from the water, -when their attention was arrested by two faint tracks -among the stones—so faint, indeed, that no eyes but -those of a hunter would have discovered them. A -strange pungent odor, as of something wild, pervaded the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -air; the whirring of the crickets in the tree-tops seemed -hushed and timid, and little silent birds hopped about in -the elder-bushes as if afraid to make a noise.</p> - -<p>The boys lay down flat on the ground, and following -the two tracks, discovered that they converged toward a -frowsy-looking juniper-bush which grew among the roots -of a big old pine. Very cautiously they bent the bush -aside.</p> - -<p>What was that? There stood the old otter, tearing -away at his trout, and three of the prettiest little black -things your eyes ever fell upon were gambolling about -him, picking up bits of the fish, and slinging them about -in their efforts to swallow.</p> - -<p>The boys gave a cry of delight. But the otter—what -do you think he did? He showed a set of very ugly -teeth, and spat like an angry cat. It was evidently not -advisable to molest him with bare hands.</p> - -<p>In hot haste Tharald and Anders by their united -weight broke off a young elder-tree and stripped off the -leaves. Now they could venture a battle. Eagerly they -pulled aside the juniper. But alas, Mr. Otter was gone, -and had taken his family with him.</p> - -<p>To track him through the tangled underbrush, where he -probably knew a hundred hiding-places, would be a hopeless -task. The boys were about to return, baffled and -disappointed, to the lake, when it occurred to Tharald to -explore the den.</p> - -<p>There was a hole under the tree-root, just big enough -to put a fist through, and, without thought of harm, the -boy flung himself down and thrust his arm in to the very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -elbow. He fumbled about for a moment—ah, what was -that?—something soft and hairy, that slipped through -his fingers. Tharald made a bold grab for it—then with -a yell of pain pulled out his hand. The soft thing followed, -but its teeth were not soft. As Tharald rose to -his feet, there hung a tiny otter with its teeth locked -through the fleshy part of his hand, at the base of the -thumb.</p> - -<p>“Look here, now,” cried his brother; “sit down -quietly, and I will soon rid you of the little beast.”</p> - -<p>Tharald, clinching his teeth, sat down on a bowlder. -Anders drew his knife.</p> - -<p>“No, I thank you,” shouted Tharald, as he saw the -knife, “I can do that myself. I don’t want you to harm -him.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t intend to harm him,” said Anders. “I only -want to force his mouth open.”</p> - -<p>To this Tharald submitted. The knife was carefully -inserted at the corner of the little monster’s mouth, when -lo! he let the hand go, and snapped after the knife-blade. -Anders quickly threw his hat over him, and held it down -with his knees, while he tore a piece off the lining of his -coat to bandage his brother’s wound. Then they trudged -home together with the otter imprisoned in the hat.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>You would scarcely have thought that “Mons”—for -that became <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: ‘the otto’s name’">the otter’s name</ins>—would have made a pleasant -companion; but strange as it may seem, he improved -much, as soon as he got into civilized society. He soon -learned that it was not good-manners to snarl and show<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -his teeth when politely addressed, and if occasionally he -forgot himself, he got a little tap on the nose which quickened -his memory. He was scarcely six inches long when -he was caught, not reckoning the tail; and so sleek and -nimble and glossy, that it was a delight to handle him -His fur was of a very dark brown, and when it was wet -looked black. It was so dense that you could not, by -pulling the hair apart, get the slightest glimpse of the -skin. But the most remarkable things about Mons were -the webs he had between his toes, and his long glossy -whiskers. Of the latter he was particularly proud; he -would allow no one to touch them.</p> - -<p>Tharald taught him a number of tricks, which Mons -learned with astonishing ease. He was so intelligent -that Sultan, the bull-terrier, grew quite jealous of him.</p> - -<p>Inquisitiveness seemed to be the strongest trait in -Mons’s character. His curiosity amounted to an overmastering -passion. There was no crevice that he did not -feel called upon to investigate, no hole which he did not -suspect of hiding some interesting secret. Again and -again he made explorations in the flour-barrel, and came -out as white as a miller. Once, for the sake of variety, -he put his nose into the inkstand, and in attempting to -withdraw it, poured the contents over his head.</p> - -<p>In the part of Norway where Tharald’s father lived, -the people added largely to their income by salmon-fishing. -Nay, those who had no land made their living -entirely by fishing and shooting. Every spring the salmon -migrated from the sea into the rivers, to deposit their -spawn; you could see their young darting in large schools<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -over the pebbles in the shallows of the streams, pursued -by the big fishes that preyed upon them. Then the -perch and the trout grew fat, and the pike and the pickerel -made royal meals out of the perch and trout. All -along the coast lay English schooners, ready to buy up -the salmon and carry it on ice to London. Everywhere -there was life and traffic; everybody felt prosperous and -in good-humor.</p> - -<p>It was during this season that Tharald one day walked -down to the lake to try his luck with a fly. It had been -raining during the night; and the trees along the shore -shivered and shook down showers of raindrops. The -only trouble was that the water was so clear that you -could see the bottom, which sloped gently outward for -fifty or a hundred feet. Mons, who was now a year old, -was sitting in his usual place on Tharald’s shoulder, and -was gazing contentedly upon the smiling world which -surrounded him. He was so fond of his master, now, -that he followed him like a dog, and could not bear to -be long away from him.</p> - -<p>“Mons,” said Tharald, after having vainly thrown the -alluring fly a dozen times into the river, “I think this is -a bad day for fishing; or what do you think?”</p> - -<p>At that very instant a big salmon-trout—a six-pounder -at the very least—leaped for the fly, and with a splash -of its tail sent a shower of spray shoreward. The line -flew with a hum from the reel, and Tharald braced himself -to “play” the fish, until he should tire him sufficiently -to land him.</p> - -<p>But the trout was evidently of a different mind. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -sprang out of the water, and his beautiful spotted sides -gleamed in the sun.</p> - -<p>That was a sight for Mons! Before his master could -prevent him, he plunged from his shoulder into the -lake, and shot through the clear tide like a black arrow. -The trout saw him coming, and made a desperate -leap!</p> - -<p>The line snapped; the trout was free!</p> - -<p>Free! It was delightful to see Mons’s supple body as -it glided through the water, bending upward, downward, -sideward, with amazing swiftness and ease. His two big -eyes (which were conveniently situated so near the tip -of his nose that he could see in every direction with -scarcely a turn of the head) peered watchfully through -the transparent tide, keeping ever in the wake of the -fleeing fish. If the latter had had the sense to keep -straight ahead, he might have made good his escape. -But he relied upon strategy, and in this he was no match -for Mons. He leaped out of the water, darted to the -right and to the left, and made all sorts of foolish and -flurried manœuvres. But with the calmness of a Von -Moltke, Mons outgeneralled him. He headed him off -whenever he turned, and finally by a brisk turn plunged -his teeth into the trout’s neck, and brought him to -land.</p> - -<p>I need not tell you that Tharald made a hero of him. -He hugged him and patted him and called him pet -names, until Mons grew quite bashful. But this exploit -of Mons’s gave Tharald an idea. He determined to train -him as a salmon-fisher.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was in the spring of 1880, when Mons was two -years old and fully grown, that he landed his first salmon. -And when he had landed the first, it cost him little trouble -to secure the second and the third. Tharald felt like -a rich man that day, as he carried home in his basket -three silvery beauties, worth, at the very least, a dollar and -a half apiece. He made haste to dispose of them to an -English yachtsman at that figure, and went home in a -radiant humor, dreaming of “gold and forests green,” as -the Norwegians say.</p> - -<p>“Now, Mons,” he said to his friend, whom he was -leading after him by a chain, “if we do as well every day -as we have done to-day, we shall soon be rich enough to -go to school. What do you think of that, Mons?”</p> - -<p>One day a big fish-tail splashed out of an eddy, and a -black furry head and back rose for an instant and were -whirled out of sight.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear, dear,” cried Tharald, “he will die! He -will drown! How often have I told you, Mons,” he -shouted, “that you shouldn’t attack fishes that are bigger -than yourself.”</p> - -<p>“Whom are you talking to?” asked a fisherman named -John Bamle, who had come to look after his traps.</p> - -<p>“To Mons,” answered the boy, anxiously.</p> - -<p>“You don’t mean to say your brother is out there in -the water!” shouted John Bamle, in amazement.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Mons, my otter,” cried Tharald, piteously.</p> - -<p>“Mons, your brother!” yelled the man, and seizing a -boat-hook, he ran out on the beams from which the traps -were suspended. The roar of the waters was so loud that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -it was next to impossible to distinguish words, and “Mons, -my otter,” and “Mons, my brother,” sounded so much -alike that it was not wonderful that John mistook the -former for the latter. For awhile he balanced himself by -means of the boat-hook on the slippery beams, peering all -the while anxiously into the rapids.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he saw something struggling in the water; -showers of spray whirled upward. Could it be possible -that a fish had attacked the drowning child? Full of -pity, he stretched himself forward, extending the boat-hook -before him, when lo! he lost his balance, and tumbled -headlong into the cataract.</p> - -<p>Half a dozen other fishermen who were sauntering -down the hill-sides saw their comrade fall, and rushed -into the water to rescue him.</p> - -<p>One man, bolder than the rest, sat astride a floating log -and rode out into the seething current. Now he was -thrown off; now he scrambled up again; at last, as his -drowning comrade appeared for the third time, with an -arm extended out of a whirling eddy, he caught him -deftly with his boat-hook, and pulled him up toward the -log.</p> - -<p>As John Bamle lay there, more dead than alive, upon -the bank, emitting streams of water through mouth and -nostrils, the question was asked how he came to endanger -his life in such a reckless manner. At that very -instant the head of a black otter was seen emerging -from the water, dragging a huge salmon up among the -stones.</p> - -<p>“Look, the otter, the otter!” cried the men; and a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -shower of stones hailed down upon the bowlder upon -which Mons had sought refuge.</p> - -<p>“Let him alone, I tell you!” screamed Tharald; “he -is mine.”</p> - -<p>And with three leaps he was at Mons’s side, wringing -wet from top to toe, but happy to have his friend once -more in safety. He seized him in his arms, and would -have borne him ashore, if the enormous salmon had not -demanded all his strength.</p> - -<p>As they again reached the bank, the fishermen gathered -about them; but Mons slunk cautiously at his master’s -heels. He understood the growling comments, as one -man after the other lifted the big salmon and estimated -its weight. John Bamle had now so far regained consciousness -that he could speak, and he stared with no -friendly eye at the boy who had come near causing his -death.</p> - -<p>“Come, now, Mons,” said Tharald, “come, and let us -hurry home to breakfast.”</p> - -<p>“Mons!” repeated John Bamle; “is <em>that</em> your -Mons?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that is my Mons,” answered Tharald, innocently.</p> - -<p>“Then you just wait till I am strong enough to stand -on my legs, and I’ll promise to give you a thrashing that -you’ll remember to your dying day,” said John, and -shook his big fist.</p> - -<p>Tharald was not anxious to wait under such circumstances, -but betook himself homeward as rapidly as his -legs would carry him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> - -<p>During the next week Tharald did his best to avoid -the fishermen. And yet, try as he might, he could not -help meeting them on the road, or on the river-bank, as -he carried home his heavy load of salmon.</p> - -<p>“Hallo! How is your brother Mons?” they jeered, -when they saw him.</p> - -<p>Occasionally they stopped and glanced into his basket; -and Tharald noticed that they glowered unpleasantly at -him, whenever he had caught a fine fish. The fact was, -he had had extraordinary luck this week; for Mons was -getting to be such an expert, that he scarcely ever dived -without bringing something or other ashore.</p> - -<p>He had almost money enough now to pay for a year’s -schooling, and he could scarcely sleep for joy when he -thought of the bright future that stretched out before -him. He saw himself in all manner of delightful situations. -Mons, in the meanwhile, who was not troubled -with this kind of ambition, snoozed peacefully in his -box, at the foot of his master’s bed. He did not dream -what a rude awakening was in store for him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It had been a very bad week for John Bamle and his -comrades. Morning after morning their traps were -empty, or one solitary fish lay sprawling at the bottom -of the box.</p> - -<p>“I tell you, boys,” said John, spitting into his fist, and -shaking it threateningly against the sky, “I am bewitched; -that’s what I am. And so are you, boys—every -mother’s son of you. It is that Gimlehaug boy -that has bewitched us. Are you fools enough to suppose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -that it is a natural beast—that black thing—that trots -at his heels, and empties the river of its fish for his benefit? -Not by a jugful, lads—not by a big jugful! The -devil it is—the black Satan himself—or my name is not -John Bamle. You never saw a beast act like that before, -plunging into the yellow whirlpools, and coming back -unscathed every time, and with a fish as big as himself -dangling after him. Now, shall we stand that any -longer, boys? We have wives and babies at home, crying -for food! And here we come daily, and find empty -traps. Now wake up, lads, and be men! There has -come a day of reckoning for him who has sold himself -to the devil. I, for my part, am just mad enough to -venture on a tussle with old Nick himself.”</p> - -<p>Every word that John uttered fell like a firebrand into -the men’s hearts. They shouted wildly, shook their fists, -and swung their long boat-hooks.</p> - -<p>“We’ll kill him, the thief,” they cried, “the scoundrel! -He has sold himself to the devil.”</p> - -<p>Up they rushed from the river-bank, up the green hillsides, -up the rocky slope, until they reached the gate at -Gimlehaug. It was but a small turf-thatched cottage, -with tiny lead-framed window-panes and a rude stone -chimney. The father was out working by the day, and -the two boys were at home alone. Tharald, who was -sitting at the window reading, felt suddenly a paw tapping -him on the cheek. It was Mons. In the same instant -an angry murmur of many voices reached his ear, -and he saw a crowd of excited fishermen, with boat-hooks -in their hands, thronging through the gate. There were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -twenty or thirty of them at the very least. Tharald -sprang forward and bolted the door. He knew why they -had come. Then he snatched Mons up in his arms, and -hugged him tightly.</p> - -<p>“Let them do their worst, Mons,” he said; “whatever -happens, you and I will stand by each other.”</p> - -<p>Anders, Tharald’s brother, came rushing in by the back -door. He, too, had seen the men coming.</p> - -<p>“Hide yourself, hide yourself, Tharald!” he cried in -alarm; “it is you they are after.”</p> - -<p>Hide yourself! That was more easily said than done. -The hut was now surrounded, and there was no escape.</p> - -<p>“Climb up the chimney,” begged Anders; “hurry, -hurry! you have no time to lose.”</p> - -<p>Happily there was no fire on the hearth, and Tharald, -still hugging Mons tightly, allowed himself to be pushed -by his brother up the sooty tunnel. Scarcely was Anders -again out on the floor, when there was a tremendous -thump at the door, so that the hut trembled.</p> - -<p>“Open the door, I say!” shouted John Bamle without.</p> - -<p>Anders, knowing how easily he could force the door, if -he wished, drew the bolt and opened.</p> - -<p>“I want the salmon-fisher,” said John, fiercely.</p> - -<p>“Yes, we want the salmon-fisher,” echoed the crowd, -wildly.</p> - -<p>“What salmon-fisher?” asked Anders, with feigned -surprise.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you try your tricks on me, you rascal,” yelled -John, furiously; and seizing the boy by the collar, flung -him out through the door. The crowd stormed in after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -him. They tore up the beds, and scattered the straw -over the floor; upset the furniture, ransacked drawers -and boxes. But no trace did they find of him whom -they sought. Then finally it occurred to someone to -look up the chimney, and a long boat-hook was thrust -up to bring down whatever there might be hidden there. -Tharald felt the sharp point in his thigh, and he knew -that he was discovered. With the strength of despair -he tore himself loose, leaving part of his trousers on the -hook, and, climbing upward, sprang out upon the roof. -His thigh was bleeding, but he scarcely noticed it. His -eyes and hair were full of soot, and his face was as black -as a chimney-sweep’s. The men, when they saw him, -jeered and yelled with derisive laughter.</p> - -<p>“Hand us down your devilish beast there, and we -won’t hurt you!” cried John Bamle.</p> - -<p>“No, I won’t,” answered Tharald.</p> - -<p>“By the heavens, lad, if you don’t mind, it will go -hard with you.”</p> - -<p>“I am not afraid,” said Tharald.</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll make you, you beastly brat,” yelled a furious -voice in the crowd; and instantly a stone whistled -past the boy’s ear, and fell with a thump on the turf -below.</p> - -<p>“Now, will you give up your beast?”</p> - -<p>Tharald hesitated a moment. Should he give up -Mons, who had been his friend and playmate for two -years, and see him stoned to death by the cruel men? -Mons fixed his black, liquid eyes upon him as if he would -ask him that very question. No, no, he could not for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span>sake -Mons. A second stone, bigger than the first, flew -past him, and he had to dodge quickly behind the chimney, -as the third and fourth followed.</p> - -<p>“Tharald, Tharald!” cried Anders, imploringly; “do -let the otter go, or they will kill both you and him.”</p> - -<p>Before Tharald could answer, a shower of stones fell -about him. One hit him in the forehead; the sparks -danced before his eyes. A warm current rushed down -his face; dizziness seized him; he fell, he did not know -where or how. John Bamle with a yell sprang forward, -climbed up the low wall to the roof, and saw the boy -lying, as if dead, behind the chimney. He turned to call -for his boat-hook, when suddenly something black shot -toward him from the chimney-top, and a set of terrible -teeth buried themselves in his throat. The mere force -of the leap made him lose his balance, and he tumbled -backward into the yard.</p> - -<p>In the same instant Mons bounded forward, lighted -on somebody’s shoulder, and made for the woods. Before -anybody had time to think, he was out of sight.</p> - -<p>Thus ended the famous battle of Gimlehaug, of which -the salmon-fishers yet speak in the valley. Or rather, I -should say, it did not end there, for John Bamle lay ill -for several weeks, and had to have his wound sewed up -by the doctor.</p> - -<p>As for Tharald, he got well within a few days. But a -strange uneasiness came over him, and he roamed through -the woods early and late, seeking his lost friend. At the -end of a week, as he was sitting, one night, on the rocks -at the river, he suddenly felt something hairy rubbing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -against his nose. He looked up, and with a scream of -joy clasped Mons in his arms. Then he hurried home, -and had a long talk with his father. And the end of it -was, that with the money which Mons had earned by his -salmon-fishing, tickets were bought for New York for the -entire family. About a month later they landed at Castle -Garden.</p> - -<p>Tharald and Mons are now doing a large fish-business, -without fear of harm, in one of the great lakes of Wisconsin. -Some day, he hopes yet, it may lead to a parsonage. -Since he learned that some of the apostles were -fishermen, he feels that he is on the right road to the -goal of his ambition.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="BETWEEN_SEA_AND_SKY" id="BETWEEN_SEA_AND_SKY"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">BETWEEN SEA AND SKY.</a></h2> - - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p>“Iceland is the most beautiful land the sun doth -shine upon,” said Sigurd Sigurdson to his two sons.</p> - -<p>“How can you know that, father,” asked Thoralf, the -elder of the two boys, “when you have never been anywhere -else?”</p> - -<p>“I know it in my heart,” said Sigurd, devoutly.</p> - -<p>“It is, after all, a matter of taste,” observed the son. -“I think if I were hard pressed, I might be induced to -put up with some other country.”</p> - -<p>“You ought to blush with shame,” his father rejoined -warmly. “You do not deserve the name of an -Icelander, when you fail to see how you have been -blessed in having been born in so beautiful a country.”</p> - -<p>“I wish it were less beautiful and had more things -to eat in it,” muttered Thoralf. “Salted codfish, I have -no doubt, is good for the soul, but it rests very heavily -on the stomach, especially when you eat it three times -a day.”</p> - -<p>“You ought to thank God that you have codfish, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -are not a naked savage on some South Sea isle, who -feeds, like an animal, on the herbs of the earth.”</p> - -<p>“But I like codfish much better than smoked puffin,” -remarked Jens, the younger brother, who was carving a -pipe-bowl. “Smoked puffin always makes me sea-sick. -It tastes like cod-liver oil.”</p> - -<p>Sigurd smiled, and, patting the younger boy on the -head, entered the cottage.</p> - -<p>“You shouldn’t talk so to father, Thoralf,” said Jens, -with superior dignity; for his father’s caress made him -proud and happy. “Father works so hard, and he does -not like to see anyone discontented.”</p> - -<p>“That is just it,” replied the elder brother; “he works -so hard, and yet barely manages to keep the wolf from -the door. That is what makes me impatient with the -country. If he worked so hard in any other country he -would live in abundance, and in America he would become -a rich man.”</p> - -<p>This conversation took place one day, late in the -autumn, outside of a fisherman’s cottage on the north-western -coast of Iceland. The wind was blowing a gale -down from the ice-engirdled pole, and it required a -very genial temper to keep one from getting blue. The -ocean, which was but a few hundred feet distant, roared -like an angry beast, and shook its white mane of spray, -flinging it up against the black clouds. With every fresh -gust of wind, a shower of salt water would fly hissing -through the air and whirl about the chimney-top, which -was white on the windward side from dried deposits of -brine. On the turf-thatched roof big pieces of drift-wood,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -weighted down with stones, were laid lengthwise -and crosswise, and along the walls fishing-nets hung in -festoons from wooden pegs. Even the low door was -draped, as with decorative intent, with the folds of a -great drag-net, the clumsy cork-floats of which often -dashed into the faces of those who attempted to enter. -Under a driftwood shed which projected from the northern -wall was seen a pile of peat, cut into square blocks, and -a quantity of the same useful material might be observed -down at the beach, in a boat which the boys had been -unloading when the storm blew up. Trees no longer -grow in the island, except the crippled and twisted dwarf-birch, -which creeps along the ground like a snake, and, -if it ever dares lift its head, rarely grows more than four -or six feet high. In the olden time, which is described -in the so-called sagas of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, -Iceland had very considerable forests of birch and -probably also of pine. But they were cut down; and -the climate has gradually been growing colder, until now -even the hardiest tree, if it be induced to strike root in a -sheltered place, never reaches maturity. The Icelanders -therefore burn peat, and use for building their houses -driftwood which is carried to them by the Gulf Stream -from Cuba and the other well-wooded isles along the -Mexican Gulf.</p> - -<p>“If it keeps blowing like this,” said Thoralf, fixing his -weather eye on the black horizon, “we shan’t be able to -go a-fishing; and mother says the larder is very nearly -empty.”</p> - -<p>“I wish it would blow down an Englishman or some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>thing -on us,” remarked the younger brother; “Englishmen -always have such lots of money, and they are willing -to pay for everything they look at.”</p> - -<p>“While you are a-wishing, why don’t you wish for an -American? Americans have mountains and mountains -of money, and they don’t mind a bit what they do with -it. That’s the reason I should like to be an American.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, let us wish for an American or two to make us -comfortable for the winter. But I am afraid it is too -late in the season to expect foreigners.”</p> - -<p>The two boys chatted together in this strain, each -working at some piece of wood-carving which he expected -to sell to some foreign traveller. Thoralf was sixteen -years old, tall of growth, but round-shouldered, from being -obliged to work when he was too young. He was -rather a handsome lad, though his features were square -and weather-beaten, and he looked prematurely old. -Jens, the younger boy, was fourteen years old, and was -his mother’s darling. For even up under the North Pole -mothers love their children tenderly, and sometimes they -love one a little more than another; that is, of course, -the merest wee bit of a fraction of a trifle more. Icelandic -mothers are so constituted that when one child is -a little weaker and sicklier than the rest, and thus seems -to be more in need of petting, they are apt to love their -little weakling above all their other children, and to -lavish the tenderest care upon that one. It was because -little Jens had so narrow a chest, and looked so small -and slender by the side of his robust brother, that his -mother always singled him out for favors and caresses.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p>All night long the storm danced wildly about the cottage, -rattling the windows, shaking the walls, and making -fierce assaults upon the door, as if it meant to burst in. -Sometimes it bellowed hoarsely down the chimney, and -whirled the ashes on the hearth, like a gray snowdrift, -through the room. The fire had been put out, of course; -but the dancing ashes kept up a fitful patter, like that of -a pelting rainstorm, against the walls; they even penetrated -into the sleeping alcoves and powdered the heads -of their occupants. For in Iceland it is only well-to-do -people who can afford to have separate sleeping-rooms; -ordinary folk sleep in little closed alcoves, along the walls -of the sitting-room; masters and servants, parents and -children, guests and wayfarers, all retiring at night into -square little holes in the walls, where they undress behind -sliding trapdoors which may be opened again, when -the lights have been put out, and the supply of air -threatens to become exhausted. It was in a little closet -of this sort that Thoralf and Jens were lying, listening -to the roar of the storm. Thoralf dozed off occasionally, -and tried gently to extricate himself from his frightened -brother’s embrace; but Jens lay with wide-open eyes, -staring into the dark, and now and then sliding the trapdoor -aside and peeping out, until a blinding shower of -ashes would again compel him to slip his head under the -sheepskin coverlet. When at last he summoned courage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -to peep out, he could not help shuddering. It was terribly -cheerless and desolate. And all the time his -father’s words kept ringing ironically in his ears: -“Iceland is the most beautiful land the sun doth shine -upon.” For the first time in his life he began to -question whether his father might not possibly be mistaken, -or, perhaps, blinded by his love for his country. -But the boy immediately repented of this doubt, -and, as if to convince himself in spite of everything, -kept repeating the patriotic motto to himself until he -fell asleep.</p> - -<p>It was yet pitch dark in the room, when he was awakened -by his father, who stood stooping over him.</p> - -<p>“Sleep on, child,” said Sigurd; “it was your brother -I wanted to wake up, not you.”</p> - -<p>“What is the matter, father? What has happened?” -cried Jens, rising up in bed, and rubbing the ashes from -the corners of his eyes.</p> - -<p>“We are snowed up,” said the father, quietly. “It is -already nine o’clock, I should judge, or thereabouts, but -not a ray of light comes through the windows. I want -Thoralf to help me open the door.”</p> - -<p>Thoralf was by this time awake, and finished his primitive -toilet with much despatch. The darkness, the damp -cold, and the unopened window-shutters impressed him -ominously. He felt as if some calamity had happened -or were about to happen. Sigurd lighted a piece of driftwood -and stuck it into a crevice in the wall. The storm -seemed to have ceased; a strange, tomb-like silence prevailed -without and within. On the hearth lay a small<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -snowdrift which sparkled with a starlike glitter in the -light.</p> - -<p>“Bring the snow-shovels, Thoralf,” said Sigurd. “Be -quick; lose no time.”</p> - -<p>“They are in the shed outside,” answered Thoralf.</p> - -<p>“That is very unlucky,” said the father; “now we -shall have to use our fists.”</p> - -<p>The door opened outward and it was only with the -greatest difficulty that father and son succeeded in pushing -it ajar. The storm had driven the snow with such -force against it that their efforts seemed scarcely to make -any impression upon the dense white wall which rose up -before them.</p> - -<p>“This is of no earthly use, father,” said the boy; “it is -a day’s job at the very least. Let me rather try the -chimney.”</p> - -<p>“But you might stick in the snow and perish,” objected -the father, anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Weeds don’t perish so easily,” said Thoralf. “Stand -up on the hearth, father, and I will climb up on your -shoulders.”</p> - -<p>Sigurd half reluctantly complied with his request. -Thoralf crawled up his back, and soon planted his feet -on the parental shoulders. He pulled his knitted woollen -cap over his eyes and ears so as to protect them -from the drizzling soot which descended in intermittent -showers. Then groping with his toes for a little projection -of the wall, he gained a securer foothold, and pushing -boldly on, soon thrust his sooty head through the snow-crust. -A chorus as of a thousand howling wolves burst<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -upon his bewildered sense; the storm raged, shrieked, -roared, and nearly swept him off his feet. Its biting -breath smote his face like a sharp whip-lash.</p> - -<p>“Give me my sheepskin coat,” he cried down into the -cottage; “the wind chills me to the bone.”</p> - -<p>The sheepskin coat was handed to him on the end of -a pole, and seated upon the edge of the chimney, he -pulled it on and buttoned it securely. Then he rolled -up the edges of his cap in front and cautiously exposed -his eyes and the tip of his nose. It was not a pleasant -experiment, but one dictated by necessity. As far as he -could see, the world was white with snow, which the -storm whirled madly around, and swept now earthward, -now heavenward. Great funnel-shaped columns of snow -danced up the hillsides and vanished against the black -horizon. The prospect before the boy was by no means -inviting, but he had been accustomed to battle with dangers -since his earliest childhood, and he was not easily -dismayed. With much deliberation, he climbed over -the edge of the chimney, and rolled down the slope of -the roof in the direction of the shed. He might have -rolled a great deal farther, if he had not taken the precaution -to roll against the wind. When he had made -sure that he was in the right locality, he checked himself -by spreading his legs and arms; then judging by the -outline of the snow where the door of the shed was, he -crept along the edge of the roof on the leeward side. He -looked more like a small polar bear than a boy, covered, -as he was, with snow from head to foot. He was prepared -for a laborious descent, and raising himself up he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -jumped with all his might, hoping that his weight would -carry him a couple of feet down. To his utmost astonishment -he accomplished considerably more. The snow -yielded under his feet as if it had been eiderdown, and he -tumbled headlong into a white cave right at the entrance -to the shed. The storm, while it had packed the snow -on the windward side, had naturally scattered it very -loosely on the leeward, which left a considerable space -unfilled under the projecting eaves.</p> - -<p>Thoralf picked himself up and entered the shed without -difficulty. He made up a large bundle of peat, -which he put into a basket which could be carried, by -means of straps, upon his back. With a snow-shovel he -then proceeded to dig a tunnel to the nearest window. -This was not a very hard task, as the distance was not -great. The window was opened and the basket of peat, -a couple of shovels, and two pairs of skees<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> (to be used -in case of emergency) were handed in. Thoralf himself, -who was hungry as a wolf, made haste to avail himself of -the same entrance. And it occurred to him as a happy -afterthought that he might have saved himself much -trouble, if he had selected the window instead of the -chimney when he sallied forth on his expedition. He -had erroneously taken it for granted that the snow would -be packed as hard everywhere as it was at the front door. -The mother, who had been spending this exciting half-hour -in keeping little Jens warm, now lighted a fire and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -made coffee; and Thoralf needed no coaxing to do justice -to his breakfast, even though it had, like everything -else in Iceland, a flavor of salted fish.</p> - - -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p>Five days had passed, and still the storm raged with -unabated fury. The access to the ocean was cut off, and, -with that, access to food. Already the last handful of -flour had been made into bread, and of the dried cod -which hung in rows under the ceiling only one small -and skinny specimen remained. The father and the -mother sat with mournful faces at the hearth, the -former reading in his hymn-book, the latter stroking -the hair of her youngest boy. Thoralf, who was carving -at his everlasting pipe-bowl (a corpulent and short-legged -Turk with an enormous mustache), looked up -suddenly from his work and glanced questioningly at -his father.</p> - -<p>“Father,” he said, abruptly, “how would you like to -starve to death?”</p> - -<p>“God will preserve us from that, my son,” answered -the father, devoutly.</p> - -<p>“Not unless we try to preserve ourselves,” retorted -the boy, earnestly. “We can’t tell how long this storm -is going to last, and it is better for us to start out in -search of food now, while we are yet strong, than to wait -until later, when, as likely as not, we shall be weakened -by hunger.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<p>“But what would you have me do, Thoralf?” asked the -father, sadly. “To venture out on the ocean in this -weather would be certain death.”</p> - -<p>“True; but we can reach the Pope’s Nose on our -skees, and there we might snare or shoot some auks and -gulls. Though I am not partial to that kind of diet myself, -it is always preferable to starvation.”</p> - -<p>“Wait, my son, wait,” said Sigurd, earnestly. “We -have food enough for to-day, and by to-morrow the storm -will have ceased, and we may go fishing without endangering -our lives.”</p> - -<p>“As you wish, father,” the son replied, a trifle hurt at -his father’s unresponsive manner; “but if you will take -a look out of the chimney, you will find that it looks -black enough to storm for another week.”</p> - -<p>The father, instead of accepting this suggestion, went -quietly to his book-case, took out a copy of Livy, in -Latin, and sat down to read. Occasionally he looked -up a word in the lexicon (which he had borrowed from -the public library at Reykjavik), but read nevertheless -with apparent fluency and pleasure. Though he was a -fisherman, he was also a scholar, and during the long -winter evenings he had taught himself Latin and even a -smattering of Greek.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> In Iceland the people have to -spend their evenings at home; and especially since -their millennial celebration in 1876, when American<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -scholars<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> presented them with a large library, books are -their unfailing resource. In the case of Sigurd Sigurdson, -however, books had become a kind of dissipation, and -he had to be weaned gradually of his predilection for -Homer and Livy. His oldest son especially looked upon -Latin and Greek as a vicious indulgence, which no man -with a family could afford to foster. Many a day when -Sigurd ought to have been out in his boat casting his -nets, he stayed at home reading. And this, in Thoralf’s -opinion, was the chief reason why they would always remain -poor, and run the risk of starvation, whenever a -stretch of bad weather prevented them from going to sea.</p> - -<p>The next morning—the sixth since the beginning of the -storm—Thoralf climbed up to his post of observation on -the chimney top, and saw, to his dismay, that his prediction -was correct. It had ceased snowing, but the wind -was blowing as fiercely as ever, and the cold was intense.</p> - -<p>“Will you follow me, father, or will you not?” he -asked, when he had accomplished his descent into the -room. “Our last fish is now eaten, and our last loaf of -bread will soon follow suit.”</p> - -<p>“I will go with you, my son,” answered Sigurd, putting -down his Livy reluctantly. He had just been reading -for the hundredth time about the expulsion of the -Tarquins from Rome, and his blood was aglow with -sympathy and enthusiasm.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> -<p>“Here is your coat, Sigurd,” said his wife, holding up -the great sheepskin garment, and assisting him in putting -it on.</p> - -<p>“And here are your skees and your mittens and your -cap,” cried Thoralf, eager to seize the moment, when his -father was in the mood for action.</p> - -<p>Muffled up like Esquimaux to their very eyes, armed -with bows and arrows and long poles with nooses of horse-hair -at the ends, they sallied forth on their skees. The -wind blew straight into their faces, forcing their breath -down their throats and compelling them to tack in zigzag -lines like ships in a gale. The promontory called “The -Pope’s Nose” was about a mile distant; but in spite of -their knowledge of the land, they went twice astray, and -had to lie down in the snow, every now and then, so as -to draw breath and warm the exposed portions of their -faces. At the end of nearly two hours they found themselves -at their destination, but, to their unutterable astonishment, -the ocean seemed to have vanished, and as far -as their eyes could reach, a vast field of packed ice -loomed up against the sky in fantastic bastions, turrets, -and spires. The storm had driven down this enormous -arctic wilderness from the frozen precincts of the pole; -and now they were blockaded on all sides, and cut off -from all intercourse with humanity.</p> - -<p>“We are lost, Thoralf,” muttered his father, after -having gazed for some time in speechless despair at the -towering icebergs; “we might just as well have remained -at home.”</p> - -<p>“The wind, which has blown the ice down upon us<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -can blow it away again, too,” replied the son, with forced -cheerfulness.</p> - -<p>“I see no living thing here,” said Sigurd, spying anxiously -seaward.</p> - -<p>“Nor do I,” rejoined Thoralf; “but if we hunt, we -shall. I have brought a rope, and I am going to pay a -little visit to those auks and gulls that must be hiding in -the sheltered nooks of the rocks.”</p> - -<p>“Are you mad, boy?” cried the father in alarm. “I -will never permit it!”</p> - -<p>“There is no help for it, father,” said the boy resolutely. -“Here, you take hold of one end of the rope; -the other I will secure about my waist. Now, get a good -strong hold, and brace your feet against the rock there.”</p> - -<p>Sigurd, after some remonstrance, yielded, as was his -wont, to his son’s resolution and courage. Stepping off -his skees, which he stuck endwise into the snow, and -burrowing his feet down until they reached the solid -rock, he tied the rope around his waist and twisted it -about his hands, and at last, with quaking heart, gave the -signal for the perilous enterprise. The promontory, -which rose abruptly to a height of two or three hundred -feet from the sea, presented a jagged wall full of nooks -and crevices glazed with frozen snow on the windward -side, but black and partly bare to leeward.</p> - -<p>“Now let go!” shouted Thoralf; “and stop when I -give a slight pull at the rope.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” replied his father.</p> - -<p>And slowly, slowly, hovering in mid-air, now yielding -to an irresistible impulse of dread, now brave, cautious,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -and confident, Thoralf descended the cliff, which no human -foot had ever trod before. He held in his hand the -pole with the horse-hair noose, and over his shoulder -hung a foxskin hunting-bag. With alert, wide-open -eyes he spied about him, exploring every cranny of the -rock, and thrusting his pole into the holes where he suspected -the birds might have taken refuge. Sometimes a -gust of wind would have flung him violently against the -jagged wall if he had not, by means of his pole, warded -off the collision. At last he caught sight of a bare ledge, -where he might gain a secure foothold; for the rope cut -him terribly about the waist, and made him anxious to -relieve the strain, if only for a moment. He gave the -signal to his father, and by the aid of the pole swung himself -over to the projecting ledge. It was uncomfortably -narrow, and, what was worse, the remnants of a dozen -auks’ nests had made the place extremely slippery. -Nevertheless, he seated himself, allowing his feet to -dangle, and gazed out upon the vast ocean, which looked -in its icy grandeur like a forest of shining towers and -minarets. It struck him for the first time in his life that -perhaps his father was right in his belief that Iceland was -the fairest land the sun doth shine upon; but he could -not help reflecting that it was a very unprofitable kind of -beauty. The storm whistled and howled overhead, but -under the lee of the sheltering rock it blew only in fitful -gusts with intermissions of comparative calm. He knew -that in fair weather this was the haunt of innumerable -sea birds, and he concluded that even now they could -not be far away. He pulled up his legs, and crept care<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span>fully -on hands and feet along the slippery ledge, peering -intently into every nook and crevice. His eyes, which -had been half-blinded by the glare of the snow, gradually -recovered their power of vision. There! What was -that? Something seemed to move on the ledge below. -Yes, there sat a long row of auks, some erect as soldiers, -as if determined to face it out; others huddled together -in clusters, and comically woe-begone. Quite a number -lay dead at the base of the rock, whether from starvation -or as the victims of fierce fights for the possession of the -sheltered ledges could scarcely be determined. Thoralf, -delighted at the sight of anything eatable (even though -it was poor eating), gently lowered the end of his pole, -slipped the noose about the neck of a large, military-looking -fellow, and, with a quick pull, swung him out -over the ice-field. The auk gave a few ineffectual flaps -with his useless wings,<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> and expired. His picking off -apparently occasioned no comment whatever in his -family, for his comrades never uttered a sound nor stirred -an inch, except to take possession of the place he had -vacated. Number two met his fate with the same listless -resignation; and numbers three, four, and five were -likewise removed in the same noiseless manner, without -impressing their neighbors with the fact that their turn -might come next. The birds were half-benumbed with -hunger, and their usually alert senses were drowsy and -stupefied. Nevertheless, number six, when it felt the -noose about its neck, raised a hubbub that suddenly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -aroused the whole colony, and, with a chorus of wild -screams, the birds flung themselves down the cliffs or, in -their bewilderment, dashed headlong down upon the ice, -where they lay half stunned or helplessly sprawling. So, -through all the caves and hiding-places of the promontory -the commotion spread, and the noise of screams and -confused chatter mingled with the storm and filled the -vault of the sky. In an instant a great flock of gulls was -on the wing, and circled with resentful shrieks about the -head of the daring intruder who had disturbed their -wintry peace. The wind whirled them about, but they -still held their own, and almost brushed with their wings -against his face, while he struck out at them with his -pole. He had no intention of catching them; but, by -chance, a huge burgomaster gull<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> got its foot into the -noose. It made an ineffectual attempt to disentangle itself, -then, with piercing screams, flapped its great wings, -beating the air desperately. Thoralf, having packed -three birds into his hunting-bag, tied the three others together -by the legs, and flung them across his shoulders. -Then, gradually trusting his weight to the rope, he slid -off the rock, and was about to give his father the signal -to hoist him up. But, greatly to his astonishment, his -living captive, by the power of its mighty wings, pulling -at the end of the pole, swung him considerably farther -into space than he had calculated. He would have liked -to let go both the gull and the pole, but he perceived<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -instantly that if he did, he would, by the mere force of his -weight, be flung back against the rocky wall. He did not -dare take that risk, as the blow might be hard enough to -stun him. A strange, tingling sensation shot through -his nerves, and the blood throbbed with a surging sound -in his ears. There he hung suspended in mid-air, over a -terrible precipice—and a hundred feet below was the -jagged ice-field with its sharp, fiercely-shining steeples! -With a powerful effort of will, he collected his senses, -clinched his teeth, and strove to think clearly. The gull -whirled wildly eastward and westward, and he swayed -with its every motion like a living pendulum between sea -and sky. He began to grow dizzy, but again his powerful -will came to his rescue, and he gazed resolutely up -against the brow of the precipice and down upon the projecting -ledges below, in order to accustom his eye and -his mind to the sight. By a strong effort he succeeded -in giving a pull at the rope, and expected to feel himself -raised upward by his father’s strong arms. But, to his -amazement, there came no response to his signal. He -repeated it once, twice, thrice; there was a slight tugging -at the rope, but no upward movement. Then the brave -lad’s heart stood still, and his courage wellnigh failed -him.</p> - -<p>“Father!” he cried, with a hoarse voice of despair; -“why don’t you pull me up?”</p> - -<p>His cry was lost in the roar of the wind, and there -came no answer. Taking hold once more of the rope -with one hand, he considered the possibility of climbing; -but the miserable gull, seeming every moment to re<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span>double -its efforts at escape, deprived him of the use of -his hands unless he chose to dash out his brains by collision -with the rock. Something like a husky, choked -scream seemed to float down from above, and staring -again upward, he saw his father’s head projecting over -the brink of the precipice.</p> - -<p>“The rope will break,” screamed Sigurd. “I have tied -it to the rock.”</p> - -<p>Thoralf instantly took in the situation. By the swinging -motion, occasioned both by the wind and his fight -with the gull, the rope had become frayed against the -sharp edge of the cliff, and his chances of life, he coolly -concluded, were now not worth a sixpence. Curiously -enough, his agitation suddenly left him, and a great calm -came over him. He seemed to stand face to face with -eternity; and as nothing else that he could do was of -any avail, he could at least steel his heart to meet death -like a man and an Icelander.</p> - -<p>“I am trying to get hold of the rope below the place -where it is frayed,” he heard his father shout during a -momentary lull in the storm.</p> - -<p>“Don’t try,” answered the boy; “you can’t do it -alone. Rather, let me down on the lower ledge, and let -me sit there until you can go and get someone to help -you.”</p> - -<p>His father, accustomed to take his son’s advice, reluctantly -lowered him ten or twenty feet until he was on a -level with the shelving ledge below, which was broader -than the one upon which he had first gained foothold. -But—oh, the misery of it!—the ledge did not project far<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -enough! He could not reach it with his feet! The -rope, of which only a few strands remained, might break -at any moment and—he dared not think what would be -the result! He had scarcely had time to consider, when -a brilliant device shot through his brain. With a sudden -thrust he flung away the pole, and the impetus of his -weight sent him inward with such force that he landed -securely upon the broad shelf of rock.</p> - -<p>The gull, surprised by the sudden weight of the pole, -made a somersault, strove to rise again, and tumbled, -with the pole still depending from its leg, down upon the -ice-field.</p> - -<p>It was well that Thoralf was warmly clad, or he could -never have endured the terrible hours while he sat -through the long afternoon, hearing the moaning and -shrieking of the wind and seeing the darkness close -about him. The storm was chilling him with its fierce -breath. One of the birds he tied about his throat as a -sort of scarf, using the feet and neck for making the knot, -and the dense, downy feathers sent a glow of comfort -through him, in spite of his consciousness that every -hour might be his last. If he could only keep awake -through the night, the chances were that he would survive -to greet the morning. He hit upon an ingenious -plan for accomplishing this purpose. He opened the bill -of the auk which warmed his neck, cut off the lower -mandible, and placed the upper one (which was as sharp -as a knife) so that it would inevitably cut his chin in case -he should nod. He leaned against the rock and thought -of his mother and the warm, comfortable chimney-corner<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -at home. The wind probably resented this thought, for -it suddenly sent a biting gust right into his face, -and he buried his nose in the downy breast of the auk -until the pain had subsided. The darkness had now -settled upon sea and land; only here and there white -steeples loomed out of the gloom. Thoralf, simply to -occupy his thought, began to count them. But all of a -sudden one of the steeples seemed to move, then another—and -another.</p> - -<p>The boy feared that the long strain of excitement was -depriving him of his reason. The wind, too, after a few -wild arctic howls, acquired a warmer breath and a gentler -sound. It could not be possible that he was dreaming, -for in that case he would soon be dead. Perhaps he -was dead already, and was drifting through this strange -icy vista to a better world. All these imaginings flitted -through his mind, and were again dismissed as improbable. -He scratched his face with the foot of an auk in -order to convince himself that he was really awake. -Yes, there could be no doubt of it; he was wide awake. -Accordingly he once more fixed his eyes upon the ghostly -steeples and towers, and—it sent cold shudders down his -back—they were still moving. Then there came a fusillade -as of heavy artillery, followed by a salvo of lighter -musketry; then came a fierce grinding, and cracking, -and creaking sound, as if the whole ocean were of glass -and were breaking to pieces. “What,” thought Thoralf, -“is the ice breaking up!” In an instant the explanation -of the whole spectral panorama was clear as -the day. The wind had veered round to the southeast,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -and the whole enormous ice-floe was being driven out to -sea. For several hours—he could not tell how many—he -sat watching this superb spectacle by the pale light of -the aurora borealis, which toward midnight began to -flicker across the sky and illuminated the northern horizon. -He found the sight so interesting that for a while -he forgot to be sleepy. But toward morning, when the -aurora began to fade and the clouds to cover the east, -a terrible weariness was irresistibly stealing over him. -He could see glimpses of the black water beneath him; -and the shining spires of ice were vanishing in the dusk, -drifting rapidly away upon the arctic currents with -death and disaster to ships and crews that might happen -to cross their paths.</p> - -<p>It was terrible at what a snail’s pace the hours -crept along! It seemed to Thoralf as if a week had -passed since his father left him. He pinched himself -in order to keep awake, but it was of no use; his eyelids -would slowly droop and his head would incline—horrors! -what was that? Oh, he had forgotten; it -was the sharp mandible of the auk that cut his chin. -He put his hand up to it, and felt something warm -and clammy on his fingers. He was bleeding. It -took Thoralf several minutes to stay the blood—the -wound was deeper than he had bargained for; but it -occupied him and kept him awake, which was of vital -importance.</p> - -<p>At last, after a long and desperate struggle with -drowsiness, he saw the dawn break faintly in the east. -It was a mere feeble promise of light, a remote sugges<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>tion -that there was such a thing as day. But to the boy, -worn out by the terrible strain of death and danger staring -him in the face, it was a glorious assurance that rescue -was at hand. The tears came into his eyes—not -tears of weakness, but tears of gratitude that the terrible -trial had been endured. Gradually the light spread like -a pale, grayish veil over the eastern sky, and the ocean -caught faint reflections of the presence of the unseen sun. -The wind was mild, and thousands of birds that had been -imprisoned by the ice in the crevices of the rocks whirled -triumphantly into the air and plunged with wild screams -into the tide below. It was hard to imagine where they -all had been, for the air seemed alive with them, the cliffs -teemed with them; and they fought, and shrieked, and -chattered, like a howling mob in times of famine. It -was owing to this unearthly tumult that Thoralf did not -hear the voice which called to him from the top of the -cliff. His senses were half-dazed by the noise and by -the sudden relief from the excitement of the night. -Then there came two voices floating down to him—then -quite a chorus. He tried to look up, but the beetling -brow of the rock prevented him from seeing anything -but a stout rope, which was dangling in mid-air and -slowly approaching him. With all the power of his lungs -he responded to the call; and there came a wild cheer -from above—a cheer full of triumph and joy. He recognized -the voices of Hunding’s sons, who lived on the -other side of the promontory; and he knew that even -without their father they were strong enough to pull up -a man three times his weight. The difficulty now was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -only to get hold of the rope, which hung too far out for -his hands to reach it.</p> - -<p>“Shake the rope hard,” he called up; and immediately -the rope was shaken into serpentine undulations; and -after a few vain efforts, he succeeded in catching hold of -the knot. To secure the rope about his waist and to give -the signal for the ascent was but a moment’s work. -They hauled vigorously, those sons of Hunding—for he -rose, up, along the black walls—up—up—up—with no -uncertain motion. At last, when he was at the very -brink of the precipice, he saw his father’s pale and anxious -face leaning out over the abyss. But there was another -face too! Whose could it be? It was a woman’s -face. It was his mother’s. Somebody swung him out -into space; a strange, delicious dizziness came over him; -his eyes were blinded with tears; he did not know where -he was. He only knew that he was inexpressibly happy. -There came a tremendous cheer from somewhere—for -Icelanders know how to cheer—but it penetrated but -faintly through his bewildered senses. Something cold -touched his forehead; it seemed to be snow; then warm -drops fell, which were tears. He opened his eyes; he -was in his mother’s arms. Little Jens was crying over -him and kissing him. His father and Hunding’s sons -were standing, with folded arms, gazing joyously at him.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="MIKKEL" id="MIKKEL"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">MIKKEL.</a></h2> - - -<h3>I.<br /><br /><br /> - -<span class="fs70">HOW MIKKEL WAS FOUND.</span></h3> - -<p>You may find it hard to believe what I am going to -tell you, but it is, nevertheless, strictly true. I knew the -boy who is the hero of this story. His name was Thor -Larsson, and a very clever boy he was. Still I don’t -think he would have amounted to much in the world, if -it had not been for his friend Michael, or, as they write -it in Norwegian, Mikkel. Mikkel, strange to say, was -not a boy, but a fox. Thor caught him, when he was a -very small lad, in a den under the roots of a huge tree. -It happened in this way. Thor and his elder brother, -Lars, and still another boy, named Ole Thomlemo, were up -in the woods gathering faggots, which they tied together -in large bundles to carry home on their backs; for their -parents were poor people, and had no money to buy wood -with. The boys rather liked to be sent on errands of -this kind, because delicious raspberries and blueberries -grew in great abundance in the woods, and gathering -faggots was, after all, a much manlier occupation than -staying at home minding the baby.</p> - -<p>Thor’s brother Lars and Ole Thomlemo were great<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -friends, and they had a disagreeable way of always plotting -and having secrets together and leaving Thor out of -their councils. One of their favorite tricks, when they -wished to get rid of him, was to pretend to play hide-and-seek; -and when he had hidden himself, they would run -away from him and make no effort to find him. It was -this trick of theirs which led to the capture of Mikkel, -and to many things besides.</p> - -<p>It was on a glorious day in the early autumn that the -three boys started out together, as frisky and gay as a -company of squirrels. They had no luncheon-baskets -with them, although they expected to be gone for the -whole day; but they had hooks and lines in their pockets, -and meant to have a famous dinner of brook-trout -up in some mountain glen, where they could sit like -pirates around a fire, conversing in mysterious language, -while the fish was being fried upon a flat stone. Their -<i lang="no" xml:lang="no">tolle</i> knives<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> were hanging, sheathed, from their girdles, -and the two older ones carried, besides, little hatchets -wherewith to cut off the dry twigs and branches. Lars -and Ole Thomlemo, as usual, kept ahead and left Thor -to pick his way over the steep and stony road as best he -might; and when he caught up with them, they started -to run, while he sat down panting on a stone. Thus -several hours passed, until they came to a glen in which -the blueberries grew so thickly that you couldn’t step -without crushing a handful. The boys gave a shout of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -delight and flung themselves down, heedless of their -clothes, and began to eat with boyish greed. As far as -their eyes could reach between the mossy pine trunks, -the ground was blue with berries, except where bunches -of ferns or clusters of wild flowers intercepted the view. -When they had dulled the edge of their hunger, they began -to cut the branches from the trees which the lumbermen -had felled, and Ole Thomlemo, who was clever -with his hands, twisted withes, which they used instead -of ropes for tying their bundles together. They had -one bundle well secured and another under way, when -Ole, with a mischievous expression, ran over to Lars and -whispered something in his ear.</p> - -<p>“Let us play hide-and-seek,” said Lars aloud, glancing -over toward his little brother, who was working like a -Trojan, breaking the faggots so as to make them all the -same length.</p> - -<p>Thor, who in spite of many exasperating experiences -had not yet learned to be suspicious, threw down an -armful of dry boughs and answered: “Yes, let us, boys. -I am in for anything.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll blind first,” cried Ole Thomlemo; “now, be -quick and get yourselves hidden.”</p> - -<p>And off the two brothers ran, while Ole turned his -face against a big tree and covered his eyes with his -hands. But the very moment Thor was out of sight, -Lars stole back again to his friend, and together they -slipped away under cover of the bushes, until they -reached the lower end of the glen. There, they pulled -out their fish-lines, cut rods with their hatchets, and went<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -down to the tarn, or brook, which was only a short distance -off; the fishing was excellent, and when the large -speckled trout began to leap out of the water to catch -their flies, the two boys soon ceased to trouble themselves -about little Thor, who, they supposed, was hiding -under some bush and waiting to be discovered.</p> - -<p>In this supposition they were partly right and partly -wrong.</p> - -<p>No sooner had Ole Thomlemo given the signal for -hiding, than Thor ran up the hill-side, stumbling over -the moss-grown stones, pushing the underbrush aside -with his hands, and looking eagerly for a place where he -would be least likely to be found. He was full of the -spirit of the game, and anticipated with joyous excitement -the wonder of the boys when they should have to -give up the search and call to him to reveal himself. -While these thoughts were filling his brain, he caught -sight of a huge old fir-tree, which was leaning down the -mountain-side as if ready to fall. The wind had evidently -given it a pull in the top, strong enough to loosen -its hold on the ground, and yet not strong enough to -overthrow it. On the upper side, for a dozen yards or -more, the thick, twisted roots, with the soil and turf still -clinging to them, had been lifted, so as to form a little -den about two feet wide at the entrance. Here, thought -Thor, was a wonderful hiding-place. Chuckling to himself -at the discomfiture of his comrades, he threw himself -down on his knees and thrust his head into the opening. -To his surprise the bottom felt soft to his hands, -as if it had been purposely covered with moss and a layer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -of feathers and eider-down. He did not take heed of the -peculiar wild smell which greeted his nostrils, but fearlessly -pressed on, until nearly his whole figure, with the -exception of the heels of his boots, was hidden. Then a -sharp little bark startled him, and raising his head he saw -eight luminous eyes staring at him from a dark recess, a -few feet beyond his nose. It is not to be denied that he -was a little frightened; for it instantly occurred to him -that he had unwittingly entered the den of some wild -beast, and that, in case the old ones were at home, there -was small chance of his escaping with a whole skin. It -could hardly be a bear’s den, for the entrance was not -half big enough for a gentleman of Bruin’s size. It might -possibly be a wolf’s premises he was trespassing upon, -and the idea made his blood run cold. For Mr. Gray-legs, -as the Norwegians call the wolf, is not to be trifled -with; and a small boy armed only with a knife was -hardly a match for such an antagonist. Thor concluded, -without much reflection, that his safest plan would be to -beat a hasty retreat. Digging his hands into the mossy -ground, he tried to push himself backward, but, to his -unutterable dismay, he could not budge an inch. The -feathers, interspersed with the smooth pine-needles, -slipped away under his fingers, and the roots caught -in his clothes and held him as in a vice. He tried to -force his way, but the more he wriggled the more he -realized how small was his chance of escape. To turn -was impossible, and to pull off his coat and trousers was -a scarcely less difficult task. It was fortunate that the -four inhabitants of the den, to whom the glaring eyes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -belonged, seemed no less frightened than himself; for -they remained huddled together in their corner, and -showed no disposition to fight. They only stared wildly -at the intruder, and seemed anxious to know what he -intended to do next. And Thor stared at them in return, -although the darkness was so dense that he could -discern nothing except the eight luminous eyes, which -were fixed upon him with an uncanny and highly uncomfortable -expression. Unpleasant as the situation -was, he began to grow accustomed to it, and he collected -his scattered thoughts sufficiently to draw certain conclusions. -The size of the den, as well as the feathers -which everywhere met his fumbling hands, convinced -him that his hosts were young foxes, and that probably -their respected parents, for the moment, were on a raid -in search of rabbits or stray poultry. That reflection -comforted him, for he had never known a fox to use any -other weapon of defence than its legs, unless it was -caught in a trap and had to fight for bare life. He was -just dismissing from his mind all thought of danger from -that source, when a sudden sharp pain in his heel put an -end to his reasoning. He gave a scream, at which the -eight eyes leaped apart in pairs and distributed themselves -in a row along the curving wall of the den. Another -bite in his ankle convinced him that he was being -attacked from behind, and he knew no other way of defence -than to kick with all his might, screaming at the -same time so as to attract the attention of the boys, who, -he supposed, could hardly be far off. But his voice -sounded choked and feeble in the close den, and he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -feared that no one would be able to hear it ten yards -away. The strong odor, too, began to stifle him, and a -strange dizziness wrapped his senses, as it were, in a gray, -translucent veil. He made three or four spasmodic efforts -to rouse himself, screamed feebly, and kicked; but -probably he struck his wounded ankle against a root or -a stone, for the pain shot up his leg and made him clinch -his teeth to keep the tears from starting. He thought -of his poor mother, whom he feared he should never see -again, and how she would watch for his return through -the long night and cry for him, as it said in the Bible -that Jacob cried over Joseph when he supposed that a -wild beast had torn him to pieces and killed him. Curious -lights, like shooting stars, began to move before his -eyes; his tongue felt dry and parched, and his throat -seemed burning hot. It occurred to him that certainly -God saw his peril and might yet help him, if he only -prayed for help; but the only prayer which he could remember -was the one which the minister repeated every -Sunday for “our most gracious sovereign, Oscar II., -and the army and navy of the United Kingdoms.” Next -he stumbled upon “the clergy, and the congregations -committed to their charge;” and he was about to finish -with “sailors in distress at sea,” when his words, like his -thoughts, grew more and more hazy, and he drifted away -into unconsciousness.</p> - -<p>Lars and Ole Thomlemo in the meanwhile had enjoyed -themselves to the top of their bent, and when they -had caught a dozen trout, among which was one three-pounder, -they reeled up their lines, threaded the fish on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -withes, and began to trudge leisurely up the glen. When -they came to the place where they had left their bundles -of faggots, they stopped to shout for Thor, and when -they received no reply, they imagined that, being tired -of waiting, he had gone home alone, or fallen in with -some one who was on his way down to the valley. The -only thing that troubled them was that Thor’s bundle -had not been touched since they left him, and they knew -that the boy was not lazy, and that, moreover, he would -be afraid to go home without the faggots. They therefore -concluded to search the copse and the surrounding -underbrush, as it was just possible that he might have -fallen asleep in his hiding-place while waiting to be discovered.</p> - -<p>“I think Thor is napping somewhere under the -bushes,” cried Ole Thomlemo, swinging his hatchet -over his head like an Indian tomahawk. “We shall -have to halloo pretty loud, for you know he sleeps like -a top.”</p> - -<p>And they began scouring the underbrush, traversing -it in all directions, and hallooing lustily, both singly and -in chorus. They were just about giving up the quest, -when Lars’s attention was attracted by two foxes which, -undismayed by the noise, were running about a large -fir-tree, barking in a way which betrayed anxiety, and -stopping every minute to dig up the ground with their -fore-paws. When the boys approached the tree, the -foxes ran only a short distance, then stopped, ran back, -and again fled, once more to return.</p> - -<p>“Those fellows act very queerly,” remarked Lars, eying<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -the foxes curiously; “I’ll wager there are young un’s -under the tree here, but”—Lars gasped for breath—“Ole—Ole—Oh, -look! What is this?”</p> - -<p>Lars had caught sight of a pair of heels, from which a -little stream of blood had been trickling, coloring the -stones and pine-needles. Ole Thomlemo, hearing his -comrade’s exclamation of fright, was on the spot in an -instant, and he comprehended at once how everything -had happened.</p> - -<p>“Look here, Lars,” he said, resolutely, “this is no -time for crying. If Thor is dead, it is we who have -killed him; but if he isn’t dead, we’ve got to save -him.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, what shall we do, Ole?” sobbed Lars, while the -tears rolled down over his cheeks, “what shall we do? I -shall never dare go home again if he is dead. We have -been so very bad to him!”</p> - -<p>“We have got to save him, I tell you,” repeated Ole, -tearless and stern: “we must pull him out; and if we -can’t do that, we must cut through the roots of this fir-tree; -then it’ll plunge down the mountain-side, without -hurting him. A few roots that have burrowed into the -rocks are all that keep the tree standing. Now, act like -a man. Take hold of him by one heel and I’ll take the -other.”</p> - -<p>Lars, who looked up to his friend as a kind of superior -being, dried his tears and grasped his brother’s foot, while -Ole carefully handled the wounded ankle. But their -combined efforts had no perceptible effect, except to -show how inextricably the poor lad’s clothes were inter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>tangled -with the tree-roots, which, growing all in one direction, -made entrance easy, but exit impossible.</p> - -<p>“That won’t do,” said Ole, after three vain trials. “We -might injure him without knowing it, driving the sharp -roots into his eyes and ears, as likely as not. We’ve got -to use the hatchets. You cut that root and I’ll manage -this one.”</p> - -<p>Ole Thomlemo was a lumberman’s son, and since he -was old enough to walk had spent his life in the forest. -He could calculate with great nicety how a tree would -fall, if cut in a certain way, and his skill in this instance -proved valuable. With six well-directed cuts he severed -one big root, while Lars labored at a smaller one. Soon -with a great crash the mighty tree fell down the mountain-side, -crushing a dozen birches and smaller pines -under its weight. The moss-grown sod around about -was torn up with the remaining roots, and three pretty -little foxes, blinded and stunned by the rush of daylight, -sprang out from their hole and stared in bewilderment -at the sudden change of scene. Through the cloud of -flying dust and feathers the boys discerned, too, Thor’s -insensible form, lying outstretched, torn and bleeding, -his face resting upon his hands, as if he were asleep. -With great gentleness they lifted him up, brushed the -moss and earth from his face and clothes, and placed -him upon the grass by the side of the brook which flowed -through the bottom of the glen. Although his body was -warm, they could hardly determine whether he was dead -or alive, for he seemed scarcely to be breathing, and it -was not until Ole put a feather before his mouth and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -perceived its faint inward and outward movement, that -they felt reassured and began to take heart. They -bathed his temples with the cool mountain water and -rubbed and chafed his hands, until at last he opened his -eyes wonderingly and moved his lips, as if endeavoring -to speak.</p> - -<p>“Where am I?” he whispered at last, after several -vain efforts to make himself heard.</p> - -<p>“Why, cheer up, old fellow,” answered Ole, encouragingly; -“you have had a little accident, that’s all, but -you’ll be all right in a minute.”</p> - -<p>“Unbutton my vest,” whispered Thor again; “there is -something scratching me here.”</p> - -<p>He put his hand over his heart, and the boys quickly -<ins class="corr" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: ‘tore his watstcoat’">tore his waistcoat</ins> open, but to their unutterable astonishment -a little fox, the image of the three that had escaped, -put his head out and looked about him with his alert -eyes, as if to say: “Here am I; how do you like me?” -He evidently felt so comfortable where he was, that he -had no desire to get away. No doubt the little creature, -prompted either by his curiosity or a desire to escape -from the den, had crept into Thor’s bosom while he was -insensible, and, finding his quarters quite to his taste, -had concluded to remain. Lars picked him up, tied a -string about his neck, and put him in the side pocket of -his jacket. Then, as it was growing late, Ole lifted Thor -upon his back, and he and Lars took turns in carrying -him down to the valley.</p> - -<p>Thor’s ankle gave him some trouble, as the wound -was slow in healing. With that exception, he was soon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -himself again; and he and Mikkel (for that was the -name he gave to the little fox) grew to be great friends -and had many a frolic together.</p> - -<p>But the little fox was not a model of deportment, as -you will see when I tell you, in the next chapter, how -Mikkel disgraced himself.</p> - - -<hr class="tb" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p> - -<h3>II.<br /><br /><br /> - -<span class="fs70">HOW MIKKEL DISGRACED HIMSELF.</span></h3> - -<p>When Thor was twelve years old, he had to go out -into the world to make his own living; for his parents -were poor, and they had half a dozen younger children, -who also had to be fed and clothed. As it happened, -Judge Nannestad, who lived on a large estate down at -the fiord, wanted an office-boy, and as Thor was a bright -and active lad, he had no difficulty in obtaining the situation. -The only question was, how to dispose of Mikkel; -for, to be frank, Mikkel (in spite of his many admirable -traits) was not a general favorite, and Thor suspected -that when his protector was away Mikkel would have a -hard time of it. He well knew that Mikkel was of a -peculiar temperament, which required to be studied in -order to be appreciated, and as there was no one but himself -who took this trouble, he did not wonder that his -friend was generally misunderstood. Mikkel’s was not a -nature to invite confidences; he scrupulously kept his -own counsel, and was always alert and on his guard. -There was a bland expression on his face, a kind of lurking -smile, which never varied, and which gave absolutely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -no clew to his thoughts. When he had skimmed the -cream off the milk-pans on the top shelf in the kitchen, -he returned, licking his chops, with the same inscrutable -smile, as if his conscience were as clean as a new-born -babe’s; and when he had slipped his collar over his head -and dispatched the kitten, burying its remains in the -backyard, he betrayed no more remorse than if he had -been cracking a nut. Sultan, the dog, strange to say, -had private reasons for being afraid of him, and always -slank away in a shamefaced manner, whenever Mikkel -gave him one of his quiet sidelong glances. And yet -the same Mikkel would roll on his back, and jump and -play with the baby by the hour, seize her pudgy little -hands gently with his teeth, never inflicting a bite or -a scratch. He would nestle on Thor’s bosom inside -of his coat, while Thor was learning his lesson, or he -would sit on his shoulder and look down on the book -with his superior smile. It was not to be denied that -Mikkel had a curious character—an odd mixture of -good and bad qualities; but as, in Thor’s judgment, -the good were by far the more prominent, he would -not listen to his father’s advice and leave his friend -behind him, when he went down to the judge’s at the -grand estate.</p> - -<p>It was the day after New-year’s that Thor left the cottage -up under the mountain, and, putting on his skees, -slid down the steep hill-side to the fiord. Mikkel was -nestling, according to his wont, in the bosom of his master’s -coat, while his pretty head, with the clean dark -snout and dark mustache, was sticking out above the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -boy’s collar, just under his chin. Mikkel had never -been so far away from home before, and he concluded -that the world was a bigger affair than he had been -aware of.</p> - -<p>It was with a loudly thumping heart that Thor paused -outside the door of the judge’s office, for he greatly -feared that the judge might share the general prejudice -against Mikkel, and make difficulties about his board -and lodgings. Instead of entering, he went to the pump -in the yard and washed his friend’s face carefully and -combed his hair with the fragment of a comb with which -his mother had presented him at parting. It was important -that Mikkel should appear to advantage, so as to -make a good impression upon the judge. And really he -did look irresistible, Thor thought, with his bright, black -eyes, his dainty paws, and his beautiful red skin. He -felt satisfied that if the judge had not a heart of stone -he could not help being captivated at the sight of so -lovely a creature. Thor took courage and knocked at -the door.</p> - -<p>“Ah, you are our new office-boy,” said the judge, as -he entered; “but what is that you have under your -coat?”</p> - -<p>“It is Mikkel, sir, please your Honor,” stammered -Thor, putting the fox on the floor, so as to display his -charms. But hardly had he taken his hands off him, -when a sudden scrambling noise was heard in the adjoining -office, and a large hound came bounding with -wild eyes and drooping tongue through the open door. -With lightning speed Mikkel leaped up on the judge’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -writing-desk, scattering his writing materials, upsetting -an inkstand by an accidental whisk of his tail, and bespattering -the honorable gentleman’s face and shirt-front -with the black fluid. To perform a similar service -on the next desk, where a clerk was writing, to jump -from there to the shoulder of a marble bust, which fell -from its pedestal down on the hound’s head and broke -into a dozen pieces, and to reach a place of safety on -the top of a tall bookcase were all a moment’s work. -The hound lay howling, with a wounded nose, on the -floor. The judge stood scowling at his desk, rubbing -the ink all over his face with his handkerchief, and -Mikkel sat smiling on the top of the bookcase, surveying -calmly the ruin which he had wrought. But the -most miserable creature in the room was neither the -judge, with his black face, nor the hound, with the bleeding -nose; it was Thor, who stood trembling at the door, -expecting that something still more terrible would happen. -And knowing that, after having caused such a commotion, -his place was forfeited, he held out his arms to -Mikkel, who accepted the invitation, and with all speed -at their disposal they rushed out through the door and -away over the snowy fields, scarcely knowing whither -their feet bore them.</p> - -<p>After half an hour’s run, when he had no more breath -left, Thor seated himself on a tree-stump and tried to -collect his thoughts. What should he now do? Where -should he turn? Go home he could not; and if he did, -it would be the end of Mikkel. The only thing he could -think of was to go around in the parish, from farm to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -farm, until he found somebody who would give him something -to do.</p> - -<p>“I hope you will appreciate, my dear Mikkel,” he said -to his fox, “that it is on your account I have all this -trouble. It was very naughty of you to behave so badly, -and if you do it again I shall have to whip you! Do -you understand that, Mikkel?”</p> - -<p>Mikkel looked sheepish, which plainly showed that he -understood.</p> - -<p>“Now, Mikkel,” Thor continued, “we will go to the -parson; perhaps he may have some use for us. What -do you think of trying the parson?”</p> - -<p>Mikkel apparently thought well of the parson, for he -licked his master behind his ear and rubbed his snout -against his cheek. Accordingly, by noon they reached -the parsonage, and after a long parley with the pastor’s -wife, he was engaged as a sort of errand-boy, whose duty -it should be to do odd jobs about the house. Mikkel -was to have a kennel provided for him in the stable, but -was under no circumstances to enter the house. Thor -had to vouch for his good behavior, and the moment he -made himself in any way obnoxious it was decided that -he should be killed. Poor Thor had nominally to accept -these hard conditions, but in his own mind he determined -to run away with Mikkel the moment he was -caught in any kind of mischief. It seemed very hard for -Mikkel, too, who had been accustomed to sleep in Thor’s -arms in his warm bed, to be chained, and to spend the -long, dark nights in the stable in a miserable kennel. -Nevertheless, there was no help for it; so Thor went to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -work that same afternoon and made Mikkel as comfortable -a kennel as he could, taking care to make the hole -which served for entrance no bigger than it had to -be, so that no dog or other enemy should be able to -enter.</p> - -<p>For about four months all went well at the parsonage. -So long as Mikkel was confined in the stable he behaved -himself with perfect propriety, and, occasionally, when -he was (by special permission) taken into the house to -play with the children, he won golden opinions for himself -by his cunning tricks, and became, in fact, a great -favorite in the nursery. When the spring came and the -sun grew warm, his kennel was, at Thor’s request, moved -out into the yard, where he could have the benefit of the -fine spring weather. There he could be seen daily, lying -in the sun, with half-closed eyes, resting his head on his -paws, seeming too drowsy and comfortable to take notice -of anything. The geese and hens, which were at first a -trifle suspicious, gradually grew accustomed to his presence, -and often strayed within range of Mikkel’s chain, -and even within reach of his paws; but it always happened -that on such occasions either the pastor or his -wife was near, and Mikkel knew enough to be aware that -goose was forbidden fruit. But one day (it was just after -dinner, when the pastor was taking his nap), it happened -that a great fat gander, prompted by a pardonable curiosity, -stretched his neck a little too far toward the sleeping -Mikkel; when, quick as a wink and wide-awake, Mr. -Mikkel jumped up, and before he knew it, the gander -found himself minus his head. Very cautiously the cul<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>prit -peered about, and seeing no one near, he rapidly dug -a hole under his kennel and concealed his victim there, -covering it well with earth, until a more favorable opportunity -should present itself for making a meal of it. -Then he lay down, and stretched himself in the sun as -before, and seemed too sleepy even to open his eyes; -and when, on the following day, the gander was missed, -the innocent demeanor of Mikkel so completely imposed -upon everyone, that he was not even suspected. -Not even when the second and the third goose disappeared -could any reasonable charge be brought against -Mikkel.</p> - -<p>When the summer vacation came, however, the even -tenor of Mikkel’s existence was rudely interrupted by -the arrival of the parson’s oldest son, Finn, who was a -student in Christiania, and his dog Achilles. Achilles -was a handsome brown pointer, that, having been -brought up in the city, had never been accustomed to -look upon the fox as a domestic animal. He, therefore, -spent much of his time in harassing Mikkel, making -sudden rushes for him when he thought him asleep; -but always returning from these exploits shamefaced -and discomfited, for Mikkel was always a great deal too -clever to be taken by surprise. He would lie perfectly -still until Achilles was within a foot of him, and then, -with remarkable alertness, he would slip into the kennel, -through his door, where the dog’s size would not -permit him to follow; and the moment his enemy -turned his tail to him, Mikkel’s face would appear -bland and smiling, at the door, as if to say:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Good-by! Call again whenever you feel like it. -Now, don’t you wish you were as clever as I am?”</p> - -<p>And yet in spite of his daily defeats, Achilles could -never convince himself that his assaults upon Mikkel -brought him no glory. Perhaps his master, who did not -like Mikkel any too well, encouraged him in his enmity, -for it is certain that the assaults grew fiercer daily. And -at last, one day when the young student was standing in -the yard, holding his dog by the collar, while exciting -him against the half-sleeping fox, Achilles ran with such -force against the kennel that he upset it. Alas! For -then the evidence of Mikkel’s misdemeanors came to -light. From the door-hole of the rolling kennel a heap -of goose-feathers flew out, and were scattered in the air; -and, what was worse, a little “dug-out” became visible, -filled with bones and bills and other indigestible articles, -unmistakably belonging to the goose’s anatomy. Mikkel, -who was too wise to leave the kennel so long as it was -in motion, now peeped cautiously out, and he took in -the situation at a glance. Mr. Finn, the student, who -thought that Mikkel’s skin would look charming as a -rug before his fire-place in the city, was overjoyed to find -out what a rascal this innocent-looking creature had been; -for he knew well enough that his father would now no -longer oppose his desire for the crafty little creature’s -skin. So he went into the house, loaded his rifle, and -prepared himself as executioner.</p> - -<p>But at that very moment, Thor chanced to be coming -home from an errand; and he had hardly entered the -yard, when he sniffed danger in the air. He knew, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>out -asking, that Mikkel’s doom was sealed. For the -parson was a great poultry-fancier and was said to be -more interested in his ganders than he was in his children. -Therefore, without waiting for further developments, -Thor unhooked Mikkel’s chain, lifted the culprit -in his arms, and slipped him into the bosom of his waistcoat. -Then he stole up to his garret, gathered his clothes -in a bundle, and watched his chance to escape from the -house unnoticed. And while Master Finn and his dog -were hunting high and low for Mikkel in the barns and -stables, Thor was hurrying away over the fields, every -now and then glancing anxiously behind him, and nearly -smothering Mikkel in his efforts to keep him concealed, -lest Achilles should catch his scent. But Mikkel had -his own views on that subject, and was not to be suppressed; -and just as his master was congratulating himself -on their happy escape, they heard the deep baying -of a dog, and saw Achilles, followed by the student with -his gun, tracking them in fierce pursuit. Thor, whose -only hope was to reach the fiord, redoubled his speed, -skipped across fences, hedges, and stiles, and ran so fast -that earth and stones seemed to be flying in the other -direction. Yet Achilles’ baying was coming nearer and -nearer, and was hardly twenty feet distant by the -time the boy had flung himself into a boat, and with -four vigorous oar-strokes had shot out into the water. -The dog leaped after him, but was soon beyond his -depth, and the high breakers flung him back upon the -beach.</p> - -<p>“Come back at once,” cried Finn, imperiously. “It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -is not your boat. If you don’t obey, I’ll have you arrested.”</p> - -<p>Thor did not answer, but rowed with all his might.</p> - -<p>“If you take another stroke,” shouted the student furiously, -levelling his gun, “I’ll shoot both you and your -thievish fox.”</p> - -<p>It was meant only for intimidation; but where Mikkel’s -life was at stake, Thor was not easily frightened.</p> - -<p>“Shoot away!” he cried, thinking that he was now at -a safe distance, and that the student’s marksmanship was -none of the best. But before he realized what he had -said, whiz! went a bullet over his head. A stiff gale was -blowing, and the little boat was tossed like a foot-ball on -the incoming and the outgoing waves; but the plucky -lad struggled on bravely, until he hove alongside a fishing -schooner, which was to sail the next morning for -Drontheim. Fortunately the skipper needed a deck -hand, and Thor was promptly engaged. The boat which -had helped him to escape was found later and towed -back to shore by a fisherman.</p> - - -<hr class="tb" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> - -<h3>III.<br /><br /><br /> - -<span class="fs70">HOW MIKKEL MAKES HIS FORTUNE.</span></h3> - -<p>In Drontheim, which is a large commercial city on the -western coast of Norway, Thor soon found occupation as -office-boy in a bank, which did business under the name -of C. P. Lyng & Co. He was a boy of an open, fearless -countenance, and with a frank and winning manner. -Mr. Lyng, at the time when Thor entered his employ, -had just separated from his partner, Mr. Tulstrup, because -the latter had defrauded the firm and several of its -customers. Mr. Lyng had papers in his safe which -proved Mr. Tulstrup’s guilt, but he had contented himself -with dismissing him from the firm, and had allowed -him to take the share of the firm’s property to which he -was legally entitled. The settlement, however, had not -satisfied Mr. Tulstrup, and he had, in order to revenge himself, -gone about to the various customers, whom he had -himself defrauded, and persuaded them to commence suit -against Mr. Lyng, whom he represented as being the -guilty party. He did not, at that time, know that Mr. -Lyng had gained possession of the papers which revealed -the real author of the fraud. On the contrary, he flat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>tered -himself that he had destroyed every trace of his -own dishonest transactions.</p> - -<p>The fact that Mr. Lyng belonged to a family which -had always been distinguished, in business and social circles, -for its integrity and honor only whetted Tulstrup’s -desire to destroy his good name, and having laid his -plans carefully, he anticipated an easy triumph over honest -Mr. Lyng. His dismay, therefore, was very great -when, after the suit had been commenced in the courts, -he learned that it was his own name and liberty which -were in danger, and not those of his former partner. Mr. -Tulstrup, in spite of the position he had occupied, was -a desperate man, and was capable, under such circumstances, -of resorting to desperate remedies. But, like -most Norwegians, he had a streak of superstition in his -nature, and cherished an absurd belief in signs and omens, -in lucky and unlucky days, and in spectres and apparitions, -foreboding death or disaster. Mr. Tulstrup’s father -had believed in such things, and it had been currently -reported among the peasantry that he had been followed -by a spectral fox, which some asserted to be his wraith, -or double. This fox, it was said, had frequently been -seen during the old man’s lifetime, and when he once saw -it himself, he was frightened nearly out of his wits. Superstitious -stories of this kind are so common in Norway -that one can hardly spend a month in any country district -without hearing dozens of them. The belief in a -<i lang="no" xml:lang="no">fylgia</i>, or wraith in the shape of an animal, dates far back -into antiquity, and figures largely in the sagas, or ancient -legends of the Northland.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> - -<p>It has already been told that Thor had obtained a position -as office-boy in Mr. Lyng’s bank; and it was more -owing to the boy’s winning appearance than to any fondness -for foxes, on Mr. Lyng’s part, that Mikkel also was -engaged. It was arranged that a cushion whereupon -Mikkel might sleep should be put behind the stove in -the back office. At first Mikkel endured his captivity -here with great fortitude; but he did not like it, and it was -plain that he was pining for the parsonage and his kennel -in the free air, and the pleasant companionship of the -geese and the stupid Achilles. Thor then obtained permission -to have him walk about unchained, and the clerks, -who admired his graceful form and dainty ways, soon -grew very fond of him, and stroked him caressingly, as -he promenaded along the counter or seated himself on -their shoulders, inspecting their accounts with critical -eyes. Thor was very happy to see his friend petted, -though he had an occasional twinge of jealousy when -Mikkel made himself too agreeable to old Mr. Barth, the -cashier, or kissed young Mr. Dreyer, the assistant book-keeper. -Such faithlessness on Mikkel’s part was an ill -return for all the sacrifices Thor had made for him; and -yet, hard as it was, it had to be borne. For an office-boy -cannot afford to have emotions, or, if he has them, cannot -afford the luxury of giving way to them.</p> - -<p>C. P. Lyng & Co.’s bank was a solid, old-fashioned -business-house which the clerks entered as boys and -where they remained all their lives. Mr. Barth, the -cashier, had occupied his present desk for twenty-one -years, and had spent nine years more in inferior posi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>tions. -He was now a stout little man of fifty, with close -cropped, highly-respectable side-whiskers and thin gray -hair, which was made to cover his crown by the aid of a -small comb. This comb, which was fixed above his right -ear and held the straggling locks together, was a source -of great amusement to the clerks, who made no end of -witticisms about it. But Mr. Barth troubled himself -very little about their poor puns, and sat serenely poring -over his books and packages of bank-bills from morning -till night. He prided himself above all on his regularity, -and it was said that he had never been one minute too -late or too early during the thirty years he had been in -Mr. Lyng’s bank; accordingly, he had little patience -with the shortcomings of his subordinates, and fined -and punished them in various ways, if they were but a -moment tardy; for the most atrocious of all crimes, in -Mr. Barth’s opinion, was tardiness. The man who suffered -most from his severity was Mr. Dreyer, the assistant -book-keeper. Mr. Dreyer was a good-looking young -man, and very fond of society; and it happened sometimes -that, on the morning after a ball, he would sleep -rather late. He had long rebelled in silence against Mr. -Barth’s tyranny, and when he found that his dissatisfaction -was shared by many of the other clerks, he conceived -a plan to revenge himself on his persecutor. To -this end a conspiracy was formed among the younger -clerks, and it was determined to make Mikkel the agent -of their vengeance.</p> - -<p>It was well known by the clerks that Mr. Barth was -superstitious and afraid in the dark; and it was generally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -agreed that it would be capital fun to give him a little -fright. Accordingly the following plan was adopted: A -bottle of the oil of phosphorus was procured and Mikkel’s -fur was thoroughly rubbed with it, so that in the dark the -whole animal would be luminous. At five minutes before -five, someone should go down in the cellar and turn -off the gas, just as the cashier was about to enter the -back office to lock up the safe. Then, when the illuminated -Mikkel glared out on him from a dark corner, he -would probably shout or faint or cry out, and then all the -clerks should rush sympathetically to him and render him -every assistance.</p> - -<p>Thus the plan was laid, and there was a breathless, -excited stillness in the bank when the hour of five approached. -It had been dark for two hours, and the -clerks sat on their high stools, bending silently over their -desks, scribbling away for dear life. Promptly at seven -minutes before five, up rose Mr. Barth and gave the signal -to have the books closed; then, to the unutterable -astonishment of the conspirators, he handed the key of -the safe to Mr. Dreyer (who knew the combination), and -told him to lock the safe and return the key. At that -very instant, out went the gas; and Mr. Dreyer, although -he was well prepared, could himself hardly master his -fright at Mikkel’s terrible appearance. He struck a -match, lighted a wax taper (which was used for sealing -letters), and tremblingly locked the safe; then, abashed -and discomfited, he advanced to the cashier’s desk and -handed him the key.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you would have the kindness, Mr. Dreyer,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -said Mr. Barth, calmly, “to write a letter of complaint -to the gas-company before you go home. It will never -do in the world to have such things happen. I suppose -there must be water in the pipes.”</p> - -<p>The old man buttoned his overcoat up to his chin and -marched out; whereupon a shout of laughter burst forth, -in which Mr. Dreyer did not join. He could not see -what they found to laugh at, he said. It took him a -long while to compose his letter of complaint to the gas-company.</p> - -<p>Mikkel in the meanwhile was feeling very uncomfortable. -He could not help marvelling at his extraordinary -appearance. He rubbed himself against chairs and tables, -and found to his astonishment that he made everything -luminous that he touched. He had never known any -respectable fox which possessed this accomplishment, and -he felt sure that in some way something was wrong with -him. He could not sleep, but walked restlessly about on -the desks and counters, bristled with anger at the slightest -sound, and was miserable and excited. He could not -tell how far the night had advanced, when he heard a -noise in the back office (which fronted upon the court-yard) -as if a window was being opened. His curiosity -was aroused and he walked sedately across the floor; -then he stopped for a moment to compose himself, for he -was well aware that what he saw was something extraordinary. -A man with a dark-lantern in his hand was -kneeling before the safe with a key in his hand. Mikkel -advanced a little farther and paused in a threatening attitude -on the threshold of the door. With his luminous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -face and body, and a halo of phosphorescent light round -about him, he was terrible to behold. He gave a little -snort, at which the man turned quickly about. But no -sooner had he caught sight of the illuminated Mikkel -than he flung himself on his knees before the little animal, -and with clasped hands and a countenance wild with -fear exclaimed: “Oh, I know who thou art! Pardon -me, pardon me! Thou art my father’s spectral fox! I -know thee, I know thee!”</p> - -<p>Mikkel had never suspected that he was anything so -terrible; but, as he saw that the man was bent on mischief, -he did not think it worth while to contradict him. -He only curved his back and bristled, until the man, beside -himself with fear, made a rush for the window and -leaped out into the court-yard. Then Mikkel, thinking -that he had had excitement enough for one night, curled -himself up on his cushion behind the stove and went to -sleep.</p> - -<p>The next morning, when Mr. Barth arrived, he found -a window in the back office broken, and the door of the -safe wide open. On the floor lay a bundle of papers, all -relating to the transactions of Tulstrup while a member -of the firm, and, moreover, a hat, marked on the inside -with Tulstrup’s name, was found on a chair.</p> - -<p>On the same day Mr. Lyng was summoned to the -bedside of his former partner, who made a full confession, -and offered to return through him the money which he -had fraudulently acquired. His leg was broken, and he -seemed otherwise shattered in body and mind. It had -been his purpose, he said, to drive Mr. Lyng from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -firm in disgrace, and he was sure he could have accomplished -it, if Providence itself had not interfered. But, -incredible as it seemed, he had seen a luminous animal -in the bank, and he felt convinced that it was his father’s -spectral fox. It was well enough to smile at such things -and call them childish, but he had certainly seen, he -said, a wonderful, shining fox.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lyng did not attempt to convince Mr. Tulstrup -that he was wrong. He took the money and distributed -it among those who had suffered by Mr. Tulstrup’s frauds, -and thus many needy people—widows and industrious -laborers—regained their hard-earned property, and all -because Mikkel’s skin was luminous. When Mr. Lyng -heard the whole story from Mr. Dreyer, he laughed -heartily and long. But from that day he took a warm -interest in Thor and his fox, and sent the former to -school and, later, to the university, where he made an -honorable name for himself by his talents and industry.</p> - -<p>Poor Mikkel is now almost gray, and his teeth are so -blunt that he has to have his food minced before he can -eat it. But he still occupies a soft rug behind the stove -in the student’s room, and Thor hopes he will live long -enough to be introduced to his master’s wife. For it -would be a pity if she were not to know him to whom -her husband owes his position, and she, accordingly, hers.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="THE_FAMINE" id="THE_FAMINE"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">THE FAMINE AMONG THE GNOMES.</a></h2> - - -<p>I believe it was in the winter of 18— (but it does not -matter so much about the time) that the servants on the -large estate of Halthorp raised a great ado about something -or other. Whereupon the Baron of Halthorp, who -was too stout to walk down the stairs on slight provocation, -called his steward, in a voice like that of an angry -lion, and asked him, “Why in the name of Moses he did -not keep the rascals quiet.”</p> - -<p>“But, your lordship,” stammered the steward, who -was as thin as the baron was stout, “I have kept them -quiet for more than a month past, though it has been -hard enough. Now they refuse to obey me unless I -admit them to your lordship’s presence, that they may -state their complaint.”</p> - -<p>“Impudent beggars!” growled the old gentleman. -“Tell them that I am about to take my after-dinner nap, -and that I do not wish to be disturbed.”</p> - -<p>“I have told them that a dozen times,” whined the -steward, piteously. “But they are determined to leave -in a body, unless your lordship consents to hear them.”</p> - -<p>“Leave! They can’t leave,” cried his honor. “The -law binds them. Well, well, to save talking, fling the -doors open and let them come in.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> - -<p>The steward hobbled away to the great oak-panelled -doors (I forgot to tell you that he limped in his left foot), -and, cautiously turning the knob and the key, peeped -out into the hall. There stood the servants—twenty-eight -in all—but, oh! what a sight! They were hollow-cheeked, -with hungry eyes and bloodless lips, and -deep lines about their mouths, as if they had not seen -food for weeks. Their bony hands twitched nervously -at the coarse clothes that flapped in loose folds about -their lean and awkward limbs. They were indeed a pitiful -spectacle. Only a single one of them—and that was -of course the cook—looked like an ordinary mortal, or an -extraordinary mortal, if you like, for he was nearly as -broad as he was long. It was owing to the fact that he -walked at the head of the procession, as they filed into -the parlor, that the baron did not immediately discover -the miserable condition of the rest. But when they had -faced about, and stood in a long row from wall to wall—well, -you would hardly believe it, but the baron, hard-hearted -as he was, came near fainting. There is a limit -to all things, and even a heart of steel would have been -moved at the sight of such melancholy objects.</p> - -<p>“Steward,” he roared, when he had sufficiently recovered -himself, “who is the demon who has dared to trifle -with my fair name and honor? Name him, sir—name -him, and I will strangle him on the spot!”</p> - -<p>The steward, even if he had been acquainted with the -demon, would have thought twice before naming him -under such circumstances. Accordingly he was silent.</p> - -<p>“Have I not,” continued the baron, still in a voice that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -made his subjects quake—“have I not caused ample provisions -to be daily distributed among you? Have not -you, Mr. Steward, the keys to my store-houses, and have -you not my authority to see that each member of my -household is properly provided for?”</p> - -<p>The steward dared not answer; he only nodded his -head in silence.</p> - -<p>“If it please your lordship,” finally began a squeaky -little voice at the end of the row (it was that of the under-groom), -“it isn’t the steward as is to blame, but it’s the -victuals. Somehow there isn’t any taste nor fillin’ to -them. Whether I eat pork and cabbage or porridge with -molasses, it don’t make no difference. It all tastes alike. -As I say, your lordship, the old Nick has got into the -victuals.”</p> - -<p>The under-groom had hardly ceased speaking before -the baron, who was a very irascible old gentleman, seized -his large gold-headed cane and as quickly as his bulk -would allow, rushed forward to give vent to his anger.</p> - -<p>“I’ll teach you manners, you impudent clown!” he -bawled out, as, with his cane lifted above his head, he -rushed into the ranks of the frightened servants, shouting -to the under-groom, “Criticise my victuals, will you, -you miserable knave!”</p> - -<p>The under-groom having on former occasions made the -acquaintance of the baron’s cane, and still remembering -the unpleasant sensation, immediately made for the door, -and slipped nimbly out before a blow had reached him. -All the others, who had to suffer for their spokesman’s -boldness, tumbled pell-mell through the same opening,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -jumped, rolled, or vaulted down the steps, and landed in -a confused heap at the bottom of the stairs.</p> - -<p>The baron, in the meanwhile, marched with long strides -up and down the floor, and expressed himself, not in the -politest language, concerning the impudence of his domestics.</p> - -<p>“However,” he grumbled to himself, “I must look into -this affair and find out what fraud there is at the bottom -of it. The poor creatures couldn’t get as lean as that -unless there was some real trouble.”</p> - -<p>About three hours later the baron heard the large bell -over the gable of his store-house ring out for dinner. The -wood-cutters and the men who drove the snow-plough, -and all other laborers on the large estate, as soon as they -heard it, flung away their axes and snow-shovels and -hurried up to the mansion, their beards and hair and eyebrows -all white with hoar-frost, so that they looked like -walking snow-men. But as it happened, the under-groom, -Nils Tagfat, chanced at that moment to be cutting down -a large snow-laden fir-tree which grew on a projecting -knoll of the mountain. He pulled off his mittens and -blew on his hands (for it was bitter cold), and was about -to shoulder his axe, when suddenly he heard a chorus of -queer little metallic voices, as it seemed, right under his -feet. He stopped and listened.</p> - -<p>“There is the bell of Halthorp ringing! Where is my -cap? where is my cap?” he heard distinctly uttered, -though he could not exactly place the sound, nor did he -see anybody within a mile around. And just for the -joke of the thing, Nils, who was always a jolly fellow,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -made his voice as fine as he could, and, mimicking the -tiny voices, squeaked out:</p> - -<p>“Where is my cap? Where is my cap?”</p> - -<p>But imagine his astonishment when suddenly he heard -a voice answer him: “You can take grandfather’s cap!” -and at the same moment there was tossed into his -hands something soft, resembling a small red-peaked -cap. Just out of curiosity, Nils put it on his head to -try how it would fit him, and small as it looked, it fitted -him perfectly. But now, as the cap touched his head, -his eyes were opened to the strangest spectacle he ever -beheld. Out of the mountain came a crowd of gnomes, -all with little red-peaked caps, which made them invisible -to all who were not provided with similar caps. -They hurried down the hill-side toward Halthorp, and -Nils, who was anxious to see what they were about, followed -at a proper distance behind. As he had half expected, -they scrambled up on the railings at the door of -the servants’ dining-hall, and as soon as the door was -opened they rushed in, climbed up on the chairs, and -seated themselves on the backs just as the servants took -their places on the seats. And now Nils, who, you -must remember, had on the cap that made him invisible, -came near splitting his sides with laughter. The first -course was boiled beef and cabbage. The smell was delicious -to Nils’s hungry nostrils, but he had to conquer -his appetite in order to see the end of the game. The -steward stood at the end of the table and served each -with a liberal portion; and at the steward’s side sat the -baron himself, in a large, cushioned easy-chair. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -did not eat, however; he was there merely to see fair -play.</p> - -<p>Each servant fell to work greedily with his knife and -fork, and just as he had got a delicious morsel half-way -to his mouth, the gnome on the back of his chair stretched -himself forward and deftly snatched the meat from the -end of the fork. Thus, all the way around the table, -each man unconsciously put his piece of beef into the -wide-open mouth of his particular gnome. And the unbidden -guests grinned shrewdly at one another, and -seemed to think it all capital fun. Sometimes, when -the wooden trays (which were used instead of plates) -were sent to be replenished, they made horrrible grimaces, -often mimicking their poor victims, who chewed and -swallowed and went through all the motions of eating, -without obtaining the slightest nourishment. They all -would have liked to fling knives and forks and trays out -through the windows, but they had the morning’s chastisement -freshly in mind, and they did not dare open -their mouths, except for the futile purpose of eating.</p> - -<p>“Well, my lads and lasses,” said the baron, when he -had watched the meal for some minutes; “if you can -complain of food like this, you indeed deserve to be -flogged and put on prison fare.”</p> - -<p>“Very likely, your lordship,” said one of the milkmaids; -“but if your lordship would demean yourself -to take a morsel with us, we would bless your lordship -for your kindness and complain no more.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="FP76" id="FP76"></a> -<p class="p2" /> -<img src="images/i_076fp.jpg" width="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -THE BARON SPRANG UP WITH AN EXCLAMATION OF FRIGHT.</div> -</div> - -<p>The baron, looking around at all the hopeless eyes -and haggard faces, felt that there was something besides<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -vanity that prompted the request; and he accordingly -ordered the cook to bring his own plate and drew his -chair up to the table. Hardly had he seized his knife -when Nils saw a gnome, who had hitherto been seated -on the floor awaiting his turn, crawl up on the arm of -his big chair and, standing on tiptoe, seize between his -teeth the first bit the baron was putting to his mouth. -The old gentleman looked astounded, mystified, bewildered; -but, fearing to make an exhibition of himself, -selected another mouthful, and again conducted it the -accustomed way. The gnome came near laughing right -out, as he despatched this second morsel in the same -manner as the first, and all around the table the little -monsters held their hands over their mouths and seemed -on the point of exploding. The baron put down knife -and fork with a bang; his eyes seemed to be starting out -of his head, and his whole face assumed an expression of -unspeakable horror.</p> - -<p>“It is Satan himself who is mocking us!” he cried. -“Send for the priest! Send for the priest!”</p> - -<p>Just then Nils crept around behind the baron, who -soon felt something soft, like a fine skull-cap, pressed on -his head, and before he had time to resent the liberty, he -started in terror at the sight of the little creature that he -saw sitting on the arm of his chair. He sprang up with -an exclamation of fright, and pushed the chair back -so violently that it was almost upset upon the floor. -The gnome dexterously leaped down and stood staring -back at the baron for an instant; then, with a spring, he -snatched a potato and half a loaf of bread, and disap<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>peared. -In his haste, the baron ran against Nils, the -under-groom, who (now without a cap) was standing with -a smiling countenance calmly surveying all the confusion -about him.</p> - -<p>“Now, was I right, your lordship?” he asked, with a -respectful bow. “Did <em>you</em> find the victuals very filling?”</p> - -<p>The baron, who was yet too frightened to answer, stood -gazing toward a window-pane, which suddenly and noiselessly -broke, and through which the whole procession of -gnomes, huddled together in flight, tumbled headlong -into the snow-bank without.</p> - -<p>“And what shall we do, Nils,” said the baron, the -next day, when he had recovered from his shock, “to -prevent the return of the unbidden guests?”</p> - -<p>“Stop ringing the great bell,” answered Nils. “It is -that which invites the gnomes.”</p> - -<p>And since that day the dinner-bell has never been rung -at Halthorp.</p> - -<p>But one day, late in the winter, Nils the groom, as he -was splitting wood on the mountain-side, heard a plaintively -tinkling voice within, singing:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“Hunger and sorrow each new day is bringing,</p> -<p class="verse">Since Halthorp bell has ceased its ringing.”</p> -</div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="HOW_BERNT_WENT_WHALING" id="HOW_BERNT_WENT_WHALING"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">HOW BERNT WENT WHALING.</a></h2> - - -<p>Bernt Holter and his sister Hilda were sitting on -the beach, playing with large spiral cockles which they -imagined were cows and horses. They built stables out -of chips, and fenced in their pastures, and led their cattle -in long rows through the deep grooves they had made in -the sand.</p> - -<p>“When I grow up to be a man,” said Bernt, who was -twelve years old, “I am going to sea and catch whales, as -father did when he was young. I don’t want to stand -behind a counter and sell calico and tape and coffee and -sugar,” he continued, thrusting his chest forward, putting -his hands into his pockets, and marching with a manly -swagger across the beach. “I don’t want to play with -cockles, like a baby, any more,” he added, giving a forcible -kick to one of Hilda’s finest shells and sending it flying -across the sand.</p> - -<p>“I wish you wouldn’t be so naughty, Bernt,” cried his -sister, with tears in her eyes. “If you don’t want to -play with me, I can play alone. Bernt, oh—look there!”</p> - -<p>Just at that moment a dozen or more columns of water -flew high into the air, and the same number of large, -black tail-fins emerged from the surface of the fiord, and -again slowly vanished.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Hurrah!” cried Bernt, in great glee, “it is a school -of dolphins. Good-by, Hilda dear, I think I’ll run down -to the boat-house.”</p> - -<p>“I think I’ll go with you, Bernt,” said his sister, obligingly, -rising and shaking the sand from her skirts.</p> - -<p>“I think you’ll not,” remarked her brother, angrily; -“I can run faster than you.”</p> - -<p>So saying, he rushed away over the crisp sand as fast -as his feet would carry him, while his sister Hilda, who -was rather a soft-hearted girl, and ready with her tears, -ran after him, all out of breath and calling to him at the -top of her voice. Finally, when she was more than half -way to the boat-house, she stumbled against a stone and -fell full length upon the beach. Bernt, fearing that she -might be hurt, paused in his flight and returned to pick -her up, but could not refrain from giving her a vindictive -little shake, as soon as he discovered that she had sustained -no injury.</p> - -<p>“I do think girls are the greatest bother that ever was -invented,” he said, in high dudgeon. “I don’t see what -they are good for, anyway.”</p> - -<p>“I want to go with you, Bernt,” cried Hilda.</p> - -<p>Seeing there was no escape, he thought he might just -as well be kind to her.</p> - -<p>“You may go,” he said, “if you will promise never to -tell anybody what I am going to do?”</p> - -<p>“No, Bernt, I shall never tell,” said the child, eagerly, -and drying her tears.</p> - -<p>“I am going a-whaling,” whispered Bernt, mysteriously. -“Come along!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Whaling!” echoed the girl, in delicious excitement. -“Dear Bernt, how good you are! Oh, how -lovely! No, I shall never tell it to anybody as long as -I live.”</p> - -<p>It was late in the afternoon, and the sun, which at -that time of the year never sets in the northern part of -Norway, threw its red, misty rays like a veil of dull flame -over the lofty mountains which, with their snow-hooded -peaks, pierced the fiery clouds; their huge reflections -shone in soft tints of red, green, and blue in the depth -of the fiord, whose glittering surface was calm and smooth -as a mirror. Only in the bay which the school of dolphins -had entered was the water ruffled; but there, high -spouts rose every moment into the air and descended -again in showers of fine spray.</p> - -<p>“It is well that father has gone away with the fishermen,” -said Bernt, as he exerted himself with all his might -to push his small boat down over the slippery beams of -the boat-house. “Here, Hilda, hold my harpoon for -me.”</p> - -<p>Hilda, greatly impressed with her own dignity in being -allowed to hold so dangerous a weapon as a harpoon, -grasped it eagerly and held it up in both her arms. -Bernt once more put his shoulder to the prow of his light -skiff (which, in honor of his father’s whaling voyages, he -had named The North Pole) and with a tremendous -effort set it afloat. Then he carefully assisted Hilda into -the boat, in the stern of which she seated herself. Next -he seized the oars and rowed gently out beyond the -rocky headland toward which he had seen the dolphins<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -steer their course. He was an excellent sailor for his -years, and could manage a boat noiselessly and well.</p> - -<p>“Hilda, take the helm,” he whispered, “or, if you were -only good for anything, you might paddle and we should -be upon them in a minute. Now, remember, and push -the tiller to the side opposite where I want to go.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll remember,” she replied, breathlessly.</p> - -<p>The <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: ‘gentle plashing’">gentle splashing</ins> of the oars and the clicking of the -rowlocks were the only sounds which broke the silence -of the evening. Now and then a solitary gull gave a -long, shrill scream as she dived beneath the surface of -the fiord, and once a fish-hawk’s loud, discordant yell -was flung by the echoes from mountain to mountain.</p> - -<p>“Starboard,” commanded Bernt, sternly; but Hilda in -her agitation pushed the tiller to the wrong side and sent -the boat flying to port.</p> - -<p>“Starboard, I said!” cried the boy, indignantly; “if I -had known you would be so stupid, I should never have -taken you along.”</p> - -<p>“Please, brother dear, do be patient with me,” pleaded -the girl, remorsefully. “I shall not do it again.”</p> - -<p>It then pleased his majesty, Bernt Holter, to relent, -although his sister had by her awkwardness alarmed the -dolphins, sending the boat right in their wake, when it -had been his purpose to head them off. He knew well -enough that it takes several minutes for a whole school -of so large a fish as the dolphin to change its course, and -the hunter would thus have a good chance of “pricking” -a laggard before he could catch up with his companions. -Bernt strained every muscle, while coolly keeping his eye<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -on the water to note the course of his game. His only -chance was in cutting across the bay and lying in wait -for them at the next headland. For he knew very well -that if they were seriously frightened and suspected that -they were being pursued, they could easily beat him by -the speed and dexterity of their movements. But he -saw to his delight that his calculations were correct. Instead -of taking the straight course seaward, the dolphins, -being probably in pursuit of fresh herring, young cod, and -other marine delicacies which they needed for their late -dinner, steered close to land where the young fish are -found in greater abundance, and their following the coastline -of the bay gave Bernt a chance of cutting them -off and making their acquaintance at closer quarters. -Having crossed the little bay, he commanded his sister -to lie down flat in the bottom of the boat—a command -which she willingly, though with a quaking heart, obeyed. -He backed cautiously into a little nook among the rocks -from which he had a clear passage out, and having one -hand on his harpoon, which was secured by a rope to the -prow of the boat, and the other on the boat-hook (with -which he meant to push himself rapidly out into the -midst of the school), he peered joyously over the gunwale -and heard the loud snorts, followed by the hissing descent -of the spray, approaching nearer and nearer. Now, steady -my boy! Don’t lose your presence of mind! One, two, -three—there goes! Jumping up, fixing the boat-hook -against the rock, and with a tremendous push shooting -out into the midst of the school was but a moment’s -work. Whew! The water spouts and whirls about his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -ears as in a shower-bath. Off goes his cap. Let it go! -But stop! What was that? A terrific slap against the -side of the boat as from the tail of a huge fish. Hilda -jumps up with a piercing shriek and the boat careens -heavily to the port side, the gunwale dipping for a -moment under the water. A loud snort, followed again -by a shower of spray, is heard right ahead, and, at the -same moment, the harpoon flies through the air with a -fierce whiz and lodges firmly in a broad, black back. -The huge fish in its first spasm of pain gives a fling with -its tail and for an instant the little boat is lifted out of -the water on the back of the wounded dolphin.</p> - -<p>“Keep steady, don’t let go the rope!” shouts Bernt at -the top of his voice, “he won’t hurt—”</p> - -<p>But before he had finished, the light skiff, with a tremendous -splash, struck the water again, and the little -coil of rope to which the harpoon was attached flew humming -over the gunwale and disappeared with astonishing -speed into the deep.</p> - -<p>Bernt seized the cord, and when there was little left to -spare, tied it firmly to the prow of the boat, which then, -of course, leaped forward with every effort of the dolphin -to rid itself of the harpoon. The rest of the -school, having taken alarm, had sought deep water, and -were seen, after a few minutes, far out beyond the headland.</p> - -<p>“I want to go home, Bernt,” Hilda exclaimed, vehemently. -“I want to go home; I don’t want to get -killed, Bernt.”</p> - -<p>“You silly thing! You can’t go home now. You<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -must just do as I tell you; but, of course—if you -only are sensible—you won’t get killed, or hurt at -all.”</p> - -<p>While he was yet speaking, the boat began all of a sudden -to move rapidly over the water.</p> - -<p>The dolphin had bethought him of flight, not knowing -that, however swiftly he swam, he pulled his enemy after -him. As he rose to the surface, about fifty or sixty yards -ahead, a small column of water shot feebly upward, and -spread in a fan-like, irregular shape before it fell. The -poor beast floundered along for a few seconds, its long, -black body in full view, and then again dived down, -dragging the boat onward with a series of quick convulsive -pulls.</p> - -<p>Bernt held on tightly to the cord, while the water -foamed and bubbled about the prow and surged in swirling -eddies in the wake of the skiff.</p> - -<p>“If I can only manage to get that dolphin,” said -Bernt, “I know father will give me at least a dollar for -him. There’s lots of blubber on him, and that is used -for oil to burn in lamps.”</p> - -<p>The little girl did not answer, but grasped the gunwale -hard on each side, and gazed anxiously at the foaming -and bubbling water. Bernt, too, sat silent in the -prow, but with a fisherman’s excitement in his face. The -sun hung, huge and fiery, over the western mountains, and -sent up a great, dusky glare among the clouds, which -burned in intense but lurid hues of red and gold. Gradually, -and before they were fully aware of it, the boat began -to rise and descend again, and Bernt discovered by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -the heavy, even roll of the water that they must be near -the ocean.</p> - -<p>“Now you may stop, my dear dolphin,” he said, coolly. -“We don’t want you to take us across to America. -Who would have thought that you were such a tough -customer anyway?”</p> - -<p>He let go the rope, and, seating himself again, put the -oars into the rowlocks. He tried to arrest the speed of -the boat by vigorous backing; but, to his surprise, found -that his efforts were of no avail.</p> - -<p>“Hilda,” he cried, not betraying, however, the anxiety -he was beginning to feel, “take the other pair of oars and -let us see what you are good for.”</p> - -<p>Hilda, not realizing the danger, obeyed, a little tremblingly, -perhaps, and put the other pair of oars into their -places.</p> - -<p>“Now let us turn the boat around,” sternly commanded -the boy. “It’s getting late, and we must be home before -bedtime. One—two—three—pull!”</p> - -<p>The oars struck the water simultaneously and the boat -veered half way around; but the instant the oars were -lifted again, it started back into its former course.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you cut the rope and let the dolphin go?” -asked Hilda, striving hard to master the tears, which -again were pressing to her eyelids.</p> - -<p>“Not I,” answered her brother; “why, all the fellows -would laugh at me if they heard how I first caught the -dolphin and then the dolphin caught me. No, indeed. -He hasn’t much strength left by this time, and we shall -soon see him float up.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span></p> - -<p>He had hardly uttered these words, when they shot -past a rocky promontory, and the vast ocean spread out -before them. Both sister and brother gave an involuntary -cry of terror. There they were, in their frail little -skiff, far away from home, and with no boat visible for -miles around. “Cut the rope, cut the rope! Dear Bernt, -cut the rope!” screamed Hilda, wringing her hands in -despair.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid it is too late,” answered her brother, -doggedly. “The tide is going out, and that is what has -carried us so swiftly to sea. I was a fool that I didn’t -think of it.”</p> - -<p>“But what shall we do—what shall we do!” moaned -the girl, hiding her face in her apron.</p> - -<p>“Stop that crying,” demanded her brother, imperiously. -“I’ll tell you what we shall have to do. We -couldn’t manage to pull back against the tide, especially -here at the mouth of the fiord, where the current is so -strong. We had better keep on seaward, and then, if we -are in luck, we shall meet the fishing-boats when they return, -which will be before morning. Anyway, there is -little or no wind, and the night is light enough, so that -they cannot miss seeing us.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I shall surely die, I shall surely die!” sobbed -Hilda, flinging herself down in the bottom of the boat.</p> - -<p>Bernt deigned her no answer, but sat gazing sullenly -out over the ocean toward the western horizon, over -which the low sun shed its lurid mist of fire. The -ocean broke with a mighty roar against the rocks, -hushed itself for a few seconds, and then hurled itself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -against the rocks anew. To be frank, he was not quite so -fearless as he looked; but he thought it cowardly to give -expression to his fear, and especially in the presence of -his sister, in whose estimation he had always been a hero. -The sun sank lower until it almost touched the water. -The rope hung perfectly slack from the prow, and only -now and then grew tense as if something was feebly tugging -at the other end. He concluded that the dolphin -had bled to death or was exhausted. In the meanwhile, -they were drifting rapidly westward, and the hollow -noise of the breakers was growing more and more -distant. From a merely idle impulse of curiosity Bernt -began to haul in his rope, and presently saw a black body, -some ten or twelve feet long, floating up only a few rods -from the boat. He gave four or five pulls at the rope -and was soon alongside of it. Bernt felt very sad as he -looked at it, and was sorry he had killed the harmless -animal. The thought came into his mind that his present -desperate situation was God’s punishment on him for -his cruel delight in killing.</p> - -<p>“But God would not punish my sister for my wickedness,” -he reflected, gazing tenderly at Hilda, who lay in -the boat with her hands folded under her cheek, having -sobbed herself to sleep. He felt consoled, and, murmuring -a prayer he had once heard in church for “sailors in -distress at sea,” lay down at his sister’s side and stared up -into the vast, red dome of the sky above him. The water -plashed gently against the sides of the skiff as it rose and -rocked upon the great smooth “ground swell,” and again -sank down, as it seemed into infinite depths, only to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -climb again the next billow. Bernt felt sleepy and hungry, -and the more he stared into the sky the more indistinct -became his vision. He sprang up, determined to -make one last, desperate effort, and strove to row in toward -land, but he could make no headway against the -strong tide, and with aching limbs and a heavy heart he -again stretched himself out in the bottom of the boat. -Before he knew it he was fast asleep.</p> - -<p>He did not know how long he had slept, but the dim, -fiery look of the sun had changed into an airy rose color, -when he felt someone seizing him by the arm and crying -out: “In the name of wonders, boy, how did you come -here?”</p> - -<p>He rubbed his eyes and saw his father’s shaggy face -close to his.</p> - -<p>“And my dear little girl too,” cried the father, in a -voice of terror. “Heaven be praised for having preserved -her!”</p> - -<p>And he lifted Hilda in his arms and pressed her close -to his breast. Bernt thought he saw tears glistening in -his eyes. That made him suddenly very solemn. For -he had never seen his father cry before. Around about -him was a fleet of some thirty or forty boats laden to the -gunwale with herring. He now understood his rescue.</p> - -<p>“Now tell me, Bernt, truthfully,” said his father, -gravely, still holding the sobbing Hilda tightly in his embrace, -“how did this happen?”</p> - -<p>“I went a-whaling,” stammered Bernt, feeling not at -all so brave as he had felt when he started on his voyage. -But he still had courage enough to point feebly to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -dead dolphin which lay secured a short distance from the -skiff.</p> - -<p>“Wait till we get home,” said his father, “then <em>I’ll</em> -go a-whaling.”</p> - -<p>He stood, for a while, gazing in amazement at the -huge fish, then again at his son, as if comparing their -bulk. He felt that he ought to scold the youthful -sportsman, but he knew it was in the blood, and was -therefore more inclined to praise his daring spirit. Accordingly, -when he got home, he did not go a-whaling.</p> - -<p>“Bernt,” he said, patting the boy’s curly head, “you -may be a brave lad; but next time your bravery gets the -better of you—leave the little lass at home.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="THE_COOPER_AND_THE_WOLVES" id="THE_COOPER_AND_THE_WOLVES"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">THE COOPER AND THE WOLVES.</a></h2> - - -<p>Tollef Kolstad was a cooper, and a very skilful -cooper he was said to be. He had a little son named -Thor, who was as fond of his father as his father was of -him. Whatever Tollef did or said, Thor was sure to -imitate; if Tollef was angry and flung a piece of wood -at the dog who used to come into the shop and bother -him, Thor, thinking it was a manly thing to do, flung -another piece at poor Hector, who ran out whimpering -through the door.</p> - -<p>Thor, of course, was not very old before he had a corner -in his father’s shop, where, with a small set of tools which -had been especially bought for him, he used to make -little pails and buckets and barrels, which he sold for -five or ten cents apiece to the boys of the neighborhood. -All the money earned in this way he put into a bank of -tin, made like a drum, of which his mother kept the key. -When he grew up, he thought, he would be a rich man.</p> - -<p>The last weeks before Christmas are, in Norway, always -the briskest season in all trades; then the farmer -wants his horses shod, so that he may take his wife and -children to church in his fine, swan-shaped sleigh; he -wants bread and cakes made to last through the holidays,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -so that his servants may be able to amuse themselves, -and his guests may be well entertained when they call; -and, above all, he wants large tubs and barrels, stoutly -made of beech staves, for his beer and mead, with which -he pledges every stranger who, during the festival, happens -to pass his door. You may imagine, then, that at -Christmas time coopers are much in demand, and that it -is not to be wondered at if sometimes they are behind-hand -with their orders. This was unfortunately the case -with Tollef Kolstad at the time when the strange thing -happened which I am about to tell you. He had been -at work since the early dawn, upon a huge tub or barrel, -which had been ordered by Grim Berglund, the richest -peasant in the parish. Grim was to give a large party -on the following day (which was Christmas-Eve), and he -had made Tollef promise to bring the barrel that same -night, so that he might pour the beer into it, and have -all in readiness for the holidays, when it would be wrong -to do any work. It was about ten o’clock at night when -Tollef made the last stroke with his hatchet on the large -hollow thing, upon which every blow resounded as on a -drum. He went to a neighbor and hired from him his -horse and flat sleigh, and was about to start on his errand, -when he heard a tiny voice calling behind him:</p> - -<p>“Father, do take me along, too!”</p> - -<p>“I can’t, my boy. There may be wolves on the lake, -to-night, and they might like to eat up little boys who -stay out of bed so late.”</p> - -<p>“But I am not afraid of them, father. I have my -whip and my hatchet, and I’ll whip them and cut them.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> - -<p>Thor here made some threatening flourishes with his -weapons in the air, indicating how he would give it to -the wolves in case they should venture to molest him.</p> - -<p>“Well, come along, you little rascal,” said his father, -laughing, and feeling rather proud of his boy’s dauntless -spirit. “You and I are not to be trifled with when we -get mad, are we, Thor?”</p> - -<p>“No, indeed, father,” said Thor, and clenched his -little mittened fist.</p> - -<p>Tollef then lifted him up, wrapped him warmly in -his sheepskin jacket, and put him between his knees, -while he himself seized the reins and urged the horse on.</p> - -<p>It was a glorious winter night. The snow sparkled -and shone as if sprinkled with starry diamonds, the -aurora borealis flashed in pale, shifting colors along the -horizon, and the moon sailed calmly through a vast, -dark-blue sea of air. Little Thor shouted with delight -as he saw the broad expanse of glittering ice, which they -were about to cross, stretching out before them like a -polished shield of steel.</p> - -<p>“Oh, father, I wish we had taken our skates along, -and pulled your barrel across on a sled,” cried the boy, -ecstatically.</p> - -<p>“That I might have done, if I had had a sled large -enough for the barrel,” replied the father. “But then -we should have been obliged to pull it up the hills on -the other side.”</p> - -<p>The sleigh now struck the ice and shot forward, swinging -from side to side, as the horse pulled a little unevenly. -Whew! how the cold air cut in their faces. How it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -whizzed and howled in the tree-tops! Hark! What -was that? Tollef instinctively pressed his boy more -closely to him. Hush!—his heart stood still, while that -of the boy, who merely felt the reflex shock of his father’s -agitation, hammered away the more rapidly. A terrible, -long-drawn howl, as from a chorus of wild, far-away -voices, came floating away over the crowns of the pine-trees.</p> - -<p>“What was that, father,” asked Thor, a little tremulously.</p> - -<p>“It was wolves, my child,” said Tollef, calmly.</p> - -<p>“Are you afraid, father?” asked the boy again.</p> - -<p>“No, child, I am not afraid of one wolf, nor of ten -wolves; but if they are in a flock of twenty or thirty, -they are dangerous. And if they scent our track, as -probably they will, they will be on us in five minutes.”</p> - -<p>“How will they scent our track, father?”</p> - -<p>“They smell us in the wind; and the wind is from us -and to them, and then they howl to notify their comrades, -so that they may attack us in sufficient force.”</p> - -<p>“Why don’t we return home, then?” inquired the -boy, still with a tolerably steady voice, but with sinking -courage.</p> - -<p>“They are behind us. Our only chance is to reach -the shore before they overtake us.”</p> - -<p>The horse, sniffing the presence of wild beasts, snorted -wildly as it ran, but, electrified as it were, with the sense -of danger, strained every nerve in its efforts to reach the -farther shore. The howls now came nearer and nearer, -and they rose with a frightful distinctness in the clear,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -wintry air, and resounded again from the border of the -forest.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you throw away the barrel, father?” said -Thor, who, for his father’s sake, strove hard to keep -brave. “Then the sleigh will run so much the faster.”</p> - -<p>“If we are overtaken, our safety is in the barrel. Fortunately, -it is large enough for two, and it has no ears and -will fit close to the ice.”</p> - -<p>Tollef was still calm; but, with his one disengaged -arm, hugged his little son convulsively.</p> - -<p>“Now, keep brave, my boy,” he whispered in his ear. -“They will soon be upon us. Give me your whip.”</p> - -<p>It just occurred to Tollef that he had heard that wolves -were very suspicious, and that men had often escaped -them by dragging some small object on the ground behind -them. He, therefore, broke a chip from one of the -hoops of the barrel, and tied it to the lash of the whip; -just then he heard a short, hungry bark behind him, and, -turning his head, saw a pack of wolves, numbering more -than a dozen, the foremost of which was within a few -yards of the sleigh. He saw the red, frothy tongue hanging -out of its mouth, and he smelt that penetrating, wild -smell with which everyone is familiar who has met a wild -beast in its native haunts. While encouraging the reeking, -foam-flecked horse, Tollef, who had only half faith -in the experiment with the whip, watched anxiously the -leader of the wolves, and observed to his astonishment -that it seemed to be getting no nearer. One moment it -seemed to be gaining upon them, but invariably, as soon -as it reached the little chip which was dragging along the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -ice, this suddenly arrested its attention and immediately -its speed slackened. The cooper’s hope began to revive, -and he thought that perhaps there was yet a possibility -that they might see the morrow’s sun. But his courage -again began to ebb when he discovered in the distance a -second pack of wolves, larger than the first, and which, -with terrific speed, came running, leaping, and whirling -toward them from another direction. And while this -terrible discovery was breaking through his almost callous -sense, he forgot, for an instant, the whip, the lash -of which swung under the runners of the sleigh and -snapped. The horse, too, was showing signs of exhaustion, -and Tollef, seeing that only one chance was left, -rose up with his boy in his arms, and upsetting the barrel -on the ice, concealed himself and the child under it. -Hardly had he had time to brace himself against its -sides, pressing his feet against one side and his back -against the other, when he heard the horse giving a wild -scream, while the short, whining bark of the wolves told -him that the poor beast was selling its life dearly. Then -there was a desperate scratching and scraping of horseshoes, -and all of a sudden the sound of galloping hoof-beats -on the ice, growing fainter and fainter. The horse -had evidently succeeded in breaking away from the sleigh, -and was testing his speed in a race for life. Some of the -wolves were apparently pursuing him, while the greater -number remained to investigate the contents of the barrel. -The howling and barking of these furious creatures -without was now incessant. Within the barrel it was -dark as pitch.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Now, keep steady!” said Tollef, feeling a sudden -shock, as if a wolf had leaped against their improvised -house with a view to upsetting it. He felt himself and -the boy gliding a foot or two over the smooth ice, but -there was no further result from the attack. A minute -passed: again there came a shock, and a stronger one -than the first. A long, terrible howl followed this second -failure. The little boy, clutching his small cooper’s -hatchet in one hand, sat pale but determined in the dark, -while with the other he clung to his father’s arm.</p> - -<p>“Oh, father!” he cried, in terror, “I feel something -on my back.”</p> - -<p>The father quickly struck a light, for he fortunately -had a supply of matches in his pocket, and saw a wolf’s -paw wedged in between the ice and the rim of the barrel; -and in the same instant he tore the hatchet from his son’s -hand and buried its edge in the ice. Then he handed -the amputated paw to Thor, and said:</p> - -<p>“Put that into your wallet, and the sheriff will pay -you a reward for it.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> For a wolf without paws couldn’t -do much harm.”</p> - -<p>While he was yet speaking, a third assault upon the -barrel lifted one side of it from the ice, and almost overturned -it. Instead of pushing against the part nearest -the ice, a wolf, more cunning than the rest, had leaped -against the upturned bottom.</p> - -<p>You can imagine what a terrible night father and son<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -spent together in this constant struggle with the voracious -beasts, that never grew weary of attacking their -hiding-place. The father was less warmly clad than the -son, and, moreover, was obliged to sit on the ice, while -Thor could stand erect without knocking against the -bottom of the barrel; and if it had not been for the excitement -of the situation, which made Tollef’s blood -course with unwonted rapidity, it is more than probable -that the intense cold would have made him drowsy, and -thus lessened his power of resistance. The warmth of -his body had made a slight cavity where he was sitting, -and whenever he remained a moment still, his trousers -froze fast to the ice. It was only the presence of his -boy that inspired him with fresh courage, whenever hope -seemed about to desert him.</p> - -<p>About an hour after the flight of the horse, when five -or six wolves’ paws had been cut off in the same manner -as the first, there was a lull in the attack, but a -sudden increase of the howling, whining, yelping, and -barking noise without. Tollef concluded that the -wolves, maddened by the smell of blood, were attacking -their wounded fellows; and as their howls -seemed to come from a short distance, he cautiously -lifted one side of the barrel and peered forth; but in -the same instant a snarling bark rang right in his ear, -and two paws were thrust into the opening. Then -came a howl of pain, and another paw was put into -Thor’s wallet.</p> - -<p>But hark! What is that? It sounds like a song, or -rather like a hymn. The strain comes nearer and nearer,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -resounding from mountain to mountain, floating peacefully -through the pure and still air:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“Who knows how near I am mine ending;</p> -<p class="verse">So quickly time doth pass away.”</p> -</div></div> - -<p>Tollef, in whose breast hope again was reviving, put -his ear to the ice, and heard distinctly the tread of -horses and of many human feet. He listened for a minute -or more, but could not discover whether the sound -was coming any nearer. It occurred to him that in all -probability the people, being unarmed, would have no -desire to cope with a large pack of wolves, especially as -to them there could be no object in it. If they saw the -barrel, how could they know that there was anybody -under it? He comprehended instantly that his only -chance of life was in joining those people before they -were too far away. And, quickly resolved, he lifted the -boy on his left arm, and grasped the hatchet in his disengaged -hand. Then, with a violent thrust, he flung the -barrel from over him, and ran in the direction of the -sound. The wolves, as he had inferred, were lacerating -their bleeding comrades; but the moment they saw him, -a pack of about a dozen immediately started in pursuit. -They leaped up against him on all sides, while he struck -furiously about him with his small weapon. Fortunately, -he had sharp steel pegs on his boots, and kept his footing -well; otherwise the combat would have been a short -one. His voice, too, was powerful, and his shouts rose -high above the howling of the beasts. He soon perceived -that he had been observed, and he saw in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -bright moonlight six or eight men running toward him. -Just then, as perhaps in his joy his vigilance was for a -fraction of a second relaxed, he felt a pull in the fleshy -part of his right arm. He was not conscious of any -sharp pain, and was astonished to see the blood flowing -from an ugly wound. But he only held his boy the -more tightly, while he fought and ran with the strength -of despair.</p> - -<p>Now the men were near. He could hear their voices. -But his brain was dizzy, and he saw but dimly.</p> - -<p>“Hello, friend; don’t crack my skull for my pains!” -someone was shouting close to his ear, and he let his -hatchet fall, and he fell himself, too, prostrate on the -ice.</p> - -<p>The wolves, at the sight of the men, had retired to a -safe distance, from which they watched the proceedings, -as if uncertain whether to return.</p> - -<p>As soon as Tollef had recovered somewhat from his -exhaustion and his loss of blood, he and his boy were -placed upon a sleigh, and his wound was carefully bandaged. -He now learned that his rescuers were on their -way to a funeral, which was to take place on the next -day, but, on account of the distance to the church, they -had been obliged to start during the night. Hence their -solemn mood, and their singing of funeral hymns.</p> - -<p>After an hour’s ride they reached the cooper’s cottage, -and were invited to rest and to share such hospitality as -the house could afford. But when they were gone, -Tollef clasped his sleeping boy in his arms and said to -his wife: “If it had not been for him, you might have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -had no husband to-day. It was his little whip and toy -hatchet that saved our lives.”</p> - -<p>Eleven wolves’ paws were found in Thor’s wallet, and, -on Christmas eve, he went to the sheriff with them and -received a reward which nearly burst his old savings-bank, -and compelled his mother to buy a new one.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="MAGNIES_DANGEROUS_RIDE" id="MAGNIES_DANGEROUS_RIDE"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">MAGNIE’S DANGEROUS RIDE</a></h2> - - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p>Magnie was consumed with the hunting fever. He -had been away to school since he was ten years old, and -had never had the chance of doing anything remarkable. -While his brother, Olaf, who was a midshipman in the -navy, roamed about the world, and had delightful adventures -with Turks and Arabs, and all sorts of outlandish -people, Magnie had to scan Virgil and Horace and torment -his soul with algebraic problems. It was not at all -the kind of life he had sketched out for himself, and if it -had not been his father who had imposed it upon him, -he would have broken away from all restraints and gone -to Turkey or China, or some place where exciting things -happened. In the meanwhile, as he lacked money for -such an enterprise, he would content himself with whatever -excitement there was in hunting, and as his brothers, -Olaf and little Edwin (who was fourteen years old), -were also at home for the vacation, there was a prospect -of many delightful expeditions by sea and by land. -Moreover, their old friend Grim Hering-Luck, who was -their father’s right-hand man, had promised to be at their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -disposal and put them on the track of exciting experiences. -They had got each a gun, and had practised -shooting at a target daily since their return from the city. -Magnie, or Magnus Birk, as his real name was, had once -(though Olaf stoutly maintained that it was mere chance) -hit the bull’s-eye at a hundred yards, and he was now -eager to show his skill on something more valuable than -a painted target. It was, therefore, decided that Grim -and the boys should go reindeer-hunting. They were to -be accompanied by the professional hunter, Bjarne Sheepskin.</p> - -<p>It was a glorious morning. The rays of the sun shot -from the glacier peaks in long radiant shafts down into -the valley. The calm mirror of the fiord glittered in the -light and fairly dazzled the eye, and the sea-birds drifted -in noisy companies about the jutting crags, plunged -headlong into the sea, and scattered the spray high into -the air. The blue smoke rose perpendicularly from the -chimneys of the fishermen’s cottages along the beach, and -the housewives, still drowsy with sleep, came out, rubbed -their eyes and looked toward the sun to judge of the -hour. One boat after another was pushed out upon the -water, and the ripples in their wakes spread in long diverging -lines toward either shore. The fish leaped in -the sun, heedless of the gulls which sailed in wide circles -under the sky, keeping a sharp lookout for the movements -of the finny tribe. The three boys could only -stand and gaze in dumb astonishment upon the splendid -sights which the combined heavens, earth, and sea afforded. -Their father, who was much pleased with their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -determination and enterprise, had readily given his consent -to the reindeer hunt, on condition that Grim should -take command and be responsible for their safety. They -were now mounted upon three sturdy ponies, while their -provisions, guns, and other commodities were packed -upon a fourth beast—a shaggy little monster named -Bruno, who looked more like a hornless goat than a -horse. Bjarne Sheepskin, a long, round-shouldered fellow, -with a pair of small, lively eyes, was leading this -heavily laden Bruno by the bridle, and the little caravan, -being once set in motion, climbed the steep slopes toward -the mountains with much persistence and dexterity. -The ponies, which had been especially trained for mountain -climbing, planted their hoofs upon the slippery rocks -with a precision which was wonderful to behold, jumped -from stone to stone, slipped, scrambled up and down, but -never fell. As they entered the pine forest, where the -huge trunks grew in long, dark colonnades, letting in -here and there stray patches of sunshine, partridges and -ptarmigan often started under the very noses of the -horses, and Magnie clamored loudly for his gun, and -grew quite angry with Bjarne, who would allow “no fooling -with tomtits and chipmunks, when they were in -search of big game.” Even hares were permitted to go -unmolested; and it was not until a fine capercailzie<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> -cock tumbled out of the underbrush close to the path, that -Bjarne flung his gun to his cheek and fired. The capercailzie -made a somersault in the air, and the feathers flew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -about it as it fell. Bjarne picked it up quietly, tied its legs -together, and hung it on the pommel of Edwin’s saddle. -“That will make a dinner for gentlefolks,” he said, -“if the dairy-maids up on the <i lang="no" xml:lang="no">saeters</i> should happen to -have nothing in the larder.”</p> - -<p>Gradually, as they mounted higher, the trees became -more stunted in their growth, and the whole character of -the vegetation changed. The low dwarf-birch stretched -its long, twisted branches along the earth, the silvery-white -reindeer-moss clothed in patches the barren ground, -and a few shivering alpine plants lifted their pale, pink -flowers out of the general desolation. As they reached -the ridge of the lower mountain range the boys saw before -them a scene the magnificence of which nearly took -their breath away. Before them lay a wide mountain -plain, in the bottom of which two connected lakes lay -coldly glittering. Round about, the plain was settled -with rude little log-houses, the so-called <i lang="no" xml:lang="no">saeters</i>, or mountain -dairies, where the Norse peasants spend their brief -summers, pasturing their cattle.</p> - -<p>They started at a lively trot down the slope toward -this highland plain, intending to reach the Hasselrud -<i lang="no" xml:lang="no">saeter</i>, where they expected to spend the night; for it -was already several hours past noon, and there could be -no thought of hunting reindeer so late in the day. Judging -by appearances, the boys concluded that fifteen or -twenty minutes would bring them to the <i lang="no" xml:lang="no">saeter</i>; but -they rode on for nearly two hours, and always the cottages -seemed to recede, and the distance showed no signs -of diminishing. They did not know how deceptive all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -distances are in this wondrously clear mountain air, whose -bright transparency is undimmed by the dust and exhalations -of the lower regions of the earth. They would -scarcely have believed that those huge glacier peaks, -which seemed to be looming up above their very heads, -were some eight to twelve miles away, and that the -eagle which soared above them was far beyond the range -of their rifles.</p> - -<p>It was about five o’clock when they rode in upon the -<i lang="no" xml:lang="no">saeter</i> green, where the dairy-maids were alternately -blowing their horns and yodelling. Their long flaxen -braids hung down their backs, and their tight-fitting -scarlet bodices and white sleeves gave them a picturesque -appearance. The cattle were lowing against the sky, -answering the call of the horn. The bells of cows, goats, -and sheep were jangled in harmonious confusion; and -the noise of the bellowing bulls, the bleating sheep, and -the neighing horses was heard from all sides over the -wide plain.</p> - -<p>The three brothers were received with great cordiality -by the maids, and they spent the evening, after the supper -was finished, in listening to marvellous stories about -the ogres who inhabited the mountains, and the hunting -adventures with which Bjarne Sheepskin’s life had been -crowded, and which he related with a sportsman’s usual -exaggerations. The beds in one of the <i lang="no" xml:lang="no">saeter</i> cottages -were given up to the boys, and they slept peacefully until -about four o’clock in the morning, when Grim aroused -them and told them that everything was ready for their -departure. They swallowed their breakfast hastily, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -started in excited silence across the plateau. Edwin and -the horses they left behind in charge of the dairy-maids, -but took with them an old staghound who had some -good blood in him, and a finer scent than his sedate behavior -and the shape of his nose would have led one to -suppose.</p> - -<p>Light clouds hovered under the sky; the mist lay like -a white sheet over the mountain, and drifted in patches -across the plain. Bjarne and Grim were carrying the guns, -while Olaf led the hound, and Magnus trotted briskly -along, stopping every now and then to examine every -unfamiliar object that came in his way. The wind blew -toward them, so that there was no chance that their -scent could betray them, in case there were herds of deer -toward the north at the base of the glaciers. They had -not walked very far, when Bjarne put his hand to his lips -and stooped down to examine the ground. The dog lifted -his nose and began to snuff the air, wag his tail, and -whine impatiently.</p> - -<p>“Hush, Yutul,” whispered Bjarne; “down! down, -and keep still!”</p> - -<p>The dog crouched down obediently and held his -peace.</p> - -<p>“Here is a fresh track,” the hunter went on, pointing -to a hardly perceptible depression in the moss. “There -has been a large herd here—one buck and at least a dozen -cows. Look, here is a stalk that has just been bitten off, -and the juice is not dry yet.”</p> - -<p>“How long do you think it will be before we shall -meet them?” asked Magnus, breathlessly. The hunting-fever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -was throbbing in his veins, and he crawled cautiously -among the bowlders with his rifle cocked.</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t tell; may be an hour, may be three. Hand -me your field-glass, Lieutenant, and I will see if I can -catch sight of ’em. A gray beast ain’t easily seen agin -the gray stone. It was fer the same reason I wanted -ye to wear gray clothes; we don’t want to give the -game any advantage, fer the sentinels be allers on the -lookout fer the herd, and at the least bit of unfamiliar -color, they give their warnin’ snort, and off starts the -flock, scudding away like a drift of mist before the -wind.”</p> - -<p>Crouching down among the lichen-clad rocks, all listened -in eager expectation.</p> - -<p>“Down!” whispered Bjarne, “and cock rifles! A -pair of antlers agin the snow! Hallo! it is as I thought—a -big herd. One, two, three—five—seven—ten—fourteen! -One stunnin’ buck, worth his forty dollars at least. -Now follow me slowly. Look out for your guns! You, -Grim, keep the dog muzzled.”</p> - -<p>The boys strained their eyes above the edge of the -stones, but could see nothing. Their hearts hammered -against their sides, and the blood throbbed in their temples. -As far as their eyes could reach they saw only the -gray waste of bowlders, interrupted here and there by -patches of snow or a white glacier-stream, which plunged -wildly over a precipice, while a hovering moke indicated -its further progress through the plain. Nevertheless, trusting -the experience of their leader, they made no remark, -but crept after him, choosing like him every available<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -stone for cover. After half an hour of this laborious exercise, -Bjarne suddenly stretched himself flat upon the -ground, and the others, though seeing no occasion for -such a manœuvre, promptly followed his example. But -the next moment enlightened them. Looming up against -the white snow, some sixty or a hundred feet from them, -they saw a magnificent pair of antlers, and presently the -whole body of a proud animal was distinctly visible -against the glacier. In the ravine below a dozen or more -cows with their calves were nibbling the moss between -the stones, but with great deliberateness, lifting their -heads every minute and snuffing the air suspiciously; -they presently climbed up on the hard snow and began a -frolic, the like of which the boys had never seen before. -The great buck raised himself on his hind-legs, shook -his head, and made a leap, kicking the snow about him -with great vehemence. Several of the cows took this as -an invitation for a general jollification, and they began to -frisk about, kicking their heels against the sky and shaking -their heads, not with the wanton grace of their chief, -but with half-pathetic attempts at imitation. This, -Magnus thought, was evidently a reindeer ball; and -very sensible they were to have it early in the morning, -when they felt gay and frisky, rather than in the night, -when they ought to be asleep. What troubled him, however, -was that Bjarne did not shoot; he himself did not -venture to send a bullet into the big buck, although it -seemed to him he had an excellent aim. The slightest -turn in the wind would inevitably betray them, and then -they would have had all their toil for nothing. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -would have liked to suggest this to Bjarne; but in order -to do this, he would have to overtake him, and Bjarne -was still wriggling himself cautiously forward among the -stones, pushing himself on with his elbows, as a seal does -with his flippers. In his eagerness to impart his counsel -to Bjarne, Magnus began to move more rapidly; raising -himself on his knees he quite inadvertently showed his -curly head above a bowlder. The buck lifted his superb -head with a snort, and with incredible speed the whole -herd galloped away; but in the same moment two bullets -whistled after them, and the buck fell flat upon the -snow. The cow which had stood nearest to him reared -on her hind-legs, made a great leap, and plunged headlong -down among the stones. With a wild war-whoop, -the boys jumped up, and Magnus, who had come near -ruining the whole sport, seized, in order to make up for -his mishap, a long hunting-knife and rushed forward to -give the buck the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup-de-grace</i>,<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> in accordance with the -rules of the chase. Bounding forward with reckless disregard -of all obstacles, he was the first down on the snow. -In one instant he was astride of the animal, and had just -raised his knife, when up leaped the buck and tore away -along the edge of the snow like a gust of wind. The long-range -shot, hitting him in the head, had only stunned him, -but had not penetrated the skull. And, what was worse, -in his bewilderment at the unexpected manœuvre, Magnus -dropped his knife, seizing instinctively the horns of -the reindeer to keep from falling. Away they went with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -a terrific dizzying speed. The frightened boy clung convulsively -to the great antlers; if he should fall off, his -head would be crushed against the bowlders. The cold -glacier-wind whistled in his ears, and stung his face like -a multitude of tiny needles. He had to turn his head in -order to catch his breath; and he strained his eyes to -see if anything was being done by his companions for -his rescue. But he could see nothing except a great expanse -of gray and white lines, which ran into each other -and climbed and undulated toward him and sloped away, -but seemed associated with no tangible object. He -thought, for a moment, that he saw Grim Hering-Luck -aiming his gun, but he seemed to be up in the sky, and -to be growing huger and huger until he looked more -like a fantastic cloud than a man. The thought suddenly -struck him that he might be fainting, and it sent -a thrill of horror through him. With a vehement effort -he mastered his fear and resolved that, whatever happened, -he would not give way to weakness. If he was to -lose his life, he would, at all events, make a hard fight -for it; it was, on the whole, quite a valuable life, he concluded, -and he did not mean to sell it cheaply.</p> - -<p>Troubling himself little about the direction his steed -was taking, he shut his eyes, and began to meditate upon -his chances of escape; and after some minutes, he was -forced to admit that they seemed very slim. When the -buck should have exhausted his strength, as in the -course of time he must, he would leave his rider somewhere -in this vast trackless wilderness, where the biting -wind swept down from the eternal peaks of ice, where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -wolves roamed about in great hungry companies, and -where, beside them, the reindeer and the ptarmigan were -the only living things amid the universal desolation. -When he opened his eyes again, Magnus discovered that -the buck had overtaken the fleeing herd, which, however, -were tearing away madly at his approach, being evidently -frightened at the sight and the scent of the unfamiliar -rider. The animal was still galloping on, though -with a less dizzying rapidity, and Magnus could distinguish -the general outline of the objects which seemed to -be rushing against him, as if running a race in the opposite -direction. The herd were evidently betaking themselves -into the upper glacier region, where no foot less -light and swift than theirs could find safety among the -terrible ravines and crevasses.</p> - -<p>Fully an hour had passed, possibly two, and it seemed -vain to attempt to measure the distance which he had -passed over in this time. At all events, the region did -not present one familiar object, and of Olaf and his companions -Magnie saw no trace. The only question was, -what chance had they of finding him, if they undertook -to search for him, as, of course, they would. If he could -only leave some sign or mark by which they might know -the direction he had taken, their search might perhaps -be rewarded with success. He put one hand in his -pocket, but could find nothing that he could spare except -a red silk handkerchief. That had the advantage -of being bright, and would be sure to attract attention. -The dog would be likely to detect it or to catch the -scent of it. But he must have something heavy to tie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -up in the handkerchief, or it might blow “all over creation.” -The only thing he could find was a silver matchbox -which he had obtained by a trade with Olaf, and -which bore the latter’s initials. He carefully emptied it, -and put the matches (which he foresaw might prove useful) -in his vest-pocket; then tied up the box securely -and dropped it, with the handkerchief, upon a conspicuous -rock, where its bright color might appear striking -and unnatural. He was just on the ridge of what -proved to be a second and higher mountain plateau, the -wild grandeur of which far transcended that of the first. -Before him lay a large sheet of water of a cool green tint, -and so clear that the bottom was visible as far as the -eye could reach. A river had made its way from the -end of this lake and plunged, in a series of short cataracts, -down the slope to the lower plain.</p> - -<p>It made Magnus shiver with dread to look at this -coldly glittering surface, and what was his horror when -suddenly his reindeer, in his pursuit of the herd, which -were already in the water, rushed in, and began, with -loud snorts, to swim across to the farther shore! This -was an unforeseen stratagem which extinguished his last -hope of rescue; for how could Bjarne track him through -the water, and what means would he find of crossing, in -case he should guess that the herd had played this dangerous -trick on him? He began to dread also that the -endurance of the buck would be exhausted before he -reached dry land again, and that they might both perish -miserably in the lake. In this horrible distress nothing -occurred to him except to whisper the Lord’s Prayer; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -as his terror increased, his voice grew louder and louder, -until he fairly shouted the words, “And deliver us from -evil,” and the echoes from the vast solitudes repeated, -first clearly and loudly, then with fainter and fainter -accents: “And deliver us from evil—and deliver us -from evil.” His despairing voice rang strangely under -the great empty sky, and rumbled among the glaciers, -which flung it back and forth until it died away in the -blue distance. It was as if the vast silent wilderness, -startled at the sound of a human voice, were wonderingly -repeating the strange and solemn words.</p> - -<p>A vague sense of security stole over him when he had -finished his prayer. But the chill of the icy water had -nearly benumbed his limbs, and he feared that the loss -of heat would conquer his will, and make him unconscious -before the buck should reach the shore. He felt -distinctly his strength ebbing away, and he knew of -nothing that he could do to save himself. Then suddenly -a daring thought flashed through his brain. With -slow and cautious movements he drew his legs out of -the water, and, standing for a moment erect on the -buck’s back, he crawled along his neck and climbed up -on the great antlers, steadying himself carefully and -clinging with all his might. His only fear was that the -animal would shake him off and send him headlong into -the icy bath from which he was endeavoring to escape. -But, after two futile efforts, during which the boy had -held on only by desperate exertion, the buck would -probably have resigned himself to his fate, if he had not -been in imminent danger of drowning. Magnus was,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -therefore, much against his will, forced to dip his limbs -into the chilly water, and resume his former position. -It was a strange spectacle, to see all the horned heads -round about sticking out of the water, and Magnus, -though he had always had a thirst for adventures, had -never expected <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: ‘to find himself himself in’">to find himself in</ins> such an incredible -situation. Fortunately, they were now approaching -the shore, and whatever comfort there was in having -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">terra firma</i> under his feet would not be wanting to him. -The last minutes were indeed terribly long, and again -and again the buck, overcome with fatigue, dipped his -nose under the water, only to raise it again with a snort, -and shake his head as if impatient to rid himself of his -burden. But the boy, with a spark of reviving hope, -clung only the more tenaciously to the antlers, and remained -unmoved.</p> - -<p>At last—and it seemed a small eternity since he had -left his brother and companions—Magnus saw the herd -scramble up on the stony beach. The buck he rode -was soon among the foremost, and, having reached the -land, shook his great body and snorted violently.</p> - -<p>“Now’s my chance,” thought Magnus; “now I can -slide off into the snow before he takes to his heels -again.”</p> - -<p>But, odd as it may seem, he had a reluctance to part -company with the only living creature (except the -wolves) that inhabited this awful desert. There was a -vague chance of keeping from freezing to death as long -as he clung to the large, warm animal; while, seated -alone upon this bleak shore, with his clothes wringing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -wet, and the cold breath of the glacier sweeping down -upon him, he would die slowly and miserably with hunger -and cold. He was just contemplating this prospect, -seeing himself in spirit lying dead upon the shore of the -lake, and picturing to himself the grief of his brother -and father, when suddenly his glance was arrested by -what seemed a faint column of smoke rising from among -the bowlders. The herd of reindeer had evidently made -the same discovery, for they paused, in a startled manner, -and wheeled about toward the easterly shore, past -which a branch of the glacier was pushing downward -into the lower fiord-valley.</p> - -<p>Magnie, who had by this time made up his mind not -to give up his present place except for a better one, -strained his eye in the opposite direction, to make sure -that he was not deceived; and having satisfied himself -that what he saw was really smoke, he determined to -leap from his seat at the very first opportunity. But as -yet the speed of the buck made such a venture unsafe. -With every step, however, the territory was becoming -more irregular, and made the progress even of a reindeer -difficult.</p> - -<p>Magnus drew up his feet, and was about to slide off, -having planned to drop with as slight a shock as possible -upon a flat moss-grown rock, when, to his utter amazement, -he saw a human figure standing at the edge of the -glacier, and aiming a rifle, as it appeared, straight at his -head. He tried to scream, but terror choked his voice. -He could not bring forth a sound. And before even the -thought had taken shape in his bewildered brain he saw<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -a flash, and heard the report of a shot which rumbled -away with tremendous reverberations among the glaciers. -There was a surging sound in his ears, and strange lights -danced before his eyes. He thought he must be dead.</p> - - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p>Magnie never knew how long he was unconscious. -The first thing he remembered was a delicious sense of -warmth and comfort stealing through him, and strange, -unintelligible sounds buzzing in the air about him. -Somebody was talking kindly to him, and a large, warm -hand was gliding over his forehead and cheeks. The -peace and warmth were grateful to him after the intense -strain of his dangerous ride. He was even loth to open -his eyes when his reviving memory began to make the -situation clear to him.</p> - -<p>“It was a reckless shot, Harry,” he heard someone -say in a foreign tongue, which he soon recognized as -English, “even if it did turn out well. Suppose you -had sent your bullet crashing through the young fellow -instead of the buck. How would you have felt then?”</p> - -<p>“I should have felt very badly, I am sure,” answered -a younger voice, which obviously belonged to Magnie’s -rescuer; “but I followed my usual way of doing things. -If I didn’t act that way, I shouldn’t act at all. And you -will admit, Uncle, it is a queer sort of thing to see a fellow -come riding on a reindeer buck, in the midst of a -wild herd, and in a trackless wilderness like this, where -nobody but wolves or geologists would be apt to dis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span>cover -any attractions. Now, I saw by the young man’s -respectable appearance that he couldn’t be a geologist; and -if he was a wolf, I didn’t mind much if I did shoot him.”</p> - -<p>At this point Magnie opened his eyes and stared wonderingly -about him. He found himself in a small, -cramped room, the walls of which were draped with canvas, -and scarcely high enough under the ceiling to allow -a man to stand erect. Against the walls a number of -shining brass instruments were leaning, and in a corner -there was a hearth, the smoke of which escaped through -a hole in the roof. Two bunks filled with moss, with a -sheet and a blanket thrown over each, completed the -outfit of the primitive dwelling. But Magnie was more -interested in the people than in the looks of the room. -A large, blond, middle-aged man, inclined to stoutness, -was holding Magnie’s hand as if counting his pulse-beat, -and a very good-looking young fellow, of about his own -age, was standing at the hearth, turning a spit upon -which was a venison steak.</p> - -<p>“Hallo! Our young friend is returning from the land -of Nod,” said the youth who had been addressed as -Harry. “I am glad you didn’t start on a longer journey, -young chap, when I fired at you; for if you had you -would have interfered seriously with my comfort.”</p> - -<p>Magnie, who was a fair English scholar, understood -perfectly what was said to him, but several minutes -elapsed before he could collect himself sufficiently to answer. -In order to gain time, he made an effort to raise, -himself and take a closer look at his surroundings, but -was forced by the older man to abandon the attempt.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Not so fast, my dear, not so fast;” he said, stooping -over him, and gently pushing him back into a reclining -position. “You must remember that you have a big -lump on your head from your fall, and it won’t do to be -frisky just yet. But before conversing further, it might -be well to ascertain whether we understand each other.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I think—I think—I do,” stammered Magnie. -“I know some English.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, then we shall get along charmingly,” the man remarked, -with an encouraging smile. “And I think -Harry’s venison steak is done by this time; and dinner, -as you know, affords the most delightful opportunity for -getting acquainted. Gunnar, our guide, who is outside -skinning your reindeer buck, will soon present himself -and serve the dinner. Here he is, and he is our cook, -butler, chambermaid, laundress, beast of burden, and interpreter, -all in one.”</p> - -<p>The man to whom the professor alluded was at this -moment seen crawling on his hands and knees through the -low door-way, which his bulky figure completely filled. -He was a Norwegian peasant of the ordinary sort, with -a square, rudely cut face, dull blue eyes, and a tuft of -towy hair hanging down over his forehead. With one -hand he was dragging the skin of the buck, and between -his teeth he held an ugly-looking knife.</p> - -<p>“Ve haf got to bury him,” he said.</p> - -<p>“Bury him!” cried Harry. “Why, you blood-thirsty -wretch, don’t you see he is sitting there, looking as -bright as a sixpence?”</p> - -<p>“I mean de buck,” replied Gunnar, imperturbably.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And why do you wish to bury the buck? I would -much rather eat him. This steak here has a most tempting -flavor, and I am quite tired of canned abominations -by this time.”</p> - -<p>“De volves vill be sure to scent de meat, now dat it is -flayed, and before an hour ve might haf a whole congregation -of dem here.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then, we will shoot them down,” insisted the -cheerful Harry. “Come, now, Uncle, and let us have a -civilized dinner. I don’t pretend to be an expert in the -noble art of cookery; but if this tastes as good as it -smells, I wouldn’t exchange it for a Delmonico banquet. -And if the wolves, as Gunnar says, can smell a dead -reindeer miles away, they would be likely to smell a -venison steak from the ends of creation. Perhaps, if we -don’t hurry, all the wolves of the earth may invite themselves -to our dinner.”</p> - -<p>Gunnar, upon whom this fanciful raillery was lost, was -still standing on all-fours in the door, with his front half -in the warm room and his rearward portion in the arctic -regions without. He was gazing helplessly from one to -another, as if asking for an explanation of all this superfluous -talk. “Vill you cawme and help me, Mester -Harry?” he asked at last, stolidly.</p> - -<p>“Yes, when I have had my dinner I will, Mester -Gunnar,” answered Harry, gayly.</p> - -<p>“Vel, I haf notting more to say, den,” grumbled the -guide; “but it vould vonder me much if, before you are -troo, you von’t have some unbidden guests.”</p> - -<p>“All right, Gunnar—the more the merrier,” retorted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -Harry as, with exaggerated imitation of a waiter’s manner, -he distributed plates, knives, and napkins to Magnie -and his uncle.</p> - -<p>They now fell to chatting, and Magnie learned, after -having given a brief account of himself, that his entertainers -were Professor Winchester, an American geologist, -and his nephew, Harry Winchester, who was accompanying -his uncle, chiefly for the fun of the thing, and also -for the purpose of seeing the world and picking up some -crumbs of scientific knowledge. The professor was -especially interested in glaciers and their action in ages -past upon the surface of the earth, and, as the Norwegian -glaciers had never been thoroughly studied, he had -determined to devote a couple of months to observations -and measurements, with a view to settling some -mooted geological questions upon which he had almost -staked his reputation.</p> - -<p>They had just finished the steak, which would perhaps -have been tenderer if it had not been so fresh, and -were helping themselves to the contents of a jar of raspberry -preserves, when Harry suddenly dropped his spoon -and turned, with a serious face, to his uncle.</p> - -<p>“Did you hear that?” he said.</p> - -<p>“No; what was it?”</p> - -<p>Harry waited for a minute; then, as a wild, doleful -howl was heard, he laid his hand on the professor’s arm, -and remarked: “The old fellow was right. We shall -have unbidden guests.”</p> - -<p>“But they are hardly dangerous in these regions, so -far as I can learn,” said the professor, reassuringly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That depends upon their number. We could tackle -a dozen; but two dozen we might find troublesome. At -any rate, they have spoiled my appetite for raspberry -jam, and that is something I sha’n’t soon forgive them.”</p> - -<p>Three or four howls sounding nearer, and echoing with -terrible distinctness from the glaciers, seemed to depress -Harry’s spirits still further, and he put the jar away and -began to examine the lock of his rifle.</p> - -<p>“They are evidently summoning a mass-meeting,” remarked -the professor, as another chorus of howls re-echoed -from the glacier. “I wish we had more guns.”</p> - -<p>“And I wish mine were a Remington or a Springfield -breech-loader, with a dozen cartridges in it!” Harry exclaimed. -“These double-barrelled Norwegian machines, -with two shots in them, are really good for nothing in an -emergency. They are antediluvian both in shape and -construction.”</p> - -<p>He had scarcely finished this lament, when Gunnar’s -huge form reappeared in the door, quadruped fashion, -and made an attempt to enter. But his great bulk -nearly filled the narrow room, and made it impossible for -the others to move. He examined silently first Harry’s -rifle, then his own, cut off a slice of steak with his pocket-knife, -and was about to crawl out again, when the professor, -who could not quite conceal his anxiety, asked -him what he had done with the reindeer.</p> - -<p>“Oh!” he answered, triumphantly, “I haf buried him -among de stones, vhere he vill be safe from all de volves -in de vorld.”</p> - -<p>“But, my dear fellow,” ejaculated the professor, hotly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -“why didn’t you rather let the wolves have it? Then, -at least, they would spare us.”</p> - -<p>“You surely vouldn’t gif a goot fresh reindeer, legs -and all, to a pack of skountrelly volves, vould you?”</p> - -<p>“I would much rather give them that than give them -myself.”</p> - -<p>“But it is vort tventy dollars, if you can get it down -fresh and sell it to de English yachts,” protested Gunnar, -stolidly.</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes; but you great stupid,” cried the professor -in despair, “what do you think my life is worth? and -Master Harry’s? and this young fellow’s?” (pointing to -Magnie). “Now go as quick as you can and dig the -deer out again.”</p> - -<p>Gunnar, scarcely able to comprehend such criminal -wastefulness, was backing out cautiously with his feet -foremost, when suddenly he gave a scream and a jump -which nearly raised the roof from the hut. It was evident -that he had been bitten. In the same moment a -fresh chorus of howls resounded without, mingled with -sharp, whining barks, expressive of hunger and ferocity. -There was something shudderingly wild and mournful in -these long-drawn discords, as they rose toward the sky in -this lonely desert; and brave as he was, Magnie could -not restrain the terror which he felt stealing upon him. -Weakened by his icy bath, moreover, and by the nervous -strain of his first adventure, he had no great desire to encounter -a pack of ravenous wolves. Still, he manned -himself for the occasion and, in as steady a voice as he -could command, begged the professor to hand him some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -weapon. Harry, who had instinctively taken the lead, -had just time to reach him a long hunting-knife, and arm -his uncle with an ax, when, through the door which -Gunnar had left open, two wolves came leaping in and -paused in bewilderment at the sight of the fire on the -hearth. They seemed dazed by the light, and stood -panting and blinking, with their trembling red tongues -lolling out of their mouths. Harry, whose gun was useless -at such close range, snatched the ax away from the -professor, and at one blow split the skull of one of the -intruders, while Magnie ran his knife up to the very hilt -in the neck of the other. The beast was, however, by no -means dead after that, but leaped up on his assailant’s -chest, and would have given him an ugly wound in the -neck had not the professor torn it away and flung it -down upon the fire, where, with a howling whine, it expired. -The professor had also found time to bolt the -door before more visitors could enter; and two successive -shots without seemed to indicate that Gunnar was -holding his own against the pack. But the question was, -how long would he succeed in keeping them at bay? He -had fired both his shots, and he would scarcely have a -chance to load again, with the hungry beasts leaping -about him. This they read in one another’s faces, but -no one was anxious to anticipate the other in uttering -his dread.</p> - -<p>“Help, help!” cried Gunnar, in dire need.</p> - -<p>“Take your hand away, Uncle!” demanded Harry. -“I am going out to help him.”</p> - -<p>“For your life’s sake, Harry,” implored the professor,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -“don’t go! Let me go! What would your mother say -to me if I should return without you?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll come back again, Uncle, don’t you fear,” said the -youth, with feigned cheerfulness; “but I won’t let this -poor fellow perish before my very eyes, even though he -is a fool.”</p> - -<p>“It was his foolishness which brought this danger -upon us,” remonstrated the professor.</p> - -<p>“He knew no better,” cried Harry, tearing the door -open, and with ax uplifted rushing out <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: ‘into the the twilight’">into the twilight</ins>. -What he saw seemed merely a dark mass, huddled -together and swaying sideways, from which now -and then a black figure detached itself with a howl, -jumped wildly about, and again joined the dark, struggling -mass. He could distinguish Gunnar’s head, and -his arms fighting desperately, and, from the yelps and -howls of the wolves, he concluded that he had thrown -away the rifle and was using his knife with good effect.</p> - -<p>“Help!” he yelled, “help!”</p> - -<p>“You shall have it, old fellow,” cried Harry, plunging -forward and swinging his ax about him; and the professor, -who had followed close at his heels, shouting at -the top of his voice, pressed in Harry’s wake right into -the centre of the furious pack. But, at that very instant, -there came a long “Hallo-o!” from the lake below, -and a rifle-bullet flew whistling above their heads -and struck a rock scarcely a yard above the professor’s -hat. Several wolves lay gasping and yelping on the -ground, and the rest slunk aside. Another shot followed, -and a large beast made a leap and fell dead<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -among the stones. Gunnar, who was lying bleeding -upon the ground, was helped to his feet, and supported -by Harry and the professor to the door of the cottage.</p> - -<p>“Hallo, there!” shouted Harry, in response to the -call from below.</p> - -<p>“Hallo!” someone shouted back.</p> - -<p>The figures of three men were now seen looming up -in the dusk, and Magnie, who instinctively knew who -they were, sprang to meet them, and in another moment -lay sobbing in his brother’s arms. The poor lad was so -completely unnerved by the prolonged suspense and excitement, -that he had to be carried back into the hut, -and his brother, after having hurriedly introduced himself -to the professor, came very near giving way to his -feelings, too. Gunnar’s wounds, which were numerous, -though not serious, were washed and bandaged by Grim -Hering-Luck; and having been wrapped in a horse-blanket, -to keep out the cold, he was stowed away in a -bunk and was soon asleep. As the hut was too small to -admit all the company at once, Grim and Bjarne remained -outside, and busied themselves in skinning the -seven wolves which had fallen on the field of battle. -Harry, who had got a bad bite in his arm, which he refused -to regard as serious, consented with reluctance to -his uncle’s surgery, and insisted upon sitting up and conversing -with Olaf Birk, to whom he had taken a great -liking. But after a while the conversation began to lag, -and tired heads began to droop; and when, about midnight, -Grim crept in to see how his invalid was doing, -he found the professor reclining on some loose moss<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -upon the floor, while Harry was snoring peacefully in a -bunk, using Olaf’s back for a pillow. And Olaf, in spite -of his uncomfortable attitude, seemed also to have found -his way to the land of Nod. Grim, knowing the danger -of exposure in this cold glacier air, covered them all up -with skins and horse-blankets, threw a few dry sticks -upon the fire, and resumed his post as sentinel at the -door.</p> - -<p>The next morning Professor Winchester and his -nephew accepted Olaf’s invitation to spend a few days at -Hasselrud, and without further adventures the whole -caravan descended into the valley, calling on their way -at the <i lang="no" xml:lang="no">saeter</i> where Edwin had been left. It appeared, -when they came to discuss the strange incidents of the -preceding day, that it was Magnie’s silk handkerchief -which had enabled them to track him to the edge of the -lake, and, by means of a raft, which Bjarne kept hidden -among the stones in a little bay, they had been enabled -to cross, leaving their horses in charge of a shepherd boy -whom they had found tending goats close by.</p> - -<p>The reindeer cow which Olaf had killed was safely -carried down to the valley, and two wolf-skins were presented -to Magnie by Harry Winchester. The other -wolf-skins, as well as the skin of the reindeer buck, -Bjarne prepared in a special manner, and Harry looked -forward with much pleasure to seeing them as rugs upon -the floor of his room at college; and he positively -swelled with pride when he imagined himself relating to -his admiring fellow-students the adventures which had -brought him these precious possessions.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="THORWALD_AND_THE_STAR-CHILDREN" id="THORWALD_AND_THE_STAR-CHILDREN"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">THORWALD AND THE STAR-CHILDREN.</a></h2> - - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p>Thorwald’s mother was very ill. The fever burned -and throbbed in her veins; she lay, all day long and all -night long, with her eyes wide open, and could not sleep. -The doctor sat at her bedside and looked at her through -his spectacles; but she grew worse instead of better.</p> - -<p>“Unless she can sleep a sound, natural sleep,” he said, -“there is no hope for her, I fear.”</p> - -<p>It was to Thorwald’s father that he said this, but -Thorwald heard what he said. The little boy, with his -dog Hector, was sitting mournfully upon the great wolfskin -outside his mother’s door.</p> - -<p>“Is my mamma very ill?” he asked the doctor, but -the tears choked his voice, and he hid his face in the hair -of Hector’s shaggy neck.</p> - -<p>“Yes, child,” answered the doctor; “very ill.”</p> - -<p>“And will God take my mamma away from me?” he -faltered, extricating himself from Hector’s embrace, and -trying hard to steady his voice and look brave.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid He will, my child,” said the doctor, gravely.</p> - -<p>“But could I not do something for her, doctor?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> - -<p>The long suppressed tears now broke forth, and trickled -down over the boy’s cheeks.</p> - -<p>“<em>You</em>, a child, what can you do?” said the doctor, -kindly, and shook his head.</p> - -<p>Just then there was a great noise in the air. The -chimes in the steeple of the village church pealed forth a -joyous Christmas carol, and the sound soared, rushing as -with invisible wing-beats through the clear, frosty air. -For it was Christmas-eve, and the bells were, according -to Norse custom, “ringing-in the festival.” Thorwald -stood long listening, with folded hands, until the bells -seemed to take up the doctor’s last words, and chime: -“What can you do, what can you do, what can you do?” -Surely, there could be no doubt that that was what the -bells were saying. The clear little silvery bells that rang -out the high notes were every moment growing more impatient, -and now the great heavy bell joined them, too, and -tolled out slowly, in a deep bass voice, “Thor—wald!” -and then all the little ones chimed in with the chorus, as -rapidly as the stiff iron tongues could wag: “What can -you do, what can you do, what can you do? Thorwald, -what can you do, what can you do, what can you do?”</p> - -<p>“A child—ah, what can a child do?” thought Thorwald. -“Christ was himself a child once, and He saved -the whole world. And on a night like this, when all the -world is glad because it is His birthday, He perhaps will -remember how a little boy feels who loves his mamma, -and cannot bear to lose her. If I only knew where He -is now, I would go to Him, even if it were ever so far, -and tell Him how much we all love mamma, and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -would promise Him to be the best boy in all the world, -if He would allow her to stay with us.”</p> - -<p>Now the church-bells suddenly stopped, though the -air still kept quivering for some minutes with faint reverberations -of sound. It was very quiet in the large, -old-fashioned house. The servants stole about on tiptoe, -and spoke to each other in hurried whispers when they -met in the halls. A dim lamp, with a bluish globe, hung -under the ceiling and sent a faint, moon-like light over -the broad oaken staircase, upon the first landing of which -a large Dutch clock stood in a sort of niche, and ticked -and ticked patiently in the twilight. It was only five -o’clock in the afternoon, and yet the moon had been up -for more than an hour, and the stars were twinkling in -the sky, and the aurora borealis swept with broad sheets -of light through the air, like a huge fan, the handle of -which was hidden beneath the North Pole; you almost -imagined you heard it whizzing past your ears as it flashed -upward to the zenith and flared along the horizon. For at -that season of the year the sun sets at about two o’clock in -the northern part of Norway, and the day is then but four -hours long, while the night is twenty. To Thorwald that -was a perfectly proper and natural arrangement; for he -had always known it so in winter, and he would have -found it very singular if the sun had neglected to hide behind -the mountains at about two o’clock on Christmas-eve.</p> - -<p>But poor Thorwald heeded little the wonders of the -sky that day. He heard the clock going, “Tick—tack, -tick—tack,” and he knew that the precious moments -were flying, and he had not yet decided what he could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -do which might please God so well that he would consent -to let his dear mamma remain upon earth. He -thought of making a vow to be very good all his life -long; but it occurred to him that before he would have -time to prove the sincerity of his promise, God might -already have taken his mamma away. He must find -some shorter and surer method. Down on the knoll, -near the river, he knew there lived a woman whom all -the peasants held in great repute, and who was known in -the parish as “Wise Marthie.” He had always been -half afraid of her, because she was very old and wrinkled, -and looked so much like the fairy godmother in his storybook, -who was not invited to the christening feast, and -who revenged herself by stinging the princess with a -spindle, so that she had to go to sleep for a hundred years. -But if she were so wise, as all the people said, perhaps -she might tell him what he should do to save the life of -his mamma. Hardly had this thought struck him before -he seized his cap and overcoat (for it was a bitter -cold night), and ran to the stable to fetch his skees.<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -Then down he slid over the steep hill-side. The wind -whistled in his ears, and the loose snow whirled about -him and settled in his hair, and all over his trousers and -his coat. When he reached Wise Marthie’s cottage, -down on the knoll, he looked like a wandering snow -image. He paused for a moment at the door; then took -heart and gave three bold raps with his skee-staff. He -heard someone groping about within, and at length a -square hole in the door was opened, and the head of the -revengeful fairy godmother was thrust out through the -opening.</p> - -<p>“Who is there?” asked Wise Marthie, harshly (for, of -course, it was none other than she). Then as she saw -the small boy, covered all over with snow, she added, in -a friendlier voice: “Ah! gentlefolk out walking in this -rough weather?”</p> - -<p>“O Marthie!” cried Thorwald, anxiously, “my mamma -is very ill——”</p> - -<p>He wished to say more, but Marthie here opened the -lower panel of the door, while the upper one remained -closed, and invited him to enter.</p> - -<p>“Bend your head,” she said, “or you will knock against -the door. I am a poor woman, and can’t afford to waste -precious heat by opening both panels.”</p> - -<p>Thorwald shook the snow from his coat, set his skees -against the wall outside, and entered the cottage.</p> - -<p>“Take a seat here at the fire,” said the old woman, -pointing to a wooden block which stood close to the -hearth. “You must be very cold, and you can warm -your hands while you tell me your errand.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Thank you, Marthie,” answered the boy, “but I -have no time to sit down. I only wanted to ask you -something, and if you can tell me that, I shall—I shall—love -you as long as I live.”</p> - -<p>Old Marthie smiled, and Thorwald thought for a moment -that she looked almost handsome. And then she -took his hand in hers and drew him gently to her side.</p> - -<p>“You are not a witch, are you, Marthie?” he said, a -little tremblingly. For Marthie’s association with the -wicked fairy godmother was yet very suggestive. Then, -again, her cottage seemed to be a very queer place; and -it did not look like any other cottage that he had ever -seen before. Up under the ceiling, which was black and -sooty, hung bunches of dried herbs, and on shelves along -the wall stood flower-pots, some of which had blooming -flowers in them. The floor was freshly scrubbed, and -strewn with juniper-needles, and the whole room smelt -very clean. In a corner, between the stone hearth and -the wall, a bed, made of plain deal boards, was to be -seen; a shaggy Maltese cat, with sleepy, yellow eyes, -was for the present occupying it, and he raised his head -and gazed knowingly at the visitor, as if to say: “I -know what you have come for.”</p> - -<p>Old Marthie chuckled when Thorwald asked if she -was a witch; and somehow her chuckle had a pleasant -and good-natured sound, the boy thought, as he eyed -her wistfully.</p> - -<p>“Now I am sure you are not a witch,” cried he, “for -witches never laugh like that. I know, now, that you -are a good woman, and that you will want to help me<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> -if you can. I told you my mamma was very ill” (the -tears here again broke through his voice)—“so very ill -that the doctor says God will take her away from us. I -sat at her door all yesterday and cried, and when papa -took me in to her, she did not know me. Then I cried -more. I asked papa why God makes people so ill, and -he said it was something I didn’t understand, but I -should understand some day. But, Marthie, I haven’t -time to wait, for by that time mamma may be gone, and -I shall never know where to find her; I must know -now. And you, who are so very wise, you will tell me -what I can do to save my mamma. Couldn’t I do -something for God, Marthie—something that he would -like? And then, perhaps, he would allow mamma to -stay with us always.”</p> - -<p>The tears now came hot and fast, but the boy still -stood erect, and gazed with anxious questioning into the -old woman’s face.</p> - -<p>“You are a brave little lad,” she said, stroking his -soft, curly hair with her stiff, crooked fingers, “and -happy is the mother of such a boy. And old Marthie -knows a thing or two, she also, and you shall not have -come to her in vain. Once, child, more than eighteen -hundred years ago, just on this very night, a strange -thing happened in this world, and I dare say you have -heard of it. Christ, the White, was born of Mary in the -land of the Jews. The angels came down from heaven, -as we read in the Good Book, and they sang strange -and wonderful songs of praise. And they scattered -flowers, too—flowers which only blossomed until then in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -heaven, in the sight of God. And one of these flowers,—sweet -and pure, like the tone of an angel’s voice expressed -in color—one of these wondrous flowers, I say, -struck root in the soil, and has multiplied, and remains -in the world until this day. It blossoms only on Christmas-eve—on -the eve when Christ was born. Even in -the midst of the snow, and when it is so cold that the -wolf shivers in his den, this frail, pure flower peeps up -for a few brief moments above the shining white surface, -and then is not seen again. It is of a white or faintly -bluish color; and he who touches it and inhales its -heavenly odor is immediately healed of every earthly disease. -But there is one singular thing about it—no one -can see it unless he be pure and innocent and good; to -all others the heavenly flower is invisible.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, then I shall never find it, Marthie!” cried -Thorwald, in great suspense. “For I have often been -very naughty.”</p> - -<p>“I am very sorry to hear that,” said Marthie, and -shook her head.</p> - -<p>“And do you think it is of any use for me, then, to -try to find the flower?” exclaimed the boy, wildly. -“O Marthie, help me! Help me!”</p> - -<p>“Well, I think I should try,” said Marthie, calmly. -“I don’t believe you can have been such a dreadfully -naughty boy; and you probably were very sorry whenever -you happened to do something wrong.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes, always, and I always begged papa’s and -mamma’s pardon.”</p> - -<p>“Then, listen to me! I will show you the Star of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> -Bethlehem in the sky—the same one that led the shepherds -and the kings of the East to the manger where -Christ lay. Follow that straight on, through the forest, -across the frozen river, wherever it may lead you, until -you find the heavenly flower. And when you have -found it, hasten home to your mother, and put it up to -her lips so that she may inhale its breath; then she will -be healed, and will bless her little boy, who shunned no -sacrifice for her sake.”</p> - -<p>“But I didn’t tell you, Marthie, that I made Grim -Hering-Luck tattoo a ship on my right arm, although -papa had told me that I mustn’t do it. Do you still -think I shall find the heavenly flower?”</p> - -<p>“I shouldn’t wonder if you did, child,” responded -Marthie, with a reassuring nod of her head. “It is -high time for you to start, now, and you mustn’t loiter -by the way.”</p> - -<p>“No, no; you need not tell me that!” cried the boy, -seizing his cap eagerly, and slipping out through the -lower panel of the door. He jumped into the bands of -his skees, and cast his glance up to the vast nocturnal -sky, which glittered with myriads of twinkling stars. -Which of all these was the Star of Bethlehem? He was -just about to rush back into the cottage, when he felt a -hand upon his shoulder, and saw Wise Marthie’s kindly -but withered face close to his.</p> - -<p>“Look toward the east, child,” she said, almost -solemnly.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know where the east is, Marthie,” said Thorwald, -dolefully. “I always get mixed up about the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -points of the compass. If they would only fix four big -poles, one in each corner of the earth, that everybody -could see, then I should always know where to turn.”</p> - -<p>“There is the east,” said Marthie, pointing with a -long, crooked finger toward the distant mountain-tops, -which, with their hoods of ice, flashed and glistened in -the moonlight. “Do you see that bright, silvery star -which is just rising between those two snowy peaks?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes, Marthie. I see it! I see it!”</p> - -<p>“That is the Star of Bethlehem. You will know it by -its white, radiant light. Follow that, and its rays will -lead you to the flower which can conquer Death, as it -led the shepherds and the kings of old to Him over -whom Death had no power.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Marthie. Thank you!”</p> - -<p>The second “thank you” hardly reached the ears of -the old woman, for the boy had shot like an arrow down -over the steep bank, and was now half-way out upon the -ice. The snow surged and danced in eddies behind -him, and the cold stung his face like sharp, tiny needles. -But he hardly minded it, for he saw the star of Bethlehem -beaming large and radiant upon the blue horizon, -and he thought of his dear mother, whom he was to -rescue from the hands of Death. But the flower—the -flower—where was that? He searched carefully all -about him in the snow, but he saw no trace of it. “I -wonder,” he thought, “if it can blossom in the snow? -I should rather think that Christ allows the angels to -fling down a few of them every year on his birthday, to -help those that are sick and suffering; they say he is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -very kind and good, and I shouldn’t wonder if he sees -me now, and will tell the angels to throw down the -precious flower right in my path.”</p> - - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p>The world was cold and white round about him. -The tall pines stood wrapped in cloaks of snow, which -looked like great white ulsters, and they were buttoned -straight up to the chin—only a green finger-tip and a -few tufts of dark-green hair showed faintly, at the end of -the sleeves and above the collar. The alders and the -birches, who had no such comfortable coats to keep out -the cold, stood naked in the keen light of the stars and -the aurora, and they shivered to the very marrow. To -Thorwald it seemed as if they were stretching their bare, -lean hands against the heavens, praying for warmer -weather. A family of cedar-birds, who had lovely red -caps on their heads and gray uniforms of the most fashionable -tint, had snugged close together on a sheltered -pine-branch, and they were carrying on a subdued twittering -conversation just as Thorwald passed the river-bank, -pushing himself rapidly over the snow by means of -his skee-staff. But it was strictly a family matter they -were discussing, which it would be indiscreet in me to -divulge. They did, however, shake down a handful of -loose snow on Thorwald’s head, just to let him know -that he was very impolite to take so little notice of them. -They did not know, of course, that his mother was ill; -otherwise, I am sure, they would have forgiven him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span></p> - -<p>Hush! What was that? Thorwald thought he heard -distant voices behind him in the snow. He looked all -about him, but saw nothing. Then, following the guidance -of the star, he still pressed onward. He quitted -the river-bed and traversed a wide sloping meadow; he -had to take a zigzag course, like a ship that is tacking, -because the slope was too steep to ascend in a straight -line. He was beginning to feel tired. The muscles in -his legs ached, and he often shifted the staff from hand -to hand, in order to rest the one or the other of his -arms. He gazed now fixedly upon the snow, taking -only an occasional glance at the sky, to see that he was -going in the right direction; the strange hum of voices -in the air yet haunted his ears, and he sometimes imagined -he heard words moving to a wonderful melody. -Was it the angels that were singing, inspiring him with -courage for his quest? He dared hardly believe it, and -yet his heart beat joyously at the thought. Ah! what is -that which glitters so strangely in the snow? A starry -gleam, a twinkling, like a spark gathering its light into a -little glittering point, just as it is about to be quenched. -Thorwald leaps from his skees and plunges his hand into -the snow. The frozen crust cuts his wrist cruelly; and -he feels that he is bleeding. With a wrench he pulls his -hand up; his heart throbs in his throat; he gazes with -wild expectation, but sees—nothing. His wrist is bleeding, -and his hand is full of blood. Poor Thorwald could -hardly trust his eyes. He certainly had seen something -glittering on the snow. He felt a great lump in his -throat, and it would have been a great relief to him, at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -that moment, to sit down and give vent to the tears that -were crowding to his eyelids. But just then a clear, -sweet strain of music broke through the air, and Thorwald -heard distinctly these words, sung by voices of -children:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“Lead, O Star of Bethlehem,</p> -<p class="verse4">Me through death and danger,</p> -<p class="verse">Unto Christ, who on this night</p> -<p class="verse4">Lay cradled in a manger.”</p> -</div></div> - -<p>Thorwald gathered all his strength and again leaped -into his skees; he was now on the border of a dense -pine-forest, and as he looked into it, he could not help -shuddering. It was so dark under the thick, snow-burdened -branches, and the moon only broke through here -and there, and scattered patches of light over the tree-tops -and on the white carpet of the snow. Yet, perhaps -it was within this very wood that the heavenly -blossom had fallen. He must not lose heart now, when -he was perhaps so near his goal. Thrusting his staff -vigorously into the snow-crust, he pushed himself forward -and glided in between the tall, silent trunks; at -the same moment the air again quivered lightly, as -with the breath of invisible beings, and he heard words -which, as far as he could afterward recollect them, -sounded as follows:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“Make my soul as white and pure</p> -<p class="verse4">As the heavenly blossom—</p> -<p class="verse">As the flower of grace and truth</p> -<p class="verse4">That blooms upon Thy bosom.”</p> -</div></div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span></p> -<p>Thorwald hardly felt the touch of the snow beneath his -feet; he seemed rather to be soaring through the air, and -the trunks of the huge dark trees marched in close columns, -like an army in rapid retreat, before his enraptured -vision. Christ did see him! Christ would send him the -heavenly flower! All over the snow sparkling stars were -scattered, and they gleamed and twinkled and beckoned -to him, but whenever he stretched out his hand for them -they suddenly vanished. The trees began to assume -strange, wild shapes, and to resemble old men and -women, with long beards and large hooked noses. They -nodded knowingly to one another, and raised up their -gnarled toes from the ground in which they were rooted, -and tried to trip up the little boy who had dared to interrupt -their solemn conversation. One old fir shook -the snow from her shoulders, and stretched out a long, -strangely twisted arm, and was on the point of seizing -Thorwald by the hair, when fortunately he saw the -coming danger, and darted away down the hill-side -at quickened speed. A long, bright streak of light -suddenly illuminated the eastern sky, something fell -through the air, and left a golden trail of fire behind -it; surely it was the heavenly flower that was thrown -down by an angel in response to his prayer! Forward -and ever forward—over roots and stumps and stones—stumbling, -rising again, sinking from weariness and exhaustion, -kneeling to pray on the frozen snow, crawling -painfully back and tottering into the skee-bands; but -only forward, ever forward! The earth rolls with a -surging motion under his feet, the old trees join their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -rugged hands and dance, in wild, senile glee, around -him, lifting their twisted limbs, and sometimes, with -their talons, trying to sweep the stars from the sky. -Thorwald struggled with all his force to break through -the ring they had made around him. He saw plainly -the flower, beaming with a pale radiance upon the snow, -and he strove with all his might to reach it, but something -held him back, and though he was once or twice -within an inch of it, he could never quite grasp it with -his fingers. Then, all of a sudden, the strange song -again vibrated through the air, and he saw a huge star -glittering among the underbrush; a flock of children clad -in white robes were dancing about it, and they were singing -Christmas carols in praise of the new-born Saviour. -As they approached nearer and nearer, the hope revived -in Thorwald’s heart. Ah, there the flower of healing -was, lying close at his feet. He made a desperate leap -and clutched it in his grasp—then saw and felt no more.</p> - - -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p>The white children were children of earth, not, as -Thorwald had imagined, angels from heaven. It is a -custom in Norway for the children of the poor to go -about on Christmas eve, from house to house, carrying a -large canvas star, with one or more lanterns within it, -and sing Christmas carols. They are always dressed in -white robes, and people call them star-children. Whenever -they station themselves in the snow before the front -door, and lift up their tiny, shrill voices, old and young<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -crowd to the windows, and the little boys and girls who -are born to comfort and plenty, and never have known -want, throw pennies to them, and wish them a merry -Christmas. When they have finished singing, they are -invited in to share in the mirth of the children of the -house, and are made to sit down with them to the Christmas -table, and perhaps to dance with them around the -Christmas tree.</p> - -<p>It was a company of these star-children who now -found Thorwald lying senseless in the forest, and whose -sweet voices he had heard in the distance. The oldest -of them, a boy of twelve, hung up his star on the branch -of a fir-tree, and stooped down over the pale little face, -which, from the force of the fall, was half buried in the -snow. He lifted Thorwald’s head and gazed anxiously -into his features, while the others stood in a ring about -him, staring with wide-open eyes and frightened faces.</p> - -<p>“This is Thorwald, the judge’s son,” he said. “Come, -boys, we must carry him home. He must have been -taken ill while he was running on skees. But let us first -make a litter of branches to carry him on.”</p> - -<p>The boys all fell to work with a will, cutting flexible -twigs with their pocket-knives, and the little girls sat -down on the snow and twined them firmly together, for -they were used to work, and, indeed, some of them made -their living by weaving baskets. In a few minutes the -litter was ready, and Thorwald, who was still unconscious, -was laid upon it. Then six boys took hold, one -at each corner and two in the middle, and as the crust -of the snow was very thick, and strong enough to bear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -them, it was only once or twice that any of them broke -through. When they reached the river, however, they -were very tired, and were obliged for a while to halt. -Some one proposed that they should sing as they walked, -as that would make the time pass more quickly, and -make their burden seem lighter, and immediately some -one began a beautiful Christmas carol, and all the others -joined in with one accord. It was a pretty sight to see -them as they went marching across the river, one small -boy of six walking at the head of the procession, carrying -the great star, then the six larger boys carrying the -litter, and at last twelve little white-robed girls, tripping -two abreast over the shining surface of the ice. But, in -spite of their singing, they were very tired by the time -they had gained the highway on the other side of the -river. They did not like to confess it; but when they -saw the light from Wise Marthie’s windows, the oldest -boy proposed that they should stop there for a few minutes -to rest, and the other five said, in a careless sort of -way, that they had no objection. Only the girls were a -wee bit frightened, because they had heard that Wise -Marthie was a witch. The boys, however, laughed at -that, and the little fellow with the star ran forward and -knocked at the door, with Thorwald’s skee-staff.</p> - -<p>“Lord ha’ mercy on us!” cried Marthie, as she opened -the peeping-hole in her door, and saw the insensible form -which the boys bore between them; then flinging open -both portions of the door, she rushed out, snatched Thorwald -up in her arms, and carried him into the cottage.</p> - -<p>“Come in, children,” she said, “come in and warm<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -yourselves for a moment. Then hurry up to the judge’s, -and tell the folk there that the little lad is here at my -cottage. You will not go away empty-handed; for the -judge is a man who pays for more than he gets. And -this boy, you know, is the apple of his eye. Lord! -Lord! I sent his dog, Hector, after him, and I knew the -beast would let me know if the boy came to harm; but, -likely as not, the wind was the wrong way, and the poor -beast could not trace the skee-track on the frozen snow. -Mercy! mercy! and he is in a dead swoon.”</p> - - -<h3>IV.</h3> - -<p>When Thorwald waked up, he lay in his bed, in his own -room, and in his hand he held a pale-blue flower. He -saw the doctor standing at his bedside.</p> - -<p>“Mamma—my mamma,” he whispered.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it is time that we should go to your mamma,” -said the doctor, and his voice shook.</p> - -<p>And he took the boy by the hand and led him to his -mother’s bed-chamber. Thorwald began to tremble—a -terrible dread had come over him; but he clutched the -flower convulsively, and prayed that he might not come -too late. A dim, shaded lamp burned in a corner of the -room, his father was sitting on a chair, resting his head -in his palms, and weeping. To his astonishment, he saw -an old woman stooping over the pillow where his mother’s -head lay; it was Wise Marthie. Unable to contain -himself any longer, he rushed, breathless with excitement, -up to the bedside.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Mamma! Mamma!” he cried, flourishing his prize -in the air. “I am going to make you well. Look -here!”</p> - -<p>He thrust the flower eagerly into her face, gazing all -the while exultantly into her beloved features.</p> - -<p>“My sweet, my darling child,” whispered she, while -her eyes kindled with a heavenly joy. “How can a -mother die who has such a noble son?”</p> - -<p>And she clasped her little boy in her arms, and drew -him close to her bosom. Thus they lay long, weeping for -joy—mother and son. An hour later the doctor stole -on tiptoe toward the bed, and found them both sleeping.</p> - -<p>When the morrow’s sun peeped in through the white -curtains, the mother awoke from her long, health-giving -slumber; but Thorwald lay yet peacefully sleeping at her -side. And as the mother’s glance fell upon the flower, now -limp and withered, yet clutched tightly in the little grimy, -scratched and frost-bitten fist, the tears—happy tears—again -blinded her eyes. She stretched out her hand, -took the withered flower, pressed it to her lips, and then -hid it next to her heart. And there she wears it in a -locket of gold until this day.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="BIG_HANS" id="BIG_HANS"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">BIG HANS AND LITTLE HANS.</a></h2> - - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p>On the northwestern coast of Norway the mountains -hide their heads in the clouds and dip their feet in the -sea. In fact, the cliffs are in some places so tall and -steep that streams, flowing from the inland glaciers and -plunging over their sides, vanish in the air, being blown -in a misty spray out over the ocean. In other places -there may be a narrow slope, where a few potatoes, some -garden vegetables, and perhaps even a patch of wheat, -may be induced to grow by dint of much coaxing; for -the summer, though short, is mild and genial in those -high latitudes, and has none of that fierce intensity which, -with us, forces the vegetation into sudden maturity, and -sends our people flying toward all the points of the compass -during the first weeks in June.</p> - -<p>It was on such a sunny little slope, right under the -black mountain-wall, that Halvor Myrbraaten had built -his cottage. Halvor was a merry fellow, who went about -humming snatches of hymns and old songs and dance-melodies -all day long, and sometimes mixed up both -words and tune wofully; and when his memory failed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -him, sang anything that popped into his head. Some people -said they had heard him humming the multiplication -table to the tune of “Old Norway’s Lion,” and whole -pages out of Luther’s Catechism to jolly dance-tunes. -Not that he ever meant to be irreverent; it was just his -way of amusing himself. He was an odd stick, people -thought, and not of much use to his family. Whatever -he did, “luck” went against him. But it affected his -temper very little. Halvor was still light-hearted and -good-natured, and went about humming as usual. -If he went out hunting, and came home with an -empty pouch, it did not interfere in the least with his -gayety; but knowing well the reception which was in -store for him; it did occasionally happen that he paused -with a quizzical look before opening the door, and perhaps, -after a minute’s reflection, concluded to spend the -night in the barn; for Turid, his wife, had a mind of her -own, and knew how to express herself with emphasis. -She was, as everyone admitted, a very worthy and competent -woman, and accomplished more in a day than her -husband did in a fortnight. But worthy and competent -people are not invariably the pleasantest people to associate -with, and the gay and genial good-for-nothing Halvor, -with his bright irresponsible smile and his pleasant -ways, was a far more popular person in the parish than -his austere, estimable, over-worked wife. For one thing, -with all her poverty, she had a great deal of pride; and -people who had never suspected that one so poor could -have any objection to receiving alms had been much -offended by her curt way of refusing their proffered gifts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -Halvor, they said, showed a more realizing sense of his -position: he had the humble and contrite heart which -was becoming in an unsuccessful man, and accepted with -equal cheerfulness and gratitude whatever was offered -him, from a dollar bill to a pair of worn-out mittens. It -was, in fact, this extreme readiness to accept things which -first made difficulty between Halvor and his wife. It -seemed to him a pure waste of labor to work for a thing -which he could get for nothing; and it seemed to her a -waste of something still more precious to accept as a gift -what one might have honestly earned by work. But as -she could never hope to have Halvor agree with her on -this point, she comforted herself by impressing her own -horror of alms-taking upon her children; and the children, -in their turn, impressed the same sound principles upon -their pet kid and the pussy cat.</p> - -<p>There were five children at Myrbraaten. Hans, the -eldest, was ten years old, and Dolly, the youngest, was -one, and the rest were scattered between. It was a pretty -sight to see them of a summer afternoon on the grass -plot before the house, rolling over one another and gambolling -like a sportive family of kittens; only you could -hardly help feeling vaguely uneasy about the mountain, -the steep, black wall of which, sparsely clad with pines, -rose so threateningly above them. It seemed as if it -must, some day, swoop down upon them and crush them. -The mother, it must be admitted, was occasionally oppressed -by some such fear; but when she reflected that -the mountain had stood there from time immemorial, -and had never yet moved, or harmed anyone, she felt<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -ashamed of her apprehension, and blamed herself for her -distrust of God’s providence.</p> - -<p>Besides the children there was another young inhabitant -of the Myrbraaten cottage, and surely a very important -one. He too, was named Hans, but, in order to distinguish -him from the son of the house, the word “Little” -was prefixed, and the latter, although he was really the -smaller of the two, was called, by way of distinction, Big -Hans. The most remarkable thing about Little Hans -was that he had, in spite of his youth, a very well-developed -beard. Big Hans, who had not a hair on his chin, -rather envied him this manly ornament. Then, again, -Little Hans was a capital fighter, and could knock you -down in one round with great coolness and sweet-tempered -seriousness, as if he were acting entirely from a -sense of duty. He never used any hard words; but the -moment his adversary attempted to rise, Little Hans quietly -gave him another knock, and winked wickedly at -him, as if warning him to lie still. He never bragged of -his victories, but showed a modest self-appreciation to -which very few of his age ever attain. Big Hans, who -valued his friend and namesake above others, and had a -hearty admiration for his many fine qualities, declared -himself utterly unable to rival him in combativeness, -modesty, and coolness of temper. For Big Hans, I am -sorry to say, was sometimes given to bragging of his -muscle and of his skill in turning hand-springs and standing -on his head, and he could easily be teased into a -furious temper. Now, Little Hans could not turn hand-springs, -nor could he stand on his head; but, though he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> -promptly resented any trifling with his dignity, I never -once knew him to lose his temper. He never laughed -when anything struck him as being funny; in fact, he -seemed to regard every boisterous exhibition of feeling -as undignified. He only turned his head away and -stood chewing a piece of paper or a straw, with his usual -look of comical gravity in his eye.</p> - -<p>Many people wondered at the fast friendship which -bound Big Hans and Little Hans together. Their tastes, -people said, were dissimilar; in temperament, too, they -had few points of resemblance. And yet they were absolutely -inseparable. Wherever Big Hans went, Little -Hans was sure to follow. Often they were seen racing -along the beach or climbing up the mountain-side; and, -as Little Hans was a capital hand (or ought I to say -foot?) at climbing, Big Hans often had hard work to -keep up with him. Sometimes Little Hans would leap -up a rock which was so steep that it was impossible for -his friend to climb it, and then he would grin comically -down at Big Hans, who would stand below calling tearfully -to his companion until he descended, which usually -was very soon. For Little Hans was very fond of Big -Hans, and could never bear to see him cry. And that is -not in the least to be wondered at, as Big Hans had -saved him from starvation and death when Little Hans -was really in the sorest need. Their acquaintance began -in the following manner: one day when Big Hans was -up in the mountains trapping hares, he heard a feeble -voice in a cleft of the rocks near by, and hurrying to the -spot, he found Little Hans wedged in between two great<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -stones, and his leg caught in so distressing a manner that -it cost Big Hans nearly an hour’s work to set it free. -Then he dressed the bruised foot with a rag torn from -the lining of his coat, and carried Little Hans home in -his arms. And as Little Hans’ parents had never -claimed him, and he himself could give no satisfactory -account of them, he had thenceforth remained at Myrbraaten, -where all the children were very fond of him. -Turid, their mother, on the other hand, had no great -liking for him, especially after he had devoured her -hymn-book (which was her most precious property) and -eaten with much appetite a piece of Dolly’s dress. For, -as I intimated, Little Hans’ tastes were very curious, -and nothing came amiss when he was hungry. He had -a trick of pulling off Dolly’s stockings when she was sitting -out on the green, and if he were not discovered in -time, he was sure to make his breakfast off of them. With -these tastes, you will readily understand, Big Hans could -have no sympathy, and the only thing which could induce -him to forgive Little Hans’ eccentricities was the -fact that Little Hans was a goat.</p> - - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p>In the winter of 187–, a great deal of snow fell on the -northwestern coast of Norway. The old pines about the -Myrbraaten cottage were laden down with it; the children -had to be put to work with snow-shovels early in -the morning, in order to hollow out a tunnel to the cow-stable -where the cow stood bellowing with hunger. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -mother, too, worked bravely, and sometimes when the -thin roof of snow caved in and fell down upon them, -they laughed heartily, and their mother too, could -not help laughing because they were so happy. Little -Hans also made a pretence of working, but only succeeded -in being in everybody’s way, and when the -cold snow drizzled down upon his nose he grinned -and made faces so queer that the children shouted with -merriment.</p> - -<p>Day after day, and week after week, the snow continued -to descend. Big Hans and his friend sat at the -window watching the large feathery flakes, as they whirled -slowly and silently through the air and covered the earth -far and near with a white pall. Soon there was a scarcity -of wood at the Myrbraaten cottage, and Halvor was obliged -to get into his skees and go to the forest. Humming -the multiplication table (so far as he knew it) to the tune -of a hymn, he pulled on his warmest jacket, took his axe -from its hiding-place under the eaves, and went in a -slanting line up the mountain-side; but before he had -gone many rods it struck him that it was useless to -go so far for wood, when the whole mountain-slope was -covered with pines. Fresh pine would be a little hard to -burn, to be sure, but then pine was full of pitch and -would burn anyhow. He therefore took off his skees, -dug a hole in the snow, and felled three or four trees only -a few hundred rods above the cottage. When his wife -heard the sound of his axe so near the house, she rushed -out and cried to him:</p> - -<p>“Halvor, Halvor, don’t cut down the trees on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -slope! They are all that keep the snow from coming -down upon us in an avalanche, and sweeping us into the -ocean!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, the Lord will look out for his own,” sang Halvor, -cheerily.</p> - -<p>“The Lord put the pine-trees there to protect us,” replied -his wife.</p> - -<p>But the end was that, in spite of his wife’s protests, -Halvor continued to fell the trees.</p> - -<p>The heavy fall of snow was followed in the course of -a week by a sudden thaw.</p> - -<p>Strange creaking and groaning sounds stole through -the forest. Sometimes when a large load of snow fell, it -rolled and grew as it rolled, until it dashed against a -huge trunk and nearly broke it with its weight.</p> - -<p>Then, one night, there came down a great load which -fell with a dull thud and rolled down and down, pushing a -growing wall of snow before it, until it reached the clearing -where Halvor had cut his wood; there, meeting -with no obstructions, it gained a tremendous headway, -sweeping all the snow and the felled trunks with it, and -rushed down in a great mass, carrying along stones, -shrubs, huge trees, and the very soil itself, leaving nothing -but the bare rock behind it. How terrible was the -sight! A smoke-like cloud rose in the darkness, and a -sound as of a thousand thundering cataracts filled the night. -On it swept, onward, with a wild, resistless speed! At -the jutting rock, where the juniper stood, the avalanche -divided, tearing up the old spruces and the birches by -the roots and hurling them down, but leaving the juniper<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> -standing alone on its barren peak. It was but a moment’s -work. The avalanche shot downward with increased -speed—hark!—a sharp shriek, a smothered groan, then -a fierce hissing sound of waves that rose toward the sky -and returned with a long thundering cannonade to the -strand! The night was darker and the silence deeper -than before.</p> - - -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p>Where the Myrbraaten cottage had stood, the bare -rock now stares black and dismal against the sun. The -rumor of the calamity spread like wild-fire through the -valley, and the folk of the whole parish came to gaze -upon the ruin which the avalanche had wrought. All -that was left of Myrbraaten was the cow-stable, where -the cow and Little Hans and Big Hans had slept. Little -Hans had been very ill-behaved the night before, so -Turid had sent him to sleep with the cow; and Big -Hans, who thought it would be cruel to ask his companion -to spend the night in that dark stable, with only a -cow for company, had gone with him and slept with him -in the hay. Thus it happened that Little Hans and Big -Hans both were saved. It was pitiful to see them shivering -in the wet snow. Big Hans was crying as if his -heart would break; and the women who crowded about -him were unable to comfort him. What should he, a -small boy of ten, do alone in this wide world? His -father and his mother and his little brothers and sisters -were all gone, and there was no one left who cared for -him. Just then Little Hans, who was anxious to express<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> -his sympathy, put his nose close to Big Hans’ face and -rubbed it against his cheek.</p> - -<p>“Yes, you are right, Little Hans,” sobbed the boy, -embracing his faithful friend; “you do care for me. -You are the only one I have left now, in all the world. -You and I will stand by each other always.”</p> - -<p>Little Hans then said, “Ma-a-a,” which in his language -meant, “Yes.”</p> - -<p>The question soon arose in the parish—what was to -be done with Big Hans? He had no relatives except a -brother of his mother, who had emigrated many years -before to Minnesota; and there was no one else who -seemed disposed to assume the burden of his support. -It was finally decided that he should be hired out as a -pauper to the lowest bidder, and that the parish should -pay for his board. But when the people who bid for -him refused to take Little Hans too, the boy determined, -after some altercation with the authorities, to -seek his uncle in America. One thing he was sure of, -and that was that he would not part from Little Hans. -But there was no one in the parish who would board -Little Hans without extra pay. Accordingly, the cow -and the barn were sold for the boy’s benefit, and he and -his comrade went on foot to the city, where they bought -a ticket for New York.</p> - -<p>Thus it happened that Big Hans and Little Hans became -Americans. But before they reached the United -States some rather curious things happened to them. -The captain of the steamship, Big Hans found, was not -willing to take a goat as a passenger, and Big Hans was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -forced to return with his friend to the pier, while the -other emigrants thronged on board. He was nearly at -his wits’ end, when it suddenly occurred to him to put -Little Hans in a bag and smuggle him on board as baggage. -This was a lucky thought. Little Hans was -quite heavy, to be sure, but he seemed to comprehend -the situation perfectly, and kept as still as a mouse in -his bag while Big Hans, with the assistance of a benevolent -fellow-passenger, lugged him up the gang-plank. -And when he emerged from his retirement some time -after the steamer was well under way, none of the officers -even thought of throwing the poor goat overboard; for -Little Hans became a great favorite with both crew and -passengers, although he played various mischievous -pranks, in his quiet, unostentatious way, and ate some -shirts which had been hung out to dry.</p> - -<p>It was early in April when the two friends arrived in -New York. They attracted considerable attention as -they walked up Broadway together; and many people -turned around to laugh at the little emigrant boy, in his -queer Norwegian costume, who led a full-grown goat -after him by a halter. The bootblacks and the newsboys -pointed their fingers at them, and, when that had no -effect, made faces at them, and pulled Big Hans by his -short jacket and Little Hans by his short tail. Big Hans -was quite frightened when he saw how many of them -there were, but, perceiving that Little Hans was not in -the least ruffled, he felt ashamed of himself, and took -heart again. Thus they marched on for several blocks, -while the crowd behind them grew more and more bois<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span>terous -and importunate. Suddenly, one big boy, who -seemed to be the leader of the gang, sprang forward with -a yell and knocked off Big Hans’ hat, while all the rest -cheered loudly; but just as he was turning around to -enjoy his triumph, Little Hans turned around too, and -gave him a bump from behind which sent him headlong -into the gutter. Then, rising on his hind legs, Little -Hans leaped forward again and again, and despatched the -second and third boy in the same manner, whereupon all -the rest ran away, helter-skelter, scattering through the -side streets. It was all done in so quiet and gentlemanly -a manner that not one of the grown-up spectators who -had gathered on the sidewalk thought of interfering. -Big Hans, however, who had intended to see something -of the city before starting for the West, was so discouraged -at the inhospitable reception the United States -had given him, that he gave up his purpose, and returned -disconsolately to Castle Garden. There he spent the -rest of the day, and when the night came, he went to -sleep on the floor, with his little bundle under his head; -while Little Hans, who did not seem to be sleepy, lay -down at his side, quietly munching a piece of pie which -he had stolen from somebody’s luncheon-basket.</p> - -<p>Early the next morning Big Hans was awakened by a -gentle pulling at his coat-collar; and, looking up, he saw -that it was Little Hans. He jumped up as quickly as -he could, and he found that it was high time, for all the -emigrants had formed into a sort of a procession and -were filing through the gate on their way to the railway -station. There were some seven or eight hundred of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -them—toil-worn, sad-faced men and women, and queer-looking -children in all sorts of outlandish costumes. Big -Hans and his friend ran to take their places at the very -end of the procession, and just managed to slip through -the gate before it was closed. At the railway station the -boy exhibited his ticket which he had bought at the -steamship office in Norway, and was just about to board -the train, when the conductor cried out:</p> - -<p>“Hold on, there! This is not a cattle-train! You -can’t take your goat into the passenger-car!”</p> - -<p>Big Hans did not quite comprehend what was said, but -from the expression of the conductor’s voice and face, he -surmised that there was some objection to his comrade.</p> - -<p>“I think I have money enough to buy a ticket for -Little Hans, too,” he said, in his innocent Norwegian -way, as he pulled a five-dollar bill from his pocket.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want your money,” cried the conductor, who -knew as little of Norwegian as Big Hans did of English.</p> - -<p>“Get out of the way there with your billy-goat!”</p> - -<p>And he hustled the boy roughly out of the way to -make room for the other emigrants, who were thronging -up to the platform.</p> - -<p>“Well, then,” said Big Hans, “since they don’t want -us on the train, Little Hans, we shall have to walk to -Minnesota. And as this railroad is going that way, I -suppose we shall get there if we follow the track.”</p> - -<p>Little Hans seemed to think that this was a good -plan; for, as soon as the train had steamed off, he started -at a brisk rate along the track, so that his master had -great difficulty in keeping up with him. For several<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -hours they trudged along cheerfully, and both were in -excellent spirits. Minnesota, Big Hans supposed, might, -perhaps, be a day’s journey off, and if he walked fast he -thought he would probably be there at nightfall. When -once he was there, he did not doubt but that everybody -would know his Uncle Peter. He was somewhat puzzled, -however, when he came to a place where no less -than three railroad tracks branched off in different directions; -and, as there was no one to ask, he sat down patiently -in the shade of a tree and determined to wait. -Presently a man came along with a red flag.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you would kindly tell me if this is the way -to Minnesota,” said Big Hans, taking off his cap and -bowing politely to the man.</p> - -<p>The man shook his head sullenly, but did not answer; -he did not understand the boy’s language.</p> - -<p>“And you don’t happen to know my uncle, Peter -Volden?” essayed the boy, less confidently, making another -respectful bow to the flagman.</p> - -<p>“You are a queer loon of a chap,” grumbled the man; -“but if you don’t jump off the track with your goat, the -train will run over both of you.”</p> - -<p>He had hardly spoken, when the train was seen rounding -the curve, and the boy had just time to pull Little -Hans over into the ditch when the locomotive came -thundering along, sending out volumes of black smoke, -which scattered slowly in the warm air, making the sunlight -for awhile seem gray and dingy. Big Hans was almost -stunned, but picked himself up, with a little fainter -heart than before, perhaps; but whispering a snatch of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -prayer which his mother had taught him, he seized Little -Hans by the halter, and started once more upon his -weary way after the train.</p> - -<p>“Minnesota must be a great way off, I am afraid,” he -said, addressing himself, as was his wont, to his companion; -“but if we keep on walking, it seems to me we -must, in the end, get there; or, what do you think, Little -Hans?”</p> - -<p>Little Hans did not choose to say what he thought, -just then, for his attention had been called to some tender -grass at the roadside which he knew tasted very -sweet. Big Hans was then reminded that he, too, was -hungry, and he sat down on a stone and ate a piece of -bread which he had brought with him from Castle Garden. -The sun rose higher in the sky and the heat grew -more and more oppressive. Still the emigrant boy -trudged on patiently. Whenever he came to a station -he stopped, and read the sign, and shook his head sadly -when he saw some unfamiliar name.</p> - -<p>“Not Minnesota yet, Little Hans,” he sighed; “I am -afraid we shall have to take lodgings somewhere for the -night. I am so footsore and tired.”</p> - -<p>It was then about six o’clock in the evening, and the -two friends had walked about twenty miles. At the -next station they met a hand-organ man, who was sitting -on a truck, feeding his monkey.</p> - -<p>Big Hans, who had never seen so funny an animal before, -was greatly delighted. He went close up to the -man, and put out his hand cautiously to touch the monkey.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Are you going to Minnesota, too?” he asked, in a -tone of great friendliness; “if so, we might bear each -other company. I like that hairy little fellow of yours -very much.”</p> - -<p>The hand-organ man, who, like most men of his calling, -was an Italian, shook his head, and the monkey -shook his head, too, as if to say, “All that may be very -fine, but I don’t understand it.”</p> - -<p>The boy, however, was too full of delight to notice -whether he was understood or not; and when the monkey -took off his little red hat and offered to shake hands -with him, he laughed until the tears rolled down his -cheeks. He seemed to have entirely forgotten Little -Hans, who was standing by, glowering at the monkey -with a look which was by no means friendly. The fact -was, Little Hans had never been accustomed to any rival -in his master’s affection, and he didn’t enjoy in the least -the latter’s interest in the monkey. He kept his jealousy -to himself, however, as long as he could; but when -Big Hans, after having giving ten cents to the organ-man, -took the monkey on his lap and patted and stroked -it, Little Hans’ heart was ready to burst. He could not -endure seeing his affections so cruelly trifled with. -Bending his head and rising on his hind legs, he darted -forward and gave his rival a knock on the head that sent -him tumbling in a heap at Big Hans’ feet. The Italian -jumped up with a terrible shout and seized his treasure -in his arms. The monkey made an effort to open its -eyes, gave a little shiver, and—was dead. The boy -stood staring in mute despair at the tiny stiffened body;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -he felt like a murderer. Hardly knowing what he did, -he seized Little Hans’ halter; but in the same moment -the enraged owner of the monkey rushed at the goat -with the butt end of his whip uplifted. Little Hans, -who was dauntless as ever, dexterously dodged the blow, -but the instant his antagonist had turned to vent his -wrath upon his master, he gave him an impetus from behind -which sent him headlong out upon the railroad -track. A crowd of men and boys (of the class who always -lounge about railroad stations) had now collected -to see the fight, and goaded both combatants on with -their jeering cries. The Italian, who was maddened with -anger, had just picked himself up, and was plunging forward -for a second attack upon Little Hans, when Big -Hans, seeing the danger, flung himself over his friend’s -back, clasping his arms about his neck. The loaded end -of the whip struck Big Hans in the back of the head; -without a sound, the boy fell senseless upon the track.</p> - -<p>Then a policeman arrived, and Little Hans, the Italian, -and the insensible boy were taken to the police-station. -A doctor was summoned, and he declared that -Big Hans’ wound was very dangerous, and that he must -be taken to the hospital. And there the emigrant boy -lay for six weeks, hovering between life and death; but -when, at the end of that time, he was permitted to go -out, he heard with dread that he was to testify at the -Italian’s trial. A Norwegian interpreter was easily -found, and when Hans told his simple story to the judge, -there were many wet eyes in the court-room. And he -himself cried, too, for he thought that Little Hans was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -lost. But just as he had finished his story, he heard a -loud “Ba-a-a” in his ear; he jumped down from the -witness-stand and flung his arms about Little Hans’ -neck and laughed and cried as if he had lost his wits.</p> - -<p>It is safe to say that such a scene had never before -been witnessed in an American court-room.</p> - -<p>The next day Big Hans and Little Hans were both -sent by rail, at the expense of some kind-hearted citizens, -to their uncle in Minnesota. And it was there I -made their acquaintance.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="A_NEW_WINTER_SPORT" id="A_NEW_WINTER_SPORT"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">A NEW WINTER SPORT.</a></h2> - - -<p>It is a curious fact that so useful an article as the -Norwegian <em>skees</em> has not been more generally introduced -in the United States. In some of the Western States, -notably in Wisconsin and Minnesota, where the Scandinavian -population is large, the immigrants of Norse -blood are beginning to teach Americans the use of their -national snow-shoes, and in Canada there has been an -attempt made (with what success I do not know) to -make skee-running popular. But the subject has by no -means received the consideration which it deserves, and -I am confident that I shall earn the gratitude of the -great army of boys if I can teach them how to enjoy -this fascinating sport.</p> - -<p>Let me first, then, describe a <em>skee</em> and tell you how to -have it made. You take a piece of tough, straight-grained -pine, from five to ten feet long, and cut it down -until it is about the breadth of your foot, or, at most, -an inch broader. There must be no knots in the wood, -and the grain must run with tolerable regularity lengthwise -from end to end.</p> - -<div class="figleft"> -<img src="images/i_166-250.jpg" width="250" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -Bending the Skee.</div> -</div> - -<p>If you cannot find a piece without a knot, then let the -knot be as near the hind end as possible; but such a <em>skee</em><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -is not perfect, as it is apt to break if subjected to the -strain of a “jump” or a “hollow” in a swift run. The -thickness of the <em>skee</em> should be about an inch or an inch -and one-half in the middle, and it should gradually grow -thinner toward each end. Cut the forward end into a -point—not abruptly, but with a gradual curve, as shown -in the drawings. Pierce the middle latitudinally with -a hole, about half an inch in height and an inch or -(if required) more in width; then bend the forward -pointed end by means of five sticks, placed as the drawing -indicates, and let the <em>skee</em> remain in this position for -four or five days, until -its bend has become -permanent, and -it will no longer, on -the removal of the -sticks, resume the -straight line. Before -doing this, however, -it would be well to plane the under side of the <em>skee</em> carefully -and then polish and sand-paper it, until it is as -smooth as a mirror. It is, of course, of prime importance -to diminish as much as possible the friction in running and -to make the <em>skee</em> glide easily over the surface of the snow, -and the Norwegians use for this purpose soft-soap, which -they rub upon the under side of the <em>skee</em>, and which, I -am told, has also a tendency to make the wood tougher. -In fact, too much care cannot be exercised in this respect, -as the excellence of the <em>skees</em>, when finished, depends -primarily upon the combined toughness and light<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span>ness -of the wood. Common pine will not do; for although, -when well seasoned, it is light -enough, it is rarely strong enough to -bear the required strain. The tree -known to Norwegians as the fir (<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Sylvestris -pinus</i>), which has long, flexible needles, -hanging in tassels (not evenly distributed -along the branch, as in the spruce), is most -commonly used, as it is tough and pitchy, -but becomes light in weight, without losing -its strength, when it is well seasoned -and dried. Any other strong and straight-grained -wood might, perhaps, be used, but -would, I think, be liable to the objection -of being too heavy.</p> - -<div class="figright"> -<img src="images/i_167.jpg" width="120" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -Side and Face View<br />of Skees, showing<br />Cap and Knob.</div> -</div> - -<p>When the <em>skee</em> has been prepared as -above described, there only remains to put -a double band through the middle; the -Norwegians make it of twisted withes, and -fit its size to the toe of the boot. If the -band is too wide, so as to reach up on the -instep, it is impossible to steer the <em>skee</em>, -while if it is too narrow the foot is apt to -slip out. Of these two withe-bands, one -should stand up and the other lie down -horizontally, so as to steady the foot and -prevent it from sliding. A little knob, -just in front of the heel, might serve a -similar purpose. Leather, or any other -substance which is apt to stretch when getting wet, will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> -not do for bands, although undoubtedly something -might be contrived which might be even preferable to -withes. I am only describing the <em>skees</em> as they are -used in Norway—not as they might be improved in -America. In the West, I am told, a good substitute -for the withe-band has been found in a kind of leather -cap resembling the toe of a boot. As I have never -myself tried this, I dare not express an opinion about -its practicability; but as it is of the utmost importance -that the runner should be able to free his foot easily, I -would advise every boy who tries this cap to make perfectly -sure that it does not prevent him from ridding -himself of the <em>skee</em> at a moment’s notice. The chief difficulty -that the beginner has to encounter is the tendency -of the <em>skees</em> to “spread,” and the only thing for him to -do in such a case, provided he is running too fast to -trust to his ability to get them parallel again, is to jump -out of the bands and let the <em>skees</em> go. Let him take care -to throw himself backward, breaking his fall by means of -the staff, and in the soft snow he will sustain no injury. -Whenever an accident occurs in skee-running, it can usually -be traced to undue tightness of the band, which may -make it difficult to withdraw the feet instantly. A pair -of <em>skees</em> kept at the rooms of the American Geographical -Society, New York, are provided with a safeguard against -“spreading” in the shape of a slight groove running -longitudinally along the under side of each <em>skee</em>. I have -seen <em>skees</em> provided with two such grooves, each about an -inch from the edge and meeting near the forward point.</p> - -<p>There has, of course, to be one <em>skee</em> for each foot, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -the second is an exact duplicate of the first. The upper -sides of both are usually decorated, either in colors or -with rude carvings; the forward ends are usually painted -for about a foot, either in black or red.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_169.jpg" width="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -Staff with a Wheel that Acts as a Brake</div> -</div> - -<p>Now, the reader will ask: “What advantage does this -kind of snow-shoes offer over the ordinary Indian ones, -which are in common use in the Western and Northern -States?” Having tried both, I think I may confidently -answer that the <em>skees</em> are superior, both in speed and convenience; -and, moreover, they effect a great saving of -strength. The force which, with the American snow-shoes, -is expended in lifting the feet, is with the <em>skees</em> -applied only as a propeller, for the <em>skee</em> glides, and is -never lifted; and on level ground the resistance of the -body in motion impels the skee-runner with each forward -stride several feet beyond the length of his step. -If he is going down-hill, his effort will naturally be to -diminish rather than to increase his speed, and he carries -for this purpose a strong but light staff about six feet -long, upon which he may lean more or less heavily, and -thereby retard the rapidity of his progress. The best -skee-runners, however, take great pride in dispensing -with the staff, and one often sees them in Norway rush<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span>ing -down the steepest hill-sides with incredible speed, -with a whirling cloud of snow following in their track.</p> - -<div class="figleft"> -<img src="images/i_170a.jpg" width="200" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -Side View, showing Foot in Position.</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">Although this may be a -very fine and inspiriting -sight, I should not recommend -beginners to be -too hasty in throwing -away the staff, as it is -only by means of it that they are able to guide their -course down over the snowy slope, just as a ship is -steered by its rudder. If you wish to steer toward the -right, you press your staff down into the snow on your -right side, while a similar manœuvre on your left side -will bend your course in that direction. If you wish to -test your <em>skees</em> when they are finished, put your feet into -the bands, and let someone take hold of the two front -ends and slowly raise them while you are standing in -the bands. If they bear your weight, they are regarded -as safe, and will not be likely to break in critical moments. -In conclusion, let me add that the length and -thickness of the <em>skees</em>, as here described, are not invariable, -but must vary in accordance with the size of the -boy who wishes to -use them. Five -feet is regarded as -the minimum -length, and would -suit a boy from -twelve to fourteen years old, while a grown-up man -might safely make them twice that length.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figright"> -<img src="images/i_170b.jpg" width="300" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -Under Side and Cross Section of Skee, showing Groove.</div> -</div> - -<p>In Norway, where the woods are pathless in winter, -and where heavy snows continually fall from the middle -of October until the middle of April, it is easily seen -how essential, nay indispensable, the <em>skees</em> must be to -hunters, trappers, and lumber-men, who have to depend -upon the forests for their livelihood. Therefore, one of -the first accomplishments which the Norwegian boy -learns, as soon as he is old enough to find his way -through the parish alone, is the use of these national -snow-shoes. If he wakes up one fine winter morning -and sees the huge snow-banks blockading doors and windows, -and a white, glittering surface extending for miles -as far as his eye can reach, he gives a shout of delight, -buttons his thick woollen jacket up to his chin, pulls the -fur borders of his cap down over his ears, and then, having -cleared a narrow path between the dwelling-house -and the cow-stables, makes haste to jump into his <em>skees</em>. -If it is cold (as it usually is) and the snow accordingly dry -and crisp, he knows that it will be a splendid day for -skee-running. If, on the contrary, the snow is wet and -heavy, it is apt to stick in clots to the <em>skees</em>, and then the -sport is attended with difficulties which are apt to spoil -the amusement. We will take it for granted, however, -that there are no indications of a thaw, and we will accompany -the Norse boy on his excursions over the -snowy fields and through the dense pine-woods, in which -he and his father spend their days in toil, not untempered -with pleasure.</p> - -<p>“Now, quick, Ola, my lad!” cries his father to him; -“fetch the axe from the wood-shed and bring me my gun<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> -from the corner behind the clock, and we will see what -luck we have had with the fox-traps and the snares up in -the birch-glen.”</p> - -<p>And Ola has no need of being asked twice to attend to -such duties. His mother, in the meanwhile, has put up -a luncheon, consisting of cold smoked ham and bread and -butter, in a gayly painted wooden box, which Ola slings -across his shoulder, while Nils, his father, sticks the axe -into his girdle, and with his gun in one hand and his -skee-staff in the other, emerges into the bright winter -morning. They then climb up the steep snow-banks, -place their <em>skees</em> upon the level surface, and put their -feet into the bands. Nils gives a tremendous push with -his staff and away he flies down the steep hill-side, while -his little son, following close behind him, gives an Indian -war-whoop, and swings his staff about his head to show -how little he needs it. Whew, how fast he goes! How -the cold wind sings in his ears; how the snow whirls -about him, filling his eyes and ears and silvering the loose -locks about his temples, until he looks like a hoary little -gnome who has just stepped out from the mountain-side! -But he is well used to snow and cold, and he does not -mind it a bit.</p> - -<p>In a few seconds father and son have reached the bottom -of the valley, and before them is a steep incline, -overgrown with leafless birch and elder forests. It is -there where they have their snares, made of braided -horse-hair; and as bait they use the red berries of the -mountain ash, of which ptarmigan and thrushes are very -fond. Now comes the test of their strength; but the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -snow is too deep and loose to wade through, and to climb -a declivity on <em>skees</em> is by no means as easy as it is to slide -down a smooth hill-side. They now have to plod along -slowly, ascending in long zig-zag lines, pausing often to -rest on their staves, and to wipe the perspiration from -their foreheads. Half an hour’s climb brings them to the -trapping-grounds. But there, indeed, their efforts are -well rewarded.</p> - -<p>“Oh, look, look, father!” cries the boy, ecstatically. -“Oh, what a lot we have caught! Why, there are three -dozen birds, as sure as there is one.”</p> - -<p>His father smiles contentedly, but says nothing. He -is too old a trapper to give way to his delight.</p> - -<p>“There is enough to buy you a new coat for Christmas, -lad,” he says, chuckling; “and if we make many more -such hauls, we may get enough to buy mother a silver -brooch, too, to wear at church on Sundays.”</p> - -<p>“No, buy mother’s brooch first, father,” protests the -lad, a little hesitatingly (for it costs many boys an effort -to be generous); “my coat will come along soon enough. -Although, to be sure, my old one is pretty shabby,” he -adds, with a regretful glance at his patched sleeves.</p> - -<p>“Well, we will see, we will see,” responds Nils, pulling -off his bear-skin mittens and gliding in among the -trees in which the traps are set. “The good Lord, who -looks after the poor man as well as the rich, may send us -enough to attend to the wants of us all.”</p> - -<p>He had opened his hunting-bag, and was loosening the -snare from the neck of a poor strangled ptarmigan, when -all of a sudden he heard a great flapping of wings, and,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -glancing down through the long colonnade of frost-silvered -trees, saw a bird which had been caught by the leg, -and was struggling desperately to escape from the snare.</p> - -<p>“Poor silly thing!” he said, half-pityingly; “it is not -worth a shot. Run down and dispatch it, Ola.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t like to kill things, father,” cried the lad, -who with a fascinated gaze was regarding the struggling -ptarmigan. “When they hang themselves I don’t mind -it so much; but it seems too wicked to wring the neck of -that white, harmless bird. No, let me cut the snare with -my knife and let it go.”</p> - -<p>“All right; do as you like, lad,” answered the father, -with gruff kindliness.</p> - -<p>And with a delight which did his heart more honor -than his head, Ola slid away on his <em>skees</em> toward the -struggling bird, which, the moment he touched it, hung -perfectly still, with its tongue stuck out, as if waiting for -its death-blow.</p> - -<p>“Kill me,” it seemed to say. “I am quite ready.”</p> - -<p>But, instead of killing it, Ola took it gently in his -hand, and stroked it caressingly while cutting the snare -and disentangling its feet. How wildly its little heart -beat with fright! And the moment his hold was relaxed, -down it tumbled into the snow, ran a few steps, -then took to its wings, dashed against a tree in sheer bewilderment, -and shook down a shower of fine snow on -its deliverer’s head. Ola felt quite heroic when he saw -the bird’s delight, and thought how, perhaps, next summer -(when it had changed its coat to brown) it would -tell its little ones, nestling under its wings, of its hair<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span>breadth -escape from death, and of the kind-hearted -youngster who had set it free instead of killing it.</p> - -<p>While Ola was absorbed in these pleasant reflections, -Nils, his father, had filled his hunting-bag with game and -was counting his spoils.</p> - -<p>“Now, quick, laddie,” he called out, cheerily. “Stir -your stumps and bring me your bag of bait. Get the -snares to rights and fix the berries, as you have seen me -doing.”</p> - -<p>Ola was very fond of this kind of work, and he pushed -himself with his staff from tree to tree, and hung the -tempting red berries in the little hoops and arches which -were attached to the bark of the trees. He was in the -midst of this labor, when suddenly he heard the report -of his father’s gun, and, looking up, saw a fox making a -great leap, then plunging headlong into the snow.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Mr. Reynard,” remarked Nils, as he slid over -toward the dead animal. “You overslept yourself this -morning. You have stolen my game so long, now, that -it was time I should get even with you. And yet, if the -wind had been the other way, you would have caught -the scent of me sooner than I should have caught yours. -Now, sir, we are quits.”</p> - -<p>“What a great, big, sleek fellow!” ejaculated Ola, -stroking the fox’s fur and opening his mouth to examine -his sharp, needle-pointed teeth.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Nils; “I have saved the rascal the -trouble of hunting until he has grown fat and secure, -and fond of his ease. I had a long score to settle with -that old miscreant, who has been robbing my snares ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> -since last season. His skin is worth about three dollars.”</p> - -<p>When the task of setting the snares in order had been -completed, father and son glided lightly away under the -huge, snow-laden trees to visit their traps, which were -set further up the mountain. The sun was just peeping -above the mountain-ridge, and the trees and the great -snow-fields flashed and shone, as if oversown with numberless -diamonds. Round about were the tracks of birds -and beasts; the record of their little lives was traced -there in the soft, downy snow, and could be read by -everyone who had the eyes to read. Here were the -tracks telling of the quiet pottering of the leman and the -field-mouse, going in search of their stored provisions for -breakfast, but rising to take a peep at the sun on the -way. You could trace their long, translucent tunnels -under the snow-crust, crossing each other in labyrinthine -entanglements. Here Mr. Reynard’s graceful tail had -lightly brushed over the snow, as he leaped to catch -young Mrs. Partridge, who had just come out to scratch -up her breakfast of frozen huckleberries, and here Mr. -and Mrs. Squirrel (a very estimable couple) had partaken -of their frugal repast of pine-cone seeds, the remains of -which were still scattered on the snow. But far prettier -were the imprints of their tiny feet, showing how they -sat on their haunches, chattering amicably about the high -cost of living, and of that grasping monopolist, Mr. Reynard, -who had it all his own way in the woods, and had -no more regard for life than a railroad president. This -and much more, which I have not the time to tell you,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -did Ola and his father observe on their skee-excursion -through the woods. And when, late in the afternoon, -they turned their faces homeward, they had, besides the -ptarmigan and the fox, a big capercailzie (or grouse) -cock, and two hares. The twilight was already falling, -for in the Norway winter it grows dark early in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>“Now, let us see, lad,” said Ola’s father, regarding his -son with a strange, dubious glance, “if you have got -Norse blood in your veins. We don’t want to go home -the way we came, or we should scarcely reach the house -before midnight. But if you dare risk your neck with -your father, we will take the western track down the bare -mountain-side. It takes brisk and stout legs to stand in -that track, my lad, and I won’t urge you, if you are afraid.”</p> - -<p>“I guess I can go where you can, father,” retorted the -boy, proudly. “Anyway, my neck isn’t half so valuable -as yours.”</p> - -<p>“Spoken like a man!” said the father, in a voice of -deep satisfaction. “Now for it, lad! Make yourself -ready. Strap the hunting-bag close under your girdle, or -you will lose it. Test your staff to make sure that it will -hold, for if it breaks you are gone. Be sure you don’t -take my track. You are a fine chap and a brave one.”</p> - -<p>Ola followed his father’s directions closely, and stood -with loudly palpitating heart ready for the start. Before -him lay the long, smooth slope of the mountain, showing -only here and there soft undulations of surface, where -a log or a fence lay deeply buried under the snow. On -both sides the black pine-forest stood, tall and grave. If<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -he should miss his footing, or his <em>skees</em> be crossed or run -apart, very likely he might just as well order his epitaph. -If it had not been his father who had challenged him, -he would have much preferred to take the circuitous route -down into the valley. But now he was in for it, and -there was no time for retreating.</p> - -<p>“Ready!” shouted Nils, advancing toward the edge -of the slope: “One, two, three!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="FP178" id="FP178"></a> -<p class="p2" /> -<img src="images/i_178fp.jpg" width="600" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -NORWEGIAN SKEE-RUNNERS.</div> -</div> - -<p>And like an arrow he shot down over the steep track, -guiding his course steadily with his staff; but it was -scarcely five seconds before he was lost to sight, looking -more like a whirling snow-drift than a man. With -strained eyes and bated breath, Ola stood looking after -him. Then, nerving himself for the feat, he glanced at -his <em>skees</em> to see that they were parallel, and glided out -over the terrible declivity. His first feeling was that he -had slid right out into the air—that he was rushing with -seven-league boots over forests and mountain-tops. For -all that, he did not lose hold of his staff, which he pressed -with all his might into the snow behind him, thus slightly -retarding his furious speed. Now the pine-trees seemed -to be running past him in a mad race up the mountain-side, -and the snowy slope seemed to be rising to meet -him, or moving in billowy lines under his feet. Gradually -he gathered confidence in himself, a sort of fierce -courage awoke within him, and a wild exultation surged -through his veins and swept him on. The wind whistled -about him and stung his face like whip-lashes. Now -he darted away over a snowed-up fence or wood-pile, -shooting out into the air, but always coming down firmly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span> -on his feet, and keeping his mind on his <em>skees</em>, so as -to prevent them from diverging or crossing. He had a -feeling of grandeur and triumphant achievement which -he had never experienced before. The world lay at his -feet, and he seemed to be striding over it in a march of -conquest. It was glorious! But all such sensations are -unhappily brief. Ola soon knew by his slackening speed -that he had reached the level ground; yet so great was -the impetus he had received that he flew up the opposite -slope toward his father’s farm, and only stopped some -fifty feet below the barn. He then rubbed his face and -pinched his nose, just to see whether it was frozen. The -muscles in his limbs ached, and the arm which had held -the staff was so stiff and cramped that the slightest movement -gave him pain. Nevertheless, he could not make -up his mind to rest; he saw the light put in the north -window to guide him, and he caught a glimpse of a pale, -anxious face behind the window-pane, and knew that it -was his mother who was waiting for him. And yet those -last fifty feet seemed miles to his tired and aching legs. -When he reached the front door, his dog Yutul jumped -up on him in his joy and knocked him flat down in the -snow; and oh, what an effort it took to rise! But no -sooner had he regained his feet, than he felt a pair of -arms flung about his neck and he sank, half laughing, -half crying, into his mother’s embrace.</p> - -<p>“Cheer up, laddie,” he heard someone saying. “Ye -are a fine chap and a brave one!”</p> - -<p>He knew his father’s voice; but he did not look up; he -was yet child enough to feel happiest in his mother’s arms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span></p> - -<p>One of the most popular winter sports in Norway is -skee-racing. A steep hill is selected by the committee -which is to have charge of the race, and all the best skee-runners -in the district enter their names, eager to engage -in the contest. The track is cleared of all accidental obstructions, -but if there happens to be a stone or wooden -fence crossing it, the snow is dug away on the lower -side of it and piled up above it. The object is to obtain -what is called a “jump.” The skee-runner, of course, -coming at full speed down the slope will slide out over -this “jump,” shooting right out into the air and coming -down either on his feet or any other convenient portion -of his anatomy, as the case may be. To keep one’s footing, -and particularly to prevent the <em>skees</em> from becoming -crossed while in the air, are the most difficult feats connected -with skee-racing; and it is no unusual thing to -see even an excellent skee-runner plunging headlong into -the snow, while his <em>skees</em> pursue an independent race -down the track and tell the spectators of his failure. -Properly speaking, a skee-race is not a race—not a test -of speed, but a test of skill; for two runners rarely start -simultaneously, as, in case one of them should fall, the -other could not possibly stop, and might not even have -the time to change his course. He would thus be in -danger of running into his competitor, and could hardly -avoid maiming him seriously. If there were several parallel -tracks, at a distance of twenty to thirty feet from -each other, there would, of course, be less risk in having -the runners start together. Usually, a number fall in the -first run, and those who have not fallen then continue<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> -the contest until one gains the palm. If, as occasionally -happens, the competition is narrowed down to two, who -are about evenly matched, a proposal to run without -staves is apt to result in a decisive victory for one or the -other.</p> - -<p>It can hardly be conceived how exciting these contests -are, not only to the skee-runners themselves, but also -to the spectators, male and female, who gather in groups -along the track and cheer their friends as they pass, waving -their handkerchiefs, and greeting with derisive cries -the mishaps which are inseparable from the sport. Prizes -are offered, such as rifles, watches, fine shooting equipments, -etc., and in almost every valley in the interior of -Norway there are skee-runners who, in consequence of -this constant competition, have attained a skill which -would seem almost incredible. As there are but two -things essential to a skee-race, viz.: a hill and snow, I -can see no reason why the sport should not in time become -as popular in the United States as it is in Norway. -We have snow enough, certainly, in the New England -and Western States; neither are hills rare phenomena. -If I should succeed in interesting any large number of -boys in these States in skee-running, I should feel that -I had conferred a benefit upon them, and added much to -their enjoyment of winter. But before taking leave of -them, let me give them two pieces of parting advice: 1. -Be sure your staff is strong, and do not be hasty in throwing -it away. 2. Never slide down a hill on a highway, -or any hard, icy surface. It is only in the open fields -and woods and in dry snow that <em>skees</em> are useful.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="THE_SKERRY_OF_SHRIEKS" id="THE_SKERRY_OF_SHRIEKS"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">THE SKERRY OF SHRIEKS.</a></h2> - - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p>People live even within the Polar Circle, although -grown-up folks are apt to think it a poor sort of life. -But to boys the “land of the midnight sun” is a veritable -paradise. Every season of the year has its own kind -of sport; and as schoolmasters are rare birds so far north, -the boys are to a great extent left to follow their own -devices until they are old enough to be sent away to -school in the cities. From morning till night the air is -filled with a screaming host of birds, which whirl in -through the fiords like an approaching snow-storm. The -eider-ducks lie gently bobbing upon the water, the black -surf-scoters dive in the surf and make short work of the -young whiting, and the puffins sit in long soldier-like -rows on the rocks, and plunge headlong into the sea at -the first signal of danger. In this glorious region the fish -and fowl from all quarters of the globe seem to have appointed -an annual meeting about New Year’s; and the -Norwegian peasants, who are dependent upon the inhabitants -of the sea and the air for their living, are on the -lookout for them, and hasten to the coast to give them a -fitting reception.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span></p> - -<p>Harry Winchester’s motive, however, for visiting the -Arctic wonderland was quite a different one. He had -made the acquaintance of the Birk boys during the previous -summer, and he had struck up a warm friendship -with one of them, named Magnus. His parents, who -lived in New York, had permitted him to accept the invitation -of Mr. Birk to spend the winter with his sons, -and Harry was so completely fascinated with the sports -and adventures which every day offered in abundance -that he would have liked to prolong his stay indefinitely.</p> - -<p>Hasselrud, the estate of the Birks, was a fine, old-fashioned -mansion, which peeped out from the dense -foliage of chestnut and maple trees. Mr. Birk conducted -a large business in fish and lumber, and manned every -year several boats and sent them to the Lofoten fisheries. -His three sons, Olaf, Magnus, and Edwin, were brisk and -courageous lads, who had been accustomed to danger -from their earliest years, and could handle a gun and -manage a sail as well as any man in that region. Olaf -was nineteen years old, and wore the uniform of a midshipman -in the navy, and by courtesy was styled lieutenant; -Magnus, who was sixteen, was a fair-faced, curly-headed -lad, with frank blue eyes, a straight, handsome -nose, and a singular talent for getting into mischief. -Edwin was but twelve years old; but, as he does not -figure conspicuously in this narrative, there is no need of -describing him. But altogether the most important person -at Hasselrud, next to Mr. Birk, was Grim Hering-Luck, -a hoary, bow-legged fisherman, who was Mr. Birk’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -right-hand man and captain of his boat-guild. Grim had -a stern, deep-wrinkled face, framed in a wreath of grayish -whiskers. He had small, piercing eyes, and bushy, -gray-sprinkled hair. On his head he wore a sou’wester. -The seat and knees of his trousers and the elbows of his -coat were adorned with great shiny patches of leather. -The leathern girdle about his waist did not quite fulfil -its duties as suspenders, but allowed the trousers to slip -down on his hips, leaving some four inches of shirt visible -under the border of the waistcoat. Grim was a gruff old -customer, but it was commonly believed that his bark -was worse than his bite. He liked the bright American -boy better than he cared to confess, and therefore neglected -no opportunity for quarrelling with him. In fact, -everybody admired Harry’s enterprising spirit and was -entertained by his lively talk. Olaf was fairly dazzled -by his knowledge and experience of the world, and little -Edwin copied his walk and his picturesque recklessness -to the extent of his small ability; but among all the -family there was no one who was more ardently attached -to Harry than Magnus. The two were inseparable; -from morning till night they roamed about together, -setting traps for hares and ptarmigan, spearing trout in -the shallows of the river, trawling for mackerel in the -salt water, and sometimes tacking in and out of the fiord -in a furious gale. At such times, however, they were -sure to have Grim in the boat, and Grim was a capital -man to have in a boat in case of an emergency. Thus -they spent the beautiful autumn months until the November -storms began to blow, the snow began to fall, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -the air, when they looked out the fiord, was thick and -the sky threatening. The great trees bent in agony and -howled in the blast with voices of despair. Then Grim -would begin to investigate and to mend the nets which -hung in long festoons along the walls of the boat-houses, -and, with his friendly grunt, he would say in reply to -Magnus’ queries:</p> - -<p>“Wal, Mester Yallertop, the Lord he looks out fer -them as they look out fer themselves. He puts the cod -in the sea, but I never heared of his puttin’ it in yer -mouth fer ye. He made the land poor up here, but he -made the sea rich, jest fer to make the average right in -the end. He lets ye starve like a toothless rat if ye have -a taste fer starvin’. But thar ain’t no call for anybody to -starve here north, ef he can bait a hook and ain’t afeared -of bein’ late to his funeral.”</p> - -<p>“Being late to your own funeral, Grim!” Magnus -would exclaim, in amazement; “how can a man be late -to his funeral?”</p> - -<p>“Wal, now, Mester Yallertop, that I’ll tell ye. Fur -that ain’t no uncommon case here north. Suppose ye go -out in the mornin’ with the fishin’ fleet, and it blows up -right lively, and ye don’t never come back again. Then -after a week or so the parson reads the sarvice over yer -name and prays fer ye, and the next mornin’, likely as -not, yer legs drift ashore, quite independent-like, jest because -the cod found yer tarred top-boots indergestible.”</p> - -<p>“And do such things ever happen, Grim?” the boy -would ask, shuddering at the ghastly picture which his -friend’s words suggested.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Do they ever happen? Wal, I reckon they do. I -might jest mention to ye that I ain’t in the habit of -tellin’ no lies. My father—God ha’e mercy on his soul—he -sent only his legs fur to represent him at his funeral; -and my grandfather—wal, the cod turned the tables -on him; he had meant to eat them, but—it ain’t no use -bein’ squeamish about it—they ate him. It war in the -great storm of the 11th of February, 1848, when five -hundred fisherman cheated the parson out of his funeral -fees.”</p> - -<p>“How terrible, Grim! How can you go to the fisheries -every winter, when both your father and your grandfather -lost their lives there?”</p> - -<p>“Wal, now ye are puzzlin’ me, Mester Magnus,” Grim -replied, taking his clay pipe from the corner of his mouth, -and looking up seriously from his labor; “but I’ll tell -ye a yarn I heared when I was young. I reckon it is -true, because I have never heared nobody say it warn’t. -Some city chap axed a fisherman purty much what ye -have axed me, and the fisherman says, says he: ‘Whar -did yer father die?’ ‘Why, he expired peacefully in his -bed,’ said the city chap. ‘And yer grandfather?’ axed -the fisherman. ‘Wal, he had jest the same luck,’ says -the city chap. ‘And yer great-grandfather?’ ‘He, too, -turned up his toes in the same style.’ ‘Wal, now,’ says -the fisherman, ‘if I were you I wouldn’t never go to -bed again, sence all yer forbears come to their death in -it.’ Now, I reckon that is the way with all of us. Ef -the Lord wants us he will know whar to find us, wharsoever -we be.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span></p> - -<p>When the Christmas holidays, with all their old-fashioned -hospitality and sports, were over the question was -seriously debated whether the boys should be permitted -to accompany Grim and the housemen (tenants) to the -Lofoten fisheries. It was decided that three boats -should be manned, and Grim was as usual elected captain -of the whole guild. The “tokens” had been uncommonly -good this year, and a profitable fishery was -expected. Mr. Birk, who well knew the dangers connected -with this enterprise, was very unwilling to let the -boys start out in the open boats, and suffer the discomforts -which were inseparable from the life on these barren -islands, where thousands of people were huddled together -in booths and shanties, and quarrels and fights -were the order of the day. Harry, however, argued that -such an experience would scarcely offer itself to him a -second time in his life, and that it was easy to avoid -danger while still observing all that was interesting and -instructive in the lives of the people. Olaf and Magnus, -too, added their powers of persuasion to those of Harry, -and in the end Mr. Birk (after enjoining a hundred precautions) -had to yield, stipulating only that Edwin -should remain at home. Grim promised to keep a careful -look-out over the movements of the boys, but he -refused to be responsible for their safety, because, as he -remarked, “they were too lively a lot to be controlled by -a stiff-legged old crab like himself.”</p> - -<p>It was a gray morning in January that the long eight -oared boats were made ready, the chests containing provisions -and clothes were placed in the stern, and the sails<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -with a rattling noise flew up and bulged before the wind. -The sky had a peculiar whitish-gray color, which has always -an ominous look and promises squalls. Yet it was -a glorious sensation to feel the boats shooting away over -the crests of the waves, dashing the spray like smoke -about them and yielding like living things to the slightest -prompting of the rudder. Grim himself sat in the -stern of the first boat, which the boys had named “The -Cormorant,” holding the tiller in his left hand and the -sheet in his right. Magnus had found a rather elevated -seat in the prow, from whence he could observe the captain’s -manœuvres and take lessons in seamanship. Harry -and Olaf sat on the middle bench, watching the horizon -and seeing the squalls dash down from the mountains -and sweep their trails of smoke across the fiord.</p> - -<p>“It must be dangerous sailing here, Grim,” Harry observed, -uneasily.</p> - -<p>“It ain’t no joke—fer goslings,” answered Grim.</p> - -<p>“I should think, on the whole, it would be more comfortable -for goslings than for men,” retorted Harry, carelessly. -“They wouldn’t mind a ducking half as much -as I should.”</p> - -<p>“If ye are afeard just say so, and I’ll put ye ashore,” -said Grim, sternly.</p> - -<p>“Afraid!” said Harry, indignantly; “not much, old -man; guess I can give you odds any day if you want to -try my courage.”</p> - -<p>“I want to try ef ye can hold your tongue,” was the -captain’s ungracious reply. “I ain’t much for gassin’ on -the water.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span></p> - -<p>Harry, thinking that perhaps the situation was graver -than he supposed, failed to resent the snub, and fell -again to watching the horizon. They shot away at a -tearing speed over the waves, and sometimes “The Cormorant” -careened heavily to leeward and shipped a sea, -but Grim still made no motion to reef the sail. The other -Hasselrud boats, which had kept bravely in the wake of -their leader, were now falling behind, and the blinding -spray often hid them completely from sight. The fiord -was growing wider, and the long “ground swell” showed -that they were nearing the ocean. The stormy petrel was -seen skimming lightly, half flying, half running, over the -tops of the billows, and her shrill scream pierced like a -sharp instrument through the deep bass of the wind. The -boats round about them multiplied, and a whole fleet of -reddish-brown sails was seen steering toward the Lofoten -Islands. The day passed without any incident, and when -about three o’clock in the afternoon the darkness came -rolling in like a gray curtain from the west, Grim put -into port and the boys devoured between them a five-pound -cod, whereupon they all crawled into the same -bunk in a fisherman’s lodging-house and slept the sleep -of the just.</p> - -<p>The next morning they were aroused before daybreak, -and after a frugal repast of coffee and sandwiches were -hurried into the boat. The wide ocean now stretched -out before them, rolling with a mighty thundering -rhythm against the rock-bound coast. A light mist was -hovering over the water, but the wind was fair, and hundreds -of boats were already scudding northward toward<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> -the rich fishing-banks. As soon as the fog rose and was -scattered, the invisible sun sent a faint semblance of light -up among the low clouds, and immediately thousands of -gulls and auks and cormorants were on the wing, and -whirled with a wild confusion of screams in the wake of -the fishing-fleet. When toward noon the wind slackened -a little, Magnus swung out a trawling-line and had almost -in the same moment a bite which sent the line -whizzing over the gunwale.</p> - -<p>“Gracious! I am afraid I have caught a whale,” he -shouted, standing up in the boat, and holding on to the -line with all his might; but being unable to keep his -footing, he flung himself prone across the row-bench and -would inevitably have been pulled overboard if Harry -and Olaf had not caught hold of him by the legs and -told him to let the line go.</p> - -<p>“You remind me of the Englishman at the siege of -Quebec who had caught three Frenchmen,” said Harry. -“I should say it was the whale who had caught you, in -the present case, if a whale it is. Now <em>I</em> am going to try -my luck,” he added, seizing the wooden frame to which -the line was attached just as it was about to fly overboard. -He braced himself against the mast and flung -his body backward, but the line cut into his hands so -terribly that he had to cry for help. Then Olaf was -promptly at his side, and by their united efforts they -succeeded in hauling in a couple of fathoms; but it was -not until one of the boatmen added his strength to theirs -that they made any sensible headway. Great was their -delight when, at the end of five minutes, they caught<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -sight of an enormous halibut, weighing some forty or -fifty pounds, but, as well might be imagined, it was no -easy job to get such a monster into the boat without upsetting -it. The only way was evidently to tire him out -until he lost all power of resistance, and as he had swallowed -the metal bait with tremendous vim there was no -danger of his escaping.</p> - -<p>It was well on toward evening when they put into -harbor on the northern coast of Lofoten, where they -were to remain while the fisheries lasted. An endless -double row of boats stretched along the shore, and behind -these the so-called “Hjælder,” or drying-houses, -rose in gaunt perspective against the dark sky. Thousands -of boats were drawn up along the whole beach, -and the smell of fish pervaded the air and seemed even -to be borne in on the ocean breeze. Grim, followed by -all the men from the three boats, marched up to the -Hasselrud booth, which he unlocked, and ordered the -temporary cook to make a fire on the hearth and to -prepare supper. It was a large empty room, one wall of -which was occupied by the hearth and two by rows of -bunks, one above the other, resembling the berths in -the steerage of an immigrant steamer. It looked cheerless, -and the boys, whose expectations had pictured to -them something quite different, shivered at the sight of -the bare and sooty walls. Nevertheless when the fire -had been lighted, and a couple of burning pine knots -stuck into the wall, they took heart again and determined -to make the best of the situation.</p> - -<p>The next morning at daybreak they jumped into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -their clothes, pulling complete oil-cloth suits on the outside -of their ordinary garments. Then fastening their -yellow sou’westers under their chins, they surveyed each -other with undisguised looks of admiration and began to -feel like real fishermen. The breakfast was swallowed in -haste, and they scarcely noticed how the hot coffee -scalded their mouths, so eager were they to be off. -Nevertheless, as they had no nets to draw as yet, they -delayed their departure for several hours. It was a raw, -cold morning, but the signals at the government station -indicated fair but blustery weather. The whole fleet had -already started, and the Hasselrud boats were among the -last to set sail for the fishing-banks. It was glorious to -see the wide ocean studded, as far as the eye could reach, -with swelling sails, and the air filled for miles with a -screaming host of great, white-winged sea-birds. Round -about the whales were spouting, shooting columns of -water into the gray light of the morning: and the auks -were rocking upon the waves, and vanishing, quick as a -flash, as soon as a boat approached them. The fresh sea-breeze -blew into the faces of the three boys, and they -felt like Norse Vikings of the olden time starting out in -search of fame and adventures. It was about twelve -o’clock when they arrived at the fishing-banks; the sails -were lowered and the nets sunk by means of lead sinkers -and stones attached to their lower edge. Wooden floats, -similarly attached to their upper edge, held them in position -in the water. Grim sat, grave and imperturbable, in -the stern, issuing his commands in a voice which rose -high above the rushing of the water and the whizzing of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -the wind, and every man obeyed with a promptness as if -his life depended upon it. The sea was so packed with -cod that the nets often stopped, gliding slowly over the -backs of the fishes, and being again arrested by the -myriads of finny creatures below. Often the same net -had to be taken up and disentangled several times before -it made its way to the bottom. The water was thick -with spawn, which clung in long gelatinous ropes to the -blades of the oars, and doubled their weight to the -rowers. The boys, leaning out over the gunwale, could -see the huge male cods winding themselves onward -through the dense throngs of females which stood still -with their noses against the current, moving their fins, and -shedding their spawn. It seemed a positive mercy to haul -up a million or so of them, just to make room for the rest.</p> - -<p>“I understand now,” exclaimed Harry, “how the Canadians -managed to cheat us out of so much money—six -millions, more or less, I think—because we had encroached -upon their fishing-grounds. I would myself -pay a good round sum for sport like this; and the joke -of it is that you are making money at it and have all the -fun in the bargain.”</p> - -<p>“And have ye fisheries in America too, lad?” Grim -asked, with visible interest, as he let the last float slip -from his hand.</p> - -<p>“Have we got fisheries in America? Well, I should -say we had, old man,” said Harry, fired with patriotic -ardor. “You just tell me what we haven’t got in America. -If you’ll come over and see I shall be happy to entertain -you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Ye are safe in invitin’ me, lad,” Grim retorted, biting -a quid from his roll of tobacco. “A purty figger an old -sea-dog like me would make in your ma’s carpeted parlor.”</p> - -<p>Harry in his heart admitted the force of this remark, -and he laughed to himself at the thought of Grim’s ungainly -form seated in one of his mother’s spindle-legged -blue satin chairs; but, for all that, he liked Grim too -much to wish to offend him, and therefore stuck bravely -to his invitation, insisting that it was sincerely meant. -As they were amicably squabbling, the sun suddenly -burst forth, and flung its dazzling radiance upon the -ocean. The noise of the sea-birds grew louder, making -the vast vault of the sky alive with countless varieties of -screams. The fishes leaped, the whales spouted lustily, -the stormy petrel danced over the crests of the billows; -thousands of boats lay bobbing up and down on the -waves, while the lines were being baited; a thousand -voices shouted to each other from boat to boat; oars and -rudders rattled, and the wind sang in the mast-tops. It -was a scene which once seen could never be forgotten.</p> - - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p>Long before the Hasselrud men had their lines set the -whole fleet had rowed back toward land. But Grim’s -boat-guild, which had just arrived, and had as yet no -nets to draw, lingered for a while eating their dinner, -which they had brought with them in the boats. They -chatted and told stories about Draugen, the sea-bogey,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> -who rows in a half boat, and whose scream sounds terribly -through the tempest. Any man who sees him -knows that he will never see land again. Draugen is -only out in the worst weather; he has a sou’wester on -his head, his face is white and ghastly as death itself, and -his empty eye-sockets have no eyes in them. The boys -shuddered at the horrible picture which was conjured up -before them, and it was a relief to them when the time -came for pulling up the lines, and the great codfishes -were hauled sprawling into the boat; each one had -plenty to do now in cutting out the hooks and in winding -the lines upon their frames. A smart gale had -sprung up while they were thus engaged, and Grim began -to look wistfully at the lurid sunset.</p> - -<p>“The sun draws water,” he said; “that means lively -weather. Hoist the sails, lads, and let us turn our noses -shoreward.”</p> - -<p>He had hardly uttered his command when a thick -curtain seemed to be drawn across the face of the sun, -and the sea became black as ink.</p> - -<p>“Clew up the sail!” he shouted, in a voice of thunder; -“we are in for it.”</p> - -<p>With a roar as of a chorus of cataracts the storm advanced, -lashing the water into smoke which whirled -heavenward, making the sky dense as night. The masts -creaked, the boats tore away with a frantic speed, and -the waves rose mountain-high, with steep, black gulfs between -them.</p> - -<p>“Cap’n,” one of the men ventured to remonstrate, -“are we not carryin’ too much sail?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span></p> - -<p>Grim deigned him no reply, but, with a sharp turn -of the tiller, ran The Cormorant closer to the wind. -Forward bounded the boat, cleaving the coming wave -with a blow of her bows which made her timbers groan. -The spray was dashed fathoms high, and would have -drenched every man on board if his oil-skins had not -been water-tight. Of the other boats only two were visible, -and it was splendid to see how they rose out of one -sea, until half the length of their keels were visible, then -buried their noses in the next, while great sheets of foam -splashed on either side, and were torn into shreds by the -gale.</p> - -<p>“This is rather lively work, I should say,” remarked -the midshipman. “I think I should prefer a man-of-war -to The Cormorant in this sort of weather.”</p> - -<p>“I confess to a weakness for Cunarders,” said Harry; -“yet I dare say I shall enjoy this affair well enough when -we get safely ashore.”</p> - -<p>“You mean <em>if</em> we get safely ashore,” said Magnus, -quietly. “This has rather an ugly look to me. Though -I dare say Grim knows what he is about.”</p> - -<p>He had scarcely spoken when a harsh voice bellowed, -“Lay hold of the mast, lads!” and in the same moment -they seemed to be flung to a dizzying height; a huge -wave towered in front, showing a white whirling top -which seemed on the point of breaking right over them. -They had just time to clasp the mast when the boat, -lying flat on her side, pressed down by her weight of canvas, -plunged her nose into this mountain of water, but -by some astonishing manœuvre righted herself, slid down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -within another black hollow, and again rose high on the -crest of another wave.</p> - -<p>“All hands bail!” roared the captain.</p> - -<p>The command came not a moment too soon; the -water was rushing in from the leeward, and the flying -wreaths of foam struck the boy’s faces with a terrible -force and made them smart furiously.</p> - -<p>“Grim! Grim!” shouted Olaf, making himself heard -with a difficulty above the storm, “you are carrying too -much sail.”</p> - -<p>“Hold your tongue, gosling,” Grim thundered back; -“we have got nothin’ but the sail fer to save us.”</p> - -<p>“What point are you making for?”</p> - -<p>“The Bird Islands.”</p> - -<p>“I thought there was no harbor there.”</p> - -<p>“Reckon ye be right.”</p> - -<p>“Gracious heavens!” cried Olaf, turning a terrified -countenance toward his comrades; “he means to wreck -the boat; but he knows what he is about. There is no -other chance.”</p> - -<p>He sat for a moment silent, gazing up into the cloud -rack which scudded along at a furious rate before the -wind. Strips of storm-riven sky, with momentary vistas -of blue, were now and then visible, but vanished again, -making the dusk more dismal by their memory.</p> - -<p>“Breakers ahead!” shouted Olaf, “look out!”</p> - -<p>“I see a black ridge against the sky,” cried Harry; -“now it is gone again!”</p> - -<p>He was going to say more, but the wind came with a -howling screech and forced his breath down his throat.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> -He gasped, and as the boat gave a tremendous lurch, -diving down into a black hollow, he could only cling to -the base of the mast, lest the next tumble might toss him -overboard. The sound of a steady rhythmic roar rose -and fell upon the air, and made them strain their eyes in -the direction from which it was coming.</p> - -<p>“Why, Grim, you are steering away from the island,” -Magnus screamed, pointing to the black ridge which was, -once more, for a moment revealed.</p> - -<p>“He means to land us on the leeward side,” Olaf -bawled in his brother’s ear; “the chances are that the -water is there a bit smoother.”</p> - -<p>To reach the leeward side was, however, a task which -required no mean order of seamanship. The distance -was too short for tacking, and moreover the water was -filled with blind rocks and skerries which made the approach -tenfold dangerous. It seemed to the unskilled -eyes of the boys that for nearly half an hour The Cormorant -was tumbling aimlessly upon the waves, shipping -seas which it was a wonder did not swamp her, and -righting herself, as by a miracle, when again and again -she seemed on the point of capsizing. And yet all these -wonderful feats were only the result of the coolest calculation -and the most consummate skill.</p> - -<p>Just as they were clearing the hidden skerries at the -western point of the island the wind veered a point to -the north, but did not fall off perceptibly. The spray -rose from the shore like a dense and blinding smoke, and -in the depths of every black abyss which opened before -them death’s jaws seemed to be yawning. Harry closed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -his eyes; and though he was no coward, his heart failed -him.</p> - -<p>“What is the use of fighting any longer?” he said to -Magnus, who was lying at his side, clinging like him to -the mast; “we are going to the bottom, any way. The -archangel Gabriel himself couldn’t land us on this shore, -with all the heavenly hosts to assist him.”</p> - -<p>“But Grim is a better sailor than Gabriel,” Magnus -replied, quite unconscious of his joke. “He knows -every inch of the bottom here from the time he was a -boy and used to row out here and gather eider-down. -He has told me about it often. If I were you I wouldn’t -give up yet.”</p> - -<p>“All right, old fellow,” Harry answered, taking heart -once more. “I am ready for anything. But I am an -unlucky chap—a sort of a Jonah, who has a talent for -getting into scrapes. I shouldn’t wonder if, in case you -threw me overboard, the storm would fall off and you -might sail home in comfortable fashion.”</p> - -<p>“We mean to go overboard, all of us, in a few minutes,” -Magnus retorted, hugging Harry tightly with his -left arm, which he had freed for that purpose. “Now I -am going to propose something to you. Let us tie ourselves -together with a rope so that each may help the -other; and we may either live or perish together.”</p> - -<p>“I am afraid you would be the loser by that arrangement,” -his friend exclaimed. “You are a good deal -stronger than I am, and you will need every bit of your -strength if you are to plow your way through those awful -breakers.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span></p> - -<p>Magnus, instead of answering, slipped the end of a -rope about Harry’s waist and secured it tightly; the -other end he tied about his own waist, although he came -near losing his balance, and going headlong over the gunwale. -The Cormorant had now slipped around to the -leeward side of the island, where, under the shelter of the -steep rock, the water was a trifle less tumultuous. And -yet a gigantic surf was running and the undertow on the -steeply sloping bottom seemed strong enough to take an -elephant off his feet. The wind yelled and screeched from -the top of the towering rock, and rushed down in thundering -eddies on the leeward side. If it had not been for a -momentary clearing of the sky, which showed the position -of the breakers and the outline of the shore, it would -have been madness to risk landing; and even as it was, -the chance of being dashed to pieces against the rocks -seemed altogether to preponderate. But Grim apparently -took a different view of the situation; as long as -the sail was whole and the boat true to her rudder he saw -no cause for despair.</p> - -<p>“Now, lads,” he roared, hoarsely, “steady on yer shanks. -No chicken-hearted chap among ye! Uncoil the rope! -Thar’s a bit of sandy beach thar—sixty or a hundred feet -wide. If we be in luck we’ll be thar in a minute.”</p> - -<p>The ridge of the island was now half visible against -the dark horizon, but the beach below was wrapped in a -dense smoke, through which came glimpses of the black -jagged rock.</p> - -<p>“Almighty Lord! thar’s a skerry ahead,” screamed one -of the boatmen, as the retreating surf broke with a wild<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -uproar over the hidden rock and rose like a mighty water-spout -against the sky. There was a moment of breathless -suspense. Each man seemed to hear the beating of -the other’s heart. As the boat was flung upward again -on the next wave, the wind gave a frantic shriek; the -mast bent forward under the terrible strain. The incoming -surf buried the skerry under a mountain of towering -water, and high upon its crest The Cormorant rode -triumphant, only to be hurled from its crest, fairly shooting -through the air, upon the beach.</p> - -<p>“Jump overboard!” bellowed Grim, and seizing -Magnus in his arms he leaped from the stern just as -the boat struck the sand and broke into fragments. -Every man followed his example; but the undertow -swept them off their feet. Still Grim stood like a rock, -holding with his gigantic strength the rope to the other -end of which Harry was attached. Once he tottered, -and if he had had sand under his feet he would have -been dragged down by his double burden. But by a -lucky chance he had planted his heels upon a bowlder -which rose slightly out of the surf. When the wildest -force of the wave had been exhausted he sprang up on -the beach, depositing Magnus and the half-unconscious -Harry beyond the reach of the waves. Back he rushed -again to his former station, just as one of the boatmen, -who had momentarily regained his footing, was scrambling -up toward him.</p> - -<p>“I am tied to the rope,” shouted the man; “someone -is tugging at it.”</p> - -<p>“Hand it to me,” commanded Grim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span></p> - -<p>The man struggled to his feet and planted himself -resolutely at his captain’s side. All this was the work -of a moment. With the next incoming wave, which was -happily much smaller than the preceding one, four men -were flung up on the sand; but they seemed half dead, -and made no effort to save themselves. Grim, who -thought he saw a glimmer of brass buttons in the water, -dashed forward and seized Olaf by the collar, just as he -would have been sucked back by the undertow. He -bore him up on the shore, while the boatman came dragging -two of his unconscious comrades out of the roaring -surf. One was still missing; but as the next wave that -broke in tumult at their feet showed no trace of him, they -knew that he was beyond the reach of human help.</p> - -<p>The work of resuscitating the men was a long and -tedious one; but Grim and Magnus both worked with -their hearts in their throats, yet with a resolution which -scorned fatigue. Harry revived the moment they had -poured a glass of brandy down his throat, and he soon -recovered his spirits and volunteered his help. But the -midshipman was both badly battered and had swallowed -a quantity of water; and it was only after long and persistent -efforts on Grim’s part that his breath came back -to him. Their next thought was of fire; for the wind -was raw and chill, and the last glimmer of daylight was -vanishing. The problem, however, was a serious one, -for there was not a tree growing on the island, except -perhaps a few stunted juniper shrubs up in the crevices -of the rocks. And to get at these in the dark was no -easy undertaking. Nor was their situation in other re<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span>spects -an enviable one. Above them loomed the black -cliff, and the surf was thundering at their feet. And -there they were sitting, huddled together in a heap to -keep each other warm, and yet shivering in their wet -clothes, and thinking with horror of the long hours of -the night which must pass before they could be rescued.</p> - -<p>“Lads,” cried Magnus, suddenly extricating himself -from Harry and Olaf’s embrace, “I am the only one of -you who is not wet to the skin, and I am going to explore -this island and see if we can’t scare up some fuel. -To sit here hugging each other in the dark is a dismal -sort of business, and I am not so affectionately disposed -as the rest of you.”</p> - -<p>“A mighty peart chap ye be, lad,” Grim said, raising -his tall figure out of the group; “but ye had better let -me crawl ahead, and ye keep astern o’ me. I know summat -o’ the island and ye don’t know nothin’.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll keep abreast of you, Grim,” Magnus replied, -“but your stern would obscure my view; so take your -bearings and let’s be off.”</p> - -<p>“Ye be a mighty lively customer,” Grim grumbled, -admiringly, giving the boy a caressing pat in the dark.</p> - -<p>They had scarcely crawled fifty yards up the beach -when their fumbling hands touched something cold and -clammy, which felt like the nose of some aquatic animal. -There came immediately a little chorus of whining barks, -which was followed by a great flapping, as if something -broad and wet struck against the stones.</p> - -<p>“Thunder and lightning, Grim,” cried Magnus, “what -sort of beasts are these?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span></p> - -<p>“A herd of seals,” answered Grim, quietly; “it was -funny I didn’t think o’ them. Here we have got our -fuel.”</p> - -<p>In the same moment a cold nose was stuck right into -Magnus’ face and he tumbled backward, scarcely knowing -how to return the unexpected caress.</p> - -<p>“Draw yer knives, lads,” shouted Grim to the men, -“a herd of seals is a comin’ right upon ye.”</p> - -<p>The seals were now in full flight, rolling, tumbling, and -pushing themselves on over the smooth sand. They instinctively -knew, even in the dark, the way to the water, -and they thus came plump down upon the shipwrecked -men, who had arisen in response to Grim’s call and were -ready to give them a warm reception. In the storm and -the fright of the sudden attack the keen scent of the animals -scarcely served them at all. They rushed right -down upon their enemies, and within a few minutes fully -a dozen of them lay gasping and bleeding upon the -beach. The rest plunged into the surf, where their -plaintive bark was heard as they battled with the raging -sea.</p> - -<p>Grim and Magnus in the meanwhile pushed on, groping -their way over the slippery bowlders, and keeping -close together so as to help each other in case of accident. -But the farther they climbed the steeper grew -the rock, and as far as they could ascertain by their sense -of touch there was no sign of vegetation.</p> - -<p>“Now look sharp, lad,” cried Grim, warningly.</p> - -<p>“Look sharp!” repeated Magnus, “how am I to look -sharp when it is as dark as pitch about me?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Right ye be, lad, right ye be,” the other retorted; -“ye be a smart chap and a peart one. But don’t ye lay -hold o’ nothin’ here before ye know it is rock. Thar be -thousands o’ birds here on the lee’ard side when thar be -a storm from the north; and ef ye mistook a gull or a -cormorant fer somethin’ solid ye might tumble down and -break yer precious neck. Mark ye my word, chap, thar -will be a mighty lively hubbub here in a couple o’ minutes.”</p> - -<p>Grim had hardly uttered this prophecy when Magnus -felt something feathery under his touch, and in the same -instant there came a piercing scream and a powerful wing -dealt him a blow across the bridge of his nose. Immediately -there commenced a wild chorus of screams and -chattering protest, as if the more sober-minded birds -were deprecating this senseless uproar. Magnus thought, -too, that he heard his name called from below, but the -deafening thunder of the surf and the noise of the birds -drowned all other sounds, and he concluded that he had -been deceived. It was a terrible sensation, all these invisible -wings flapping about him in the dark; unseen -bodies precipitated against him and tumbling blindly -about him with a murderous tumult from a thousand -discordant voices. He raised his elbows above his head -to protect himself from the blind assaults and the perpetual -beating of wings. It hardly occurred to him to -assume the offensive until he heard Grim’s voice shouting -to him:</p> - -<p>“Draw yer knife, lad, and make it lively fer them -screamin’ rascals. Their down is worth money and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -they’ve got blubber as thick as a seal’s. Give ’em no -odds, I tell ye, my laddie.”</p> - -<p>Magnus followed this advice promptly. He drew his -knife, and fought with a will, thrusting and striking right -and left, and hearing the great birds tumbling about him -down the steep sides of the rock. He had been thus -occupied for a few minutes when suddenly, to his unutterable -amazement, a great blaze rose from the strand below, -lighting up the barren wall of the cliff, and showing -him how narrow the ledge was upon which he was sitting. -It was a superb spectacle, too, to see the whirling host -of gulls, auks, and cormorants eddying wildly about his -head, the great black cliff looming up above him, and the -spray of the surf spouting, with angry brawl, high up -into the nocturnal air.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah! lad,” yelled Grim, through the ear-splitting -noise and confusion, “I war a blasted fool not to think -on it. They be a-burnin’ the wreck.”</p> - -<p>The descent was a much easier affair than the ascent; -for the light of the fire below blazed up every now and -then and enabled them to see where they were treading. -They picked up between them several dozen birds, of -nearly half as many varieties, and flung them down before -the fire, where the company were now seated in -comparative comfort, warming their stiffened limbs. -Two of the boatmen were engaged in skinning the seals -and cutting off the blubber, which, after squeezing out -the blood, they flung into the fire. Soon the oil began -to ooze out, and, flowing over the wood, burned with a -clear and strong flame.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I am going to make myself comfortable, fellows,” -said Harry, who was looking very pale and chilly after -his involuntary bath; “and if you don’t mind it, I’ll -make a scarf of this big duck. She fits very nicely about -my throat, though she won’t accommodate herself to the -bow-knot. This little one I am going to stuff down my -bosom. She feels so deliciously warm and downy! I -tell you,” he went on, with emphasis, suiting his actions -to his words, “I mean to patent this invention, when I -get back home, as an infallible cure for rheumatism, -toothache, consumption, chillblains, corns, and kidney -disease. I am going to call it Winchester’s In-<em>w</em>incible -<em>W</em>ivifier. That will sound well and catch the public -eye. I was about ready to give up the ghost awhile ago, -and now I feel quite jolly.”</p> - -<p>He stretched himself luxuriously on the windward side -of the fire, arranged half a dozen ducks and auks under -his head as a pillow, and closed his eyes. Magnus and -Olaf soon followed his example, each tying a big gull -about his throat, and feeling a grateful warmth creeping -through their half-frozen bodies. The men had the good -luck to find a bunch of drift-wood large enough to keep -the fire going until morning, and to satisfy their hunger -they roasted a piece of seal-flesh, which, in spite of its -oily flavor, tasted better than they had expected. When -Grim saw that the boys were asleep he covered them -carefully with his own oil-skin clothes, while he himself -kept marching up and down on the beach to keep his -blood in motion. After midnight the wind shifted suddenly -to the west and fell off gradually, the clouds were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -scattered, and the moon sailed calmly through the dark-blue -sky.</p> - -<p>The three boys slept soundly after their terrible hardships, -and the eastern sky was already bright with the -dawn when they opened their eyes. The whole screaming -colony of birds were again on the wing, and whirled -about the projecting crags of the cliff with wild clamor. -Several sails were already visible on the horizon and, as -soon as signals of distress were hoisted, steered toward -the island. Harry, who was ravenously hungry, made a -courageous assault upon the roasted seal-flesh, but after -two futile attempts declared that he was not sufficiently -acclimated to relish such diet. If necessity compelled -him, he preferred to roast his boots, and to use the seal-oil -as gravy.</p> - -<p>“What do you say you call this island?” he asked -Grim, who was trotting at his side up and down on the -sand.</p> - -<p>“The Bird Island,” answered Grim.</p> - -<p>“I should rather call it the ‘Skerry of Shrieks,’” said -Harry; “for in all my living days I have never heard a -finer assortment of varied yells than I heard here last -night. It must be a jolly place in summer, when the -nights are light and the weather comfortable.”</p> - -<p>“It ain’t bad fer such as like it,” was Grim’s non-committal -reply.</p> - -<p>“And do you know,” Magnus put in eagerly, “during -the early fall the island is quite covered with eider-ducks’ -nests, so that you can hardly move your feet without -stepping into them. All those little round depressions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> -up on the slope there are such nests; and thousands -of dollars have been made here in times past by gathering -the down with which the eider-duck lines her nest; -and it is even possible during the brooding season to -catch the bird alive and pull the down from her breast; -though I think that would be cruel, as she probably -needs all she has left after having picked herself for the -benefit of her young.”</p> - -<p>“The eider-duck must be very tame,” Harry observed.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it is very tame, indeed, because people rarely -molest it,” said Magnus; “the peasants have a kind of -superstitious respect for it, and they won’t allow anyone -to kill it. It is very much the same kind of feeling -as they have for the swallow. They think a misfortune -will befall him who robs or pulls down a swallow’s -nest.”</p> - -<p>Several boats were by this time within hailing distance, -and they were easily persuaded to run up and take the -shipwrecked company on board. They insisted, however, -upon drawing their nets before returning, and thus -it happened that it was nearly noon before the party set -foot on shore. They now learned that a great many -boats besides their own had been wrecked during yesterday’s -storm, and that some fifty or sixty men had been -drowned. Many dead bodies were washed ashore during -the day, and some were even drawn up in the nets and -sent home to their sorrowing widows. Sad, indeed, was -the sight of the little fleet of boats which sailed southward -that afternoon, each with a tarred pine box show<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span>ing -above its gunwales. The three boys, although they -would scarcely have admitted that the disaster had discouraged -them, concluded, after a short consultation, that -the experience they had already had of the fisheries was -an instructive one and would probably last them for the -remainder of their lives. They therefore, without much -regret, induced Grim to hoist the sails and pilot them -safely home.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span></p> - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h2><a name="FIDDLE-JOHNS_FAMILY" id="FIDDLE-JOHNS_FAMILY"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">FIDDLE-JOHN’S FAMILY.</a></h2> - - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p>“Queer sort of chap that Fiddle-John is,” said the -men, when Fiddle-John went by.</p> - -<p>“Quaint sort o’ cr’atur’ is Fiddle-John,” echoed the -women; “not much in the providin’ line.”</p> - -<p>“A singular individual is that Violin-John,” said the -parson; “I can never make up my mind whether he is a -worthless scamp or a man of genius.” “Possibly both,” -suggested the parson’s wife. “Apartments to let,” remarked -the daughter, tapping her forehead significantly.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah! There is Fiddle-John,” cried the children, -flocking delightedly about him, clinging to his arms, his -legs, and his coat-tails. “Sing us a song, Fiddle-John! -Tell us a story!”</p> - -<p>Then Fiddle-John would seat himself on a stone at -the road-side, while the children nestled about him; -and he would tell them stories about knights and ladies, -and ogres, and princesses, and all sorts of marvellous -things.</p> - -<p>“Worthless fellow, that Fiddle-John,” said the passers-by; -“there he sits in the middle of the day talking non<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span>sense -to the children, when he ought to be working for -the support of his family.”</p> - -<p>It was perfectly true; Fiddle-John ought to have been -working. He would readily have admitted that himself. -He was well aware that his wife, Ingeborg, was at home, -working like a trooper to keep the family from starving. -But then, somehow, Fiddle-John had no taste for work, -while Ingeborg had. He much preferred singing songs -and telling stories. And a very pretty picture he made, -as he sat there at the roadside, with his handsome, gentle -face, his large blue eyes, and his wavy blond hair, -and the children nestling about him, listening in wide-eyed -wonder. There was something very attractive -about his face, with its mild, melancholy smile, and a -sort of diffident, questioning look in the eyes. He had -an odd habit of opening his mouth several times before -he spoke, and then, possibly, if his questioner’s face did -not please him, he would go away, having said nothing. -And, after all, it was diffidence and not insolence which -prompted this action. It would never have occurred to -Fiddle-John to take a critical view of anybody; he approved -of all humanity in general, only he had an intuitive -suspicion when anyone was making fun of him, and -in such cases he found safety only in flight and silence.</p> - -<p>By profession Fiddle-John was a ballad-singer; a -queer profession, you will say, but nevertheless one -which in Norway enjoys a certain recognition. He had -a voice which the angels might have envied him—a clear -and sweet tenor which rang through the depths of the -listener’s soul. Hearing that voice, it was impossible<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -not to stay and listen. The deputy sheriff, who once -came to arrest Fiddle-John for vagrancy, when Fiddle-John -began to sing, sat and cried. It came over him so -“sorter queer,” he said. The parson, who had made up -his mind to give Fiddle-John a thundering reproof for -neglect of his family, the first time he should catch him, -quite forgot his sinister purpose when, one day, he saw -the ballad-singer seated under a large tree, with a dozen -children climbing over him, and, with rollicking laughter, -tumbling and rolling about him. And when Fiddle-John, -having quieted his audience, took two little girls -on his lap, while the boys scrambled and fought for the -places nearest to him, the parson could not for the life -of him recall the harsh things he had meant to say to -Fiddle-John. The fact was—though, of course, it is -scarcely fair to tell—the ballad which Fiddle-John sang -to the children reminded the parson of the time (now -long ago) when he was paying court to Mrs. Parson, and -sometimes, on slight provocation, dropped into poetry.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">“Thy cheeks are like the red, red rose,</p> -<p class="verse">Thy hands are like the lily.”</p> -</div></div> - -<p>These were the very extraordinary sentiments which -the parson had, at that remote period, professed toward -Mrs. Parson, and these were the very words which -Fiddle-John was now singing. No wonder the parson -forgot that he had come to scold Fiddle-John. “I -suppose that such good-for-nothings may be good for -something, after all,” he said to his wife as he related the -incident at the dinner-table.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span></p> - -<p>Fiddle-John and his family lived in a little cottage -close up under the mountain-side, where the sun did not -reach until late in the afternoon. In the winter they -were sometimes snowed down so completely that they -had to work until noon before they could get a glimpse -of the sky. The two boys, Alf and Truls, would go early -in the morning with their snow-shovels and dig a tunnel -to the cow-stable, where a lonely cow, a pig, and three -sheep were penned up. Their father would then sit at -the window, holding a lantern, the light of which vaguely -penetrated the darkness and showed them in what direction -they were digging; but, after awhile, this monotonous -occupation wearied him, and he would take his -fiddle and play the most mournful tunes he could think -of. It never occurred to him to lend a helping hand; -and it never occurred to the boys to ask him.</p> - -<p>They accepted their fate without much reasoning; it -seemed part of the right order of things that they and -their mother should work, while their father played and -sang. Ingeborg, their mother, had nursed a kind of tender -reverence for him in their hearts, since they were -babes. He seemed scarcely part of the coarse and common -work-a-day world to which they belonged; with his -gentle, handsome face, and his clear blue eyes, he seemed -like some superior being who conferred a favor upon -them by merely consenting to grant them his company. -His songs travelled from one end of the valley to the -other, and everybody learned them by heart and sang -them at weddings, dances, and funerals. Even though -the parishioners might themselves find fault with Fiddle-John,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -and call him quaint and queer, they stood up for -him bravely if a stranger ventured to attack him.</p> - -<p>They knew there was not another such singer in the -whole land, and it was even said that people had come -from foreign lands and had made him enormous offers if -he would go with them and sing at concerts in the great -foreign cities. Thousands of dollars he might have -earned if he had gone, but Fiddle-John knew better than -to abandon the valley of his birth, where he had been -known since his babyhood, and trust himself to the faithless -foreign world. Thousands of dollars! Only think -of it! The very thought made Fiddle-John dizzy; ten -or twenty dollars would have presented something definite -to his imagination, which he would have comprehended, -but thousands of dollars was a blank enormity -which diffused itself like mist through his dazed brain. -And yet Fiddle-John could never stop thinking of the -thousands of dollars which he might have earned, if he -had gone with the foreigner. If the truth must be told, he -himself would have liked well enough to go; and it was -only the persuasions of Ingeborg, his wife, which had restrained -him. “What could you do in the great foreign -world, John,” she had said to him; “you, with your want -of book-learning and your simple peasant ways? They -would laugh at you, John, dear, and that would make me -cry, and we should both be miserable. And all the little -children here in the valley, what would they do without -you, and who would sing to them and tell them stories -when you were gone?”</p> - -<p>The last argument was what decided Fiddle-John,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> -He did not believe that people would laugh at him in -the great foreign world, but he did believe that the children -would miss him when he was gone, and he could -not bear to think of someone else sitting under the -great maple-tree at the roadside and telling them stories. -For all that, he regretted many a time that he had been -soft-hearted, and had allowed the gate of glory to be -slammed in his face, as he expressed it. He had never -suspected it before; but now the thought began to grow -upon him, that he was a great man, who might have -gained honor and renown if his wife had not deprived -him of the opportunity.</p> - -<p>Every day the valley seemed to be growing darker -and narrower; the sight of the mountains became oppressive; -it was as if they weighed upon Fiddle-John’s -breast and impeded his breath. With feverish restlessness -he roamed about from farm to farm and played, -until every string on his fiddle seemed on the point of -snapping.</p> - -<p>“I am a great man,” he reflected indignantly, “and -might have earned thousands of dollars. And yet here -I go and fiddle for half-drunken boors at twenty-five -cents a night.”</p> - -<p>And to drown the voices that rose clamorously out of -the depths of his soul, he strummed the strings wildly; -and the peasants whirled madly around him, shouted, -and kicked the rafters in the ceiling. The gentleness -and the mild radiance which had made the children love -him passed out of his countenance; his eyes grew restless, -his motions aimless and unsteady. Sometimes he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> -flung back his head defiantly and mumbled threats between -his teeth; at other times he shuffled along dejectedly, -or lay under a tree, dreaming of the great world -which had forever been closed to him.</p> - -<p>“If I had only dared!” he whispered to himself; -“oh, if I had only dared!”</p> - -<p>At that moment someone stepped up to him and -shook him by the shoulder. “Hallo, old chap,” said -the man, “you are just the fellow I want! You are the -party they call Fiddle-John?”</p> - -<p>There was something brisk and aggressive about the -stranger which almost frightened Fiddle-John. It was -easy to see that he came from afar; for he had smartly-cut -city-clothes, a tall shiny hat, and a huge watch-chain -from which half a dozen seals and trinkets depended. -Fiddle-John had never seen anything so magnificent; he -was completely dazzled. He sat half-raised upon his -elbow and stared at the stranger in mute wonder. -“Well, Fiddle-John,” the latter went on glibly; “you -don’t seem very cordial to an old friend. Or perhaps -you don’t know me. Reckon I’ve changed some since -you used to tell me stories about the Ashiepattle and -the ogre who stowed his heart away for safe keeping -inside of a duck in a goose-pond, some thousands of -miles off. I have often thought of that story since. -Fact is, that is just the kind of arrangement I am after. -I’ve too much heart, Fiddle-John, too much heart. My -heart is always getting me into trouble, and if I could -make an arrangement to leave it behind here in Norway, -while I myself return to America, I should like it first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -rate. You don’t happen to know of any party who -would be willing to keep it for me during my absence, -hey, Fiddle-John?”</p> - -<p>The man here laughed uproariously and slapped Fiddle-John -on the shoulder.</p> - -<p>“You are the same rum old customer you used to be, -Fiddle-John,” he said in a tone of cordial good-fellowship; -“but you don’t seem as talkative as you used to -be—don’t even tell me you are glad to see me. Now, -that’s what I call hard, Fiddle-John. Don’t even know -the name of your little friend James Forrest—or—beg -your pardon—Jens Skoug, I mean to say, who used to -climb on your back and listened in rapture to your wonderful -voice and your marvellous fairy tales.”</p> - -<p>A gleam of intelligence flitted across Fiddle-John’s -features, as he heard the name Jens Skoug, and he arose -with bashful hesitancy and extended his hand to the -talkative stranger. He remembered well that Jens’ -family had emigrated, some ten years ago, to the United -States, and he remembered also vividly the uncouth little -creature in skin-patched trousers and ragged jacket -who had embarked, at that time, in the great steamer -that came to take the emigrants off to Bergen. And now -this little creature was a tall, dazzling man with a silk -hat and showy jewellery, and an address which a prince -might have envied. Thus reasoned Fiddle-John in his -simplicity. Such a marvellous transformation he had -never in all his life witnessed. The name James Forrest -which Jens had dropped by a deliberate accident also -impressed him strangely. It seemed to add greatly to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -Jens’ magnificence. A man who could afford to have -such a foreign-sounding name must indeed be a person -of enterprise and prominence. It surrounded Jens with -a delightful foreign flavor which captivated his friend -even more than his brilliant talk. “Jens,” he said, making -an effort to conquer his diffidence, “you have grown -to be a great man, indeed. How could you expect me -to recognize you?”</p> - -<p>“A great man!” exclaimed Jens, expanding agreeably -under his friend’s sincere flattery; “no, Fiddle-John, I -am not a great man—that is, not yet, Fiddle-John. -But I mean to become a great man before I die. In -America, where I live, every man can become great if he -only chooses to. But I thought, being young yet, that I -could afford to spend a couple of months in opening to -my countrymen the same road to fortune which is open -to myself, before I settled down to tackle life in earnest. -Fact is, Fiddle-John, as I said before, I have too much -heart. My conscience would leave me no peace, whenever -I thought of my poor countrymen who were toiling -here at home for twenty-five or forty cents a day, and -scarcely could keep body and soul together, while I could -earn five and ten dollars a day as readily as I could blow -my nose. I positively cried, Fiddle-John, cried like a girl, -when I thought of you and your small chaps and of all -the other poor fellows here in the valley who had such a -hard time of it, tearing off their caps and bowing and -scraping before the parson and the judge and all the big -guns, while in America we step up to the President himself, -wring his hand and say, ‘How are you, old chap?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -I’ll drop in and take pot-luck with you to-morrow, if you -don’t happen to have company.’ And he, likely as not, -will say to me, ‘Right welcome shall you be, Jim; bring -a couple of good fellows along with you. We don’t -stand on ceremony around the White House. Perhaps -I may be able to hunt up a consulship or a foreign mission -for you, if you should happen to be out of office and -pressed for cash.’ Now, that’s what I call good manners, -Fiddle-John, and the chances are ten to one that, -if you call upon him with a note from me, he may set -you up in a right fat office, where you may cock your -head at parsons and judges and feel yourself as big as -the very biggest.”</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John listened with eager ears and open mouth -to this alluring narrative. It did not occur to him to -question the truth of what Jens said, for did not his appearance -and his independent and dazzling demeanor -plainly show that he was a great and prosperous man? -And, moreover, how could he have undergone such a -startling transformation in a few years, if it had not been -true, as he said, that the President of the United States -or some other mighty personage took an interest in him. -Fiddle-John had often heard it said that in America all -things were possible; and he had himself read letters -from persons who here at home had been poor tenants or -even day laborers, and who over there had become colonels, -and merchants, and legislators. Therefore, he was -not in the least surprised at the good luck which had -overtaken his former friend. He was only surprised that -the thought of going to America had never occurred to him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -before, and he made up his mind on the spot to sell his -cow, his pig, and his three sheep, and take the first ship -for New York. He could scarcely stop to bid Jens Skoug -good-by, so eager was he to rush home and communicate -his resolution to his wife and children. He foresaw that -he would meet with opposition from Ingeborg; but he -steeled his heart against all her entreaties and vowed to -himself that this time he would have his own way. -Was it not enough that she had once nearly ruined his -life? Should he permit her again to snatch the chance -of greatness away from him?</p> - -<p>He was flushed and breathless when he reached his -little cottage up under the mountain-wall. It had never -looked so mean and miserable to him as it did at this -moment. The walls were propped up on the north and -west sides with long beams, and dry, brownish grass -from last year grew in tufts along the roof-tree and -drooped down over the eaves. His two sons, Alf and -Truls, were playing bear with their little sister Karen, -who was seven years old. But they rose hurriedly when -they saw their father, and brushed the sand from the -knees of their trousers. There was something in his -bearing and in the expression of his face which vaguely -alarmed them. He stooped no more in walking, but -strode along proudly with uplifted head.</p> - -<p>“Boys,” he cried, joyously, “run in and tell your -mother, to-morrow we are going to America!” Ingeborg, -who was just coming across the yard with a new-born -lamb in her arms, paused in consternation, and gazed -with a frightened expression at her husband.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What has happened to you, John?” she asked, gently. -“I thought that matter about the foreigner was settled -long ago.”</p> - -<p>“I tell you, no!” he shouted, wildly; “it is not settled. -It never will be settled as long as there is breath left in -my body. This time I mean to have my own way. -Jens Skoug has come back from America, and he says -that America is the place for me. I knew it all along, -and whether you will follow me or not, I am going.”</p> - -<p>“Follow you, John? Yes, if go you must, then I will -follow you. But to America I will not go willingly, unless -I know what we are to do there, and how we are to -make our living. It is a long, long distance, John, across -the great ocean; they speak a language there which -neither you nor I understand.”</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John turned impatiently on his heel, as if to say -that he knew all that twaddle from of old; but Ingeborg, -giving the lamb to Alf, went up to him, laid her hand on -his arm, and said:</p> - -<p>“You and I have lived together for so many years, -John, and we love each other too well ever to be happy -away from each other. Don’t let us speak harsh words. -They rankle in the bosom and cause pain, long after they -are spoken. If you must go to America, I will go with -you. But I have a feeling that I shall never get there -alive. I beg of you, don’t decide rashly and don’t believe -all that Jens Skoug tells you. He was not a truthful -child, and I doubt if he has grown up to be a good man. -Let us say no more about it to-night. We will sleep on -it, and see how it will look to us to-morrow.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span></p> - -<p>Fiddle-John was not a bad fellow; on the contrary, he -was quite soft-hearted and easily moved. This wife of -his had toiled in poverty and ill-health all her life long, -and he had never offered to lift a finger to help her. -Yet she loved him, accepting her lot meekly, and -never uttering a word of reproach against him. He had -never observed before how thin and worn she looked, -how hollow her cheeks were, and how large her eyes. -He felt for the first time in his life a pang of remorse. -He had not been a good husband, he thought; not as -good as he might have been. But then he was a great -man, and great men were never the best of husbands. -And when he reached America, and his greatness became -generally recognized, and fortune began to smile upon -him, then he would shower kindness upon her, and she -would be rewarded a thousand-fold for all she had suffered. -Surely, he would turn over a new leaf—in America.</p> - -<p>Thus Fiddle-John consoled himself, when his conscience -grew uneasy. When only they got to America, -he reasoned, then everything would be right. He would -have started without delay if Ingeborg’s health had not -failed so rapidly that the doctor positively forbade her to -think of travelling. The look of suffering and sweet forbearance -upon her face seemed a perpetual reproach to -Fiddle-John, and he roamed restlessly from one end of -the valley to the other, playing, singing, and telling his -stories, in order to earn money for the voyage, he said -to his sons; but, in reality, to escape from the unspoken -reproach of his wife’s countenance. But the day soon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -came when he needed no longer to flee from her presence. -One bright spring day, just as the snow was -melting, and the bare spots on the meadows steamed in -the sun, Ingeborg closed her weary eyes forever; and a -few days later she was laid to rest in the shadow of the -old church down on the headland, where the song-thrush -warbles through the brief Arctic summer night.</p> - - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p>Down in the valley the Easter bells were chiming; -the bell-strokes trembled through the clear, sun-steeped -air. There was commotion in the valley, too, in spite of -the fact that it was Easter Sunday. Out in the middle -of the fiord lay a huge black steamer, which panted and -shrieked, as if it were in distress, and sent volumes of -gray smoke out of its chimneys. Around about little -black fragments of coal-dust were drizzling through the -air and swimming on the water; and the gulls which -kept whirling about the smoke-stacks were quite shocked -when they caught the reflections of themselves in the -tide; with wild screams they plunged into the fiord. -They probably mistook themselves for crows.</p> - -<p>The pier, which broke the line of the beach at the -point of the headland, was thronged with men, women, -and children. The men were talking earnestly together; -most of the women were weeping, and the children were -gazing impatiently toward the steamboat and tugging -at their mother’s skirts. Some twenty or thirty boats, -heavily laden with chests and boxes, lay at the end of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> -the pier; and one after another, as it was filled with -people, put off and was rowed out to the steamer. Only -the old folk remained behind; with heavy hearts and -tottering steps they walked up the sloping beach and -stood at the roadside, straining their eyes to catch a last -glimpse of the son or daughter, whom they were never -to see again. Some flung themselves down in the sand -and sobbed aloud; others stooped over the weeping ones -and tried to console them.</p> - -<p>At last there was but one little group left on the pier; -and that was composed of Fiddle-John and his three -children. Jens Skoug, the emigration agent, was standing -in a boat, shouting to them to hurry, and the boys -were scrambling down the slippery stairs leading to the -water, while the father followed more deliberately, carrying -the little girl in his arms.</p> - -<p>There was a Babel of voices on board; and poor -Fiddle-John and his sons, who had never heard such -noise in their lives before, stood dazed and bewildered, -and had scarcely presence of mind to get out of the way -of the iron chains and pulleys which were hoisting on -board enormous boxes of merchandise, horses, cattle, -pigs, and a variety of other commodities. It was not -until they found themselves stowed away in a dark corner -of the steerage, upon a couple of shelves, by courtesy -styled berths, which had been assigned to them, that -they were able to realize where they were, and that they -were about to leave the land of their fathers and plunge -blindly into a wild and foreign world which they had -scarcely in fancy explored.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span></p> - -<p>The first day on board passed without any incident. -The next day, they reached Hamburg, and were transferred -to a much larger and more comfortable steamer, -named the Ruckert, and before evening the low land of -North Germany traced itself only as a misty line on the -distant horizon. Night and day followed in their monotony; -Russian Mennonites, Altenburg peasants, and -all sorts of queer and outlandish-looking people passed in -kaleidoscopic review before the eyes of the astonished -Norsemen. It was the third day at sea, I think, when -they had got somewhat accustomed to their novel surroundings, -that a little incident occurred which was -fraught with serious consequences to Fiddle-John’s family.</p> - -<p>The gong had just sounded for dinner, and the emigrants -were hurrying down-stairs with tin cups and bowls -in their hands. The children were themselves hungry, -and needed no persuasion to follow the general example. -They unpacked their big tin cups, which looked like -wash-basins, and took their seats at an interminably long -table, while the stewards went around with buckets full -of steaming soup, which they poured into each emigrant’s -basin, as it was extended to them, by means of -great iron dippers. Many of the Russians were either -so hungry or so ill-mannered that they could not wait -until their turn came, but rushed forward, clamoring for -soup in hoarse, guttural tones; and one of the stewards, -after having shouted to them in German to take their -places at the tables, finally, by way of argument, gave -one of them a blow on the head with his iron dipper.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -Then there arose a great commotion, and everybody supposed -that the angry Mennonites would have attacked the -offending steward. But instead of that, the crowd scattered -and quietly took their places, as they had been -commanded. They were an odd lot, those Mennonites, -thought the Norse boys, who did not know that their -religion forbade them to fight, and compelled them to -pocket injuries without resentment.</p> - -<p>Next to Alf, on the same bench, sat a swarthy boy, -fourteen or fifteen years old, with yellow cheeks and -large black eyes. He had a thin iron chain about his -wrist and seemed every now and then to direct his attention -to something under the table. Alf concluded that, -in all probability, he had his bundle of clothes or his -trunk hidden under his feet. But he was not long permitted -to remain in this error. Just as the steward approached -them and extended the long-handled dipper, -filled with soup, a fierce growl was heard under the bench, -and a half-grown black bear-cub rushed out and made a -plunge for his legs. The frightened steward made a -leap, which had the effect of upsetting the soup-pail over -his assailant’s head.</p> - -<p>A wild roar of pain followed, and everybody jumped -on tables and benches to see the sport; while the Savoyard -boy who owned the bear darted forward, his eyes -flashing with anger, and hurled a flood of unintelligible -imprecations at the knight of the soup-pail. There was -a sudden change of tone, as he stooped down over his -scalded and dripping pet, and, showering endearing -names upon it, hugged it to his bosom.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span></p> - -<p>The emigrants jeered and shouted, the waiters swore, -and the purser, who had been summoned to restore order, -elbowed his way ruthlessly through the crowd until -he reached the author of the tumult.</p> - -<p>“How do you dare, you insolent beggar, to bring a -bear into the steerage?” he cried, seizing the boy by the -collar, and shaking him. “Who permitted you to bring -such a dangerous beast——”</p> - -<p>His harangue was here suddenly interrupted by the -bear, which calmly rose on its hind legs and, showing its -teeth in an unpleasant manner, prepared to resent such -disrespectful language. The purser took to his heels, -while the steerage rang with jeers and laughter, and the -Savoyard had all he could do to prevent his friend from -pursuing him. The Norse boys, whose sympathy was -entirely with the bear and his master, quite forgot their -hunger in their excitement over the stirring incident; -and when the Savoyard, feeling that the steerage was -scarcely a safe place for him after what had occurred, -mounted the stairs, dragging his bear after him, they -could not resist the temptation to follow him at a respectful -distance. But when they saw him crouching -down behind the big smokestack and gazing timidly -about him while he wiped the bear’s head and face with -his sleeve, they could not conquer the impulse to make -the acquaintance of so distinguished and interesting a -personage. They accordingly sidled up slowly, holding -their sister between them, and were soon face to face with -the Savoyard.</p> - -<p>“What is your name?” asked Truls with a bold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span>ness -which raised him immensely in his brother’s esteem.</p> - -<p>The Savoyard shook his head.</p> - -<p>“What do people call you when they speak to you?” -Truls repeated, raising his voice and drawing a step -nearer.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="it" xml:lang="it">Non capisco.</i> <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Je ne sais pas</i>,” answered the boy in -Italian and French, giving them the choice of the only -two languages he knew.</p> - -<p>“Capisco,” Truls went on confidently in his Norse dialect; -“that is a very funny name. I am afraid you don’t -understand me. It wasn’t the bear’s name I asked for; -it was your own.”</p> - -<p>The Savoyard shrugged his shoulders expressively, -then poured out a torrent of speech which bewildered -his Norse friends exceedingly. If the bear had opened -its mouth and addressed them in the ursine language, it -would not have succeeded in being more unintelligible.</p> - -<p>“You are a very funny chap,” Truls remarked with a -discouraged air. “Why don’t you talk like a Christian?”</p> - -<p>He was determined to make no more advances to so -irrational a creature, and was about to lead the way back -to the dinner-table, when the arrival of the purser and -the third officer of the ship again arrested his attention. -The purser had evidently been hunting for the Savoyard; -for, as he caught sight of him, he made an exclamation -in German and called out to the third officer:</p> - -<p>“There is the vagabond! Make him understand, -please, that his bear must be shot and that he must get<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -out of the way. He has taken out no ticket for his beast -and we don’t take that kind of freight gratis!”</p> - -<p>The third officer, who spoke French fluently, explained -the purport of the purser’s remarks to the Savoyard, but -in a gentle and kindly manner which almost deprived -them of their cruel meaning. The boy, however, made -no motion to stir, but remained calmly sitting, with his -arm thrown over the bear’s neck and one hand playing -with his paws.</p> - -<p>The officer, seeing that his words had no effect, repeated -his remark with greater emphasis. A startled -look in the boy’s eyes gave evidence that he was beginning -to comprehend. But yet he remained immovable.</p> - -<p>“Get out of the way, I tell you!” cried the purser, -drawing a revolver from his hip-pocket and pointing it -at the bear’s head. “I have orders to kill this beast, -and I mean to do it now. Quick, now, I don’t want to -hurt you!”</p> - -<p>The boy gazed for a moment with a fascinated stare at -the muzzle of the terrible weapon, then sprang up and -flung himself over the bear, covering it with his own -body. The animal, not understanding what all this ado -was about, took it to mean a romp, and began to lick his -master’s face and to claw him with his limp paws.</p> - -<p>“Well, I have given you fair warning!” the purser -went on, excitedly, as he vainly tried to find an exposed -vital spot on the bear at which he could fire. “If you -don’t look out, you will have to take the consequences.” -A large crowd had now gathered about them, and a -loud grumble of displeasure made itself heard round<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -about. The purser began to perceive that the sentiment -was against him, and that it would scarcely be safe for -him to execute his threat. Yet he found it inconsistent -with his dignity to retire from the contest, and he was -just pausing to deliberate when, all of a sudden, a small -fist struck his wrist and the pistol flew out of his hand -and dropped over the gunwale into the sea. A loud -cheer broke from the crowd. The purser stood utterly -discomfited, scarcely knowing whether he should be angry -with his small assailant or laugh at him. He would, -perhaps, have done the latter if the cheering of the people -and their hostile attitude toward him had not roused -his temper.</p> - -<p>“Bravo, Tom Thumb!” they cried. “At him again! -don’t be afraid of the brute because he has got brass buttons -on his coat.”</p> - -<p>“Good for you, Ashiepattle!” the Norwegians -shouted; “go it again! We’ll stand by you!”</p> - -<p>It was Truls, Fiddle-John’s son, who had thus suddenly -become the hero of the hour; he had acted in the -hot indignation of the moment and was now abashed and -bewildered at the sensation he was making. He looked -anxiously about for his brother and sister, and as soon as he -caught sight of them, was about to make his escape when -the purser seized him by the collar and bade him remain.</p> - -<p>“You are a nice one, to be attacking your betters, who -have never given you any provocation,” he said in German, -which Truls, fortunately, did not understand. “I -am going to take you to the captain, and he will have you -punished for assault.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span></p> - -<p>He made a motion to drag the struggling boy away, -but the crowd closed about him on all sides, and pressed -in upon him with angry shouts and gestures. The third -officer, who had so far taken no part in the proceedings, -now stepped up to the purser and begged him to release -the boy.</p> - -<p>“Of course,” he said, “you are in the right; but if I -were you, I would waive my right this time. It’s hardly -worth while making a row about so small a matter; and -it is always bad policy to go to the captain with squabbles -and grievances, especially when they might so easily -have been avoided. I assure you, you will only injure -yourself by doing it.”</p> - -<p>They talked for a minute together, while the ever-increasing -throng surged hither and thither about them. -Whether purposely or not, the irate purser, in the zeal of -his argument, released his hold on Truls’ collar, and the -liberated boy dodged away, as quickly as possible, and -was soon lost in the crowd. The Savoyard and his bear -had long before seized the opportunity to withdraw from -the public gaze.</p> - - -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p>The life on shipboard did not agree with Fiddle-John. -Like a spoiled child, he was restless and unhappy when -he was unnoticed. All day long he sat on the top of a -coil of rope in the forecastle of the ship and sang. The -forecastle was often deserted, and there were probably -not many among the emigrants who would have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -capable of judging whether his voice was in any way extraordinary. -And yet, one there was who found an untold -amount of comfort in listening to that clear, sweet -tenor of Fiddle-John’s, and that one was the Savoyard -boy. It had been his constant effort, since his encounter -with the purser, to make himself as inconspicuous as -possible, and it would have gratified him much if he had -possessed some means of making the bear invisible. As -the forecastle was the least visited portion of the ship, he -had chosen to hide himself there behind the anchor-cable.</p> - -<p>He trembled whenever anyone approached, and threw -the end of the tarpaulin which covered the deck-freight -over his friend, the bear. The only people whose company -did not incommode him were Fiddle-John and his -children, for whom he testified his devotion by smiles -and gestures and all sorts of endearing Italian diminutives, -which, on account of his caressing tones, even a -dumb brute could not have failed to appreciate. After -a long and exciting pantomime, Truls ascertained that -his name was Annibale Petrucchio and that his bear -gloried in the name of Garibaldi.</p> - -<p>Both boys felt that they had made great progress in -each other’s friendship when these facts had been established, -and another hour of dumb show, intersprinkled -with exclamations, resulted in a still more astonishing -revelation, which was that Annibale and his friend slept -every night on deck, because they feared to arouse once -more the purser’s displeasure by invading the steerage. -Sometimes Annibale curled himself up with Garibaldi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -within the coil of the anchor-cable—he jumped up, dragging -the bear after him, to show the attitude in which -they slept—but when it rained, or when the sea was high -enough to sprinkle the deck, they both crept under the -deck-freight tarpaulin, where they had made themselves -a little house between two trunks which they had pushed -apart. The only trouble was that the April nights were -very cold—Annibale shivered all over to show how cold -he was—and anchor-cables and deck-freight were not -particularly soft to sleep upon.</p> - -<p>As Alf and Truls became duly impressed with the -unpleasantness of the Savoyard’s situation, they took -counsel in order to ascertain how they might relieve his -distress. But all the plans that were suggested were -found to be risky, and night came before they arrived at -a decision. The weather had been raw and blustery all -the afternoon, and the officer on the bridge had been -looking every minute uneasily at the falling barometer. -After sunset the gale increased in violence and the ship -pitched and rolled in the heavy sea. In the steerage -there was a terrible commotion; women prayed and -screamed and moaned, children of all ages joined in the -chorus, the lamps swung forward and backward in their -brass frames, and bottles, glasses, and loose crockery -made a terrible racket, sliding to starboard and back -again to port with every motion of the ship. The wind -howled in the rigging, and every now and then a big -wave swept across the deck and poured out through the -scupper-holes.</p> - -<p>Alf and Truls, who had been lying awake for hours lis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span>tening -to the hollow boom of the waves and the shrieking -of the wind, conversed in a whisper about the poor -Savoyard, who had to be on deck in that terrible -weather, and they finally summoned courage to creep -toward the ladder and slowly to mount it, tightly clutching -each other’s hands. It was a risky undertaking, and -their hearts stuck in their throats as they clung to the -door-knob, hesitating whether they should open the door. -Without knowing, however, they must have given the -knob a twist; for suddenly the door swung open with a -tremendous bang, and Truls was flung across the deck -against the bulwarks with such force that for an instant -he scarcely knew whether he had lighted on his head or -his feet.</p> - -<p>He picked himself up, however, without any serious -damage, and as there was a momentary lull in the storm, -he half rolled, half crept up toward the prow, where a -couple of lanterns were swinging in the fore-royal stays. -Nevertheless it was so dark that he could not discern an -object ahead of him, and only groped his way along the -bulwarks, until he stumbled upon a demoralized mass of -rope which he knew to be the anchor-cable.</p> - -<p>“Annibale!” he shouted at the top of his voice, “are -you here?” But before he had time to receive a reply -the ship plunged into a monstrous wave, which rose in a -storm of spray and drenched the whole forecastle up to -the mainmast. Truls, in his effort to keep his footing, -tumbled forward and grabbed hold of something wet and -hairy, which slid along with him for a couple of yards, -and then was hauled back by some unseen force. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -boy crawled along in the same direction and shouted -once more, “Annibale! where are you?” And a voice -close to his ear answered:</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Ah, Monsieur Truls, Garibaldi et moi, nous sommes à -demi morts.</i>”<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a></p> - -<p>“Now, don’t jabber at me, Annibale,” Truls observed, -making his voice heard above the wind; “but if you will -come along with me, Alf and I will give you half of our -berth; and Garibaldi can sleep at our feet.”</p> - -<p>Whether Annibale understood the words or not, he -could not fail to comprehend the friendly gestures which -accompanied them. He eagerly seized Truls’ hand and -they plunged bravely forward, but slipped on the wet -deck, and the bear and the boys slid with great speed in -the direction of the descent to the steerage. They were -drenched to the skin and considerably bruised when, after -several unsuccessful efforts, they seized the door-knob. -Alf, as it turned out, feeling too ill to keep watch, had -already preceded them to bed. Garibaldi, who seemed -keenly conscious of his disgrace since the day he molested -the purser, slunk along as meekly as possible, and only -now and then shook his wet skin and coughed in a dispirited -fashion. He was not as grateful, moreover, as -might have been expected, when he was assigned his -place on the straw at the foot of the berth, but gradually -pushed himself upward until his nose nearly touched that -of his master; whereupon he curled himself up comfortably -and went to sleep. It was a very pretty sight to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -see the blond Norse boys and the swarthy Savoyard -peacefully reposing on the same pillow, with the shaggy -head of the bear between them, and the Savoyard half -unconsciously clutching his pet in his embrace.</p> - -<p>Toward morning the storm began to abate, and the -dim light peeped in through the port-holes. The steerage -was comparatively quiet. Fiddle-John arose and -went on deck; a strange oppression had come over him. -The dim, gray light, the all-enveloping dampness, and -the incessant throbbing and clanking of the machinery -wrought upon his sensitive soul, until he seemed in danger -of going mad. The world seemed so vast and so -empty! The waves heaved and wrestled in their gray -monotony, until it made him dizzy to look at them. -Merely to rid himself of this terrible oppression, Fiddle-John -lifted up his voice and sang wildly against the wind; -his beautiful tenor seemed to cut through the fog like a -bright sword and to flash and ring under the sky. His -soul expanded with his voice; the sun broke forth from -the clouds, and he felt once more free and happy. He -scarcely knew how long he sang; but when by chance he -turned about, he saw to his surprise that a crowd of well-dressed -cabin passengers had gathered about him. His -three children stood holding one another’s hands, looking -in astonishment at the fine ladies shivering in fur-trimmed -cloaks, and wondered why their father was attracting -so much attention.</p> - -<p>“Charming!” “Wonderful!” “Magnificent!” exclaimed -the fine people, when Fiddle-John had stopped -singing; and a portly American gentleman, with gray<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -side-whiskers, who seemed more enthusiastic than the -rest, gave him a slap on his shoulder, and said that if he -himself were ten years younger, he would undertake to -make a fortune out of Fiddle-John, which, of course, was -a very generous offer on his part. Jens Skoug, the emigration -agent, translated the remark; and as the American -seemed to have more to say to Fiddle-John, offered -his services as interpreter.</p> - -<p>“What is your trade?” asked the gentleman.</p> - -<p>“I sing and play,” said Fiddle-John.</p> - -<p>“But I mean, how do you make your living?” repeated -his questioner.</p> - -<p>“By singing and playing,” said Fiddle-John.</p> - -<p>“You won’t make much of a living by that in America; -people won’t understand you, unless you sing in -English,” remarked the American.</p> - -<p>It had actually never before occurred to Fiddle-John -that his songs would be unintelligible in America. He -had supposed that music appealed equally to all nations -and needed no interpreter. The remark of his new -friend, therefore, was a positive shock to him, and it took -him fully a minute to recover from its effect.</p> - -<p>“I will sing to the President of America,” he said, in -an injured tone. “Jens Skoug, there, says that the -President will make me a great man when he hears my -voice.”</p> - -<p>It did not suit Skoug’s convenience to translate this -remark correctly; and he observed instead, with a confidential -air, that Fiddle-John was a harmless monomaniac -who had got it into his head that he wanted to sing to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span> -President. The American was evidently amused at this, -and said, with a laugh, that he feared the President was -not so great an authority in music as in affairs of state.</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John was extremely puzzled and a little distressed -at the jocose manner of the American gentleman; -it could scarcely be possible that he was making fun of -him. But American ways were probably different from -Norwegian ways, and he would therefore not be hasty in -taking offence.</p> - -<p>“I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination -to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can -make songs about anything you choose.”</p> - -<p>“Aha, you are a sort of poet—an <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">improvisatore</i>, as -the Italians say. Now I begin to understand. Perhaps -you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.</p> - -<p>“Indeed I can!” cried the Norseman.</p> - -<p>“Well, let us have it!” urged the other.</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John never needed much urging to sing. He -straightened himself up, flung back his head and was -about to begin, when his son Truls, whose ears had been -burning uncomfortably during the whole interview, seized -his father’s hand and entreated him not to sing.</p> - -<p>“Don’t sing to that man, father,” he said. “He is -making sport of you. Please don’t! Both Alf and I -are distressed to think that the gentleman should dare -to speak to you as he does. He thinks——”</p> - -<p>“Get out of the way, sonny! No one is talking to -you,” interrupted Jens Skoug, pushing Truls rudely -aside; but the boy, fired with sudden wrath, wheeled -quickly around.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span></p> - -<p>“It is you who have brought all this misery upon us,” -he cried, excitedly. “I know you mean to desert us as -soon as we get to New York, and I only wish I were big -enough to give you the thrashing you deserve, now, on -the spot.”</p> - -<p>“Why, little chickens can crow like big roosters!” Jens -Skoug exclaimed; “but if you don’t keep a civil tongue -in your head,” he added, with a menacing scowl, “I will -make you dance a jig to a very lively tune—the hazel -tune; perhaps you may have heard of it.”</p> - -<p>This was more than Truls could stand; and with -clinched fists, a flushed face, and eyes blazing with anger, -he rushed at the exasperating emigration agent. But the -American, who thought that the fun had now gone far -enough, seized the angry boy by the collar and restrained -him. “Hold on, my little fellow!” he said; “it is -time to stop for refreshments. You are a lively little -customer for your years. I don’t know exactly what you -are mad about, but I can assure you it isn’t worth fighting -for. Now, simmer a little, and then cool down.”</p> - -<p>During this scene, Fiddle-John had been standing -irresolutely shifting his weight from one foot to the other -and gazing with a bewildered air at Jens and Truls. He -could not understand what had happened to arouse the -anger of his son, and his excited words had scarcely furnished -him with a clew to the mystery.</p> - -<p>“Why—why—why, don’t you want me to sing, -Truls?” he stammered, helplessly. “I am sure I sing -as well as anybody, and need not be ashamed to be -heard.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, it isn’t that, father!” the son responded in a -tone of tender consideration, which appealed strongly to -the American. “You sing beautifully; but these people -would not understand you—and—and—wait till we -are alone, father; I will tell you what I mean.”</p> - -<p>It was the manner, rather than the words, of the boy -which gave the stranger an insight into the relations -which existed between him and his father; and what -he saw, and still more what he inferred, interested him -greatly. There was a diffidence in Truls’ tone, and at -the same time an air of protectorship, which, in one of -his years, was quite touching. The American could not -help admiring his spirited behavior, and he only wished -he could have told him how far he was from wishing to -humiliate either him or his father. But he had lost confidence -in Mr. Skoug as an interpreter, and he saw no -one else who, for the moment, could take that gentleman’s -place. He therefore put his hand caressingly on -the boy’s head and, trusting to his intuition rather than -his knowledge of English, said:</p> - -<p>“If you should ever happen to need a friend in the -United States, you must remember to come to me. My -name is Alexander Tenney, and I live in New York. -Here is my card, with my address upon it.”</p> - -<p>He gave Fiddle-John and his son each a friendly nod -and sauntered away toward a group of ladies who were -seated in their steamer-chairs, conversing with the captain -about the state of the weather.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>IV.</h3> - -<p>It was a beautiful sunny morning in May that the -steamer cast anchor in the bay of New York. Fiddle-John -and his children and a thousand other poorly clad -people from all parts of the world were carried by little -steam-tugs to a large building by the water, where there -was a babel of noise and confusion. Everybody was -shouting at the top of his voice; children were crying, -women hunting for their husbands, husbands hunting for -their baggage; policemen were pushing back the crowd -of screaming hotel-runners who were besieging the doors, -and an official, standing on the top of a barrel, was yelling -instructions to the emigrants in half a dozen different -languages.</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John, to whom this spectacle was positively -terrifying, could do nothing but stare about him in a -hopeless and dazed manner, while he pressed his violin-case -tightly in his arms and allowed himself to be pushed -hither and thither by the surging motion of the crowd. -He was finally pushed up to a gate, where an official sat -writing at a desk.</p> - -<p>“How old are you?” asked the official, or, rather, the -interpreter, who was standing at his elbow.</p> - -<p>“Thirty-five years,” said Fiddle-John; but a vague -alarm took possession of him at the question, and his -heart began to beat uneasily.</p> - -<p>“What is your occupation?”</p> - -<p>“Occupation? Well, I sing. I am a singer.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span></p> - -<p>“A singing-teacher? Is that what you are?”</p> - -<p>“No, I don’t teach.”</p> - -<p>“What do you do, then, for a living? Perhaps you -are a sort of theatrical chap—a play-actor?”</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John looked greatly mystified; he had never -heard of such a thing as a theatre in all his life, and the -word “actor” was not found in his vocabulary. Nevertheless, -he thought it best to keep on good terms with -the great official, and he therefore made one more effort -to explain the nature of his occupation.</p> - -<p>“If you will pardon my boldness,” he began, with a -quaking voice, “I may say that I am a kind of poet—a -minstrel——”</p> - -<p>“Aha, that’s what you are!” roared the official, with -a laugh, as if he had at last found the solution of the -problem; “you are a negro-minstrel, an end-man, clog-dancer, -and lively kind of a chap generally.”</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John stood aghast; he was not a combative -character, but the recent scene with the American gentleman -on shipboard had aroused his suspicion, and the -conclusion now suddenly flashed upon him that the official -was making fun of him. The blood mounted to his -head and his whole frame trembled.</p> - -<p>“How dare you mock me?” he cried, passionately; -“how dare you call me a negro? Don’t you see with -your own eyes that I am as white as you are?”</p> - -<p>“Keep a civil tongue in your head, now, or I’ll have -you arrested on the spot,” the other replied, coolly. “I -can’t afford to waste my time on you. So far as I can -learn, you are a beggar who walks about in the street,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -singing. Now, that kind of thing won’t go down over -here; and you had better not try it. How much money -have you?”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t any money.”</p> - -<p>“And what is your destination? Where do you intend -to go?”</p> - -<p>“I am going to see the American President, and sing -to him.”</p> - -<p>“Sing to the President! Well, I expected as much. -Why, my good friend, it seems you are a lunatic as well -as a beggar. I shall send you to the Island, and you will -be returned by the next steamer to Norway. It is only -able-bodied, self-supporting emigrants we receive here, -not street-singers and crazy people!”</p> - -<p>The poor Norseman stood as if riveted to the spot. -A sudden faintness came over him, and he felt as if he -were going to sink into the ground. He made desperate -attempts to speak, but his words stuck in his throat and -he could not utter a sound. A policeman was summoned -and he was unceremoniously hustled through the crowd -and forced to board a small steam-tug, where, with three -other forlorn and miserable-looking individuals, he was -locked up in a dirty and ill-smelling cabin. All this had -been done so quickly that he scarcely had time to realize -what was happening to him. But now the thought of -his three children came over him with terrible force, and -a sickening sense of his helplessness took possession of -him. In one moment the blood throbbed in his face and -temples, and he burned with heat and indignation; in -the next, the thought of what was to become of his dear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -ones, alone and friendless as they were, in a foreign land, -suddenly drove the blood away from his cheeks and he -shivered with dread. He was in the midst of these tormenting -fancies, when the tug gave a couple of shrill -whistles and steamed through the harbor toward an island -covered with gray, dismal-looking stone buildings, -the very sight of which filled Fiddle-John’s breast with -fear.</p> - -<p>The children, in the meanwhile, had an experience -hardly less discouraging. They had seen their father -led away by a policeman, and had shouted to him with -all their might; but their voices had been drowned in -the general confusion, and in spite of all their efforts they -had not been able to make their way to him through the -dense throng. They searched for hours, but could find -no trace of him. Being afraid of the man at the desk, -who had been so severe with their father, they hit upon -the plan of slipping through the gate in the train of a -German family which had so many children that it seemed -hopeless to count them. This scheme succeeded admirably, -and toward evening they found themselves in a -broad square planted with trees and budding shrubs. -They still had some hope of finding their father, thinking -that perhaps his detention would merely be temporary; -and they sat upon the benches or roamed along the Battery -esplanade with a miserable feeling of loneliness gnawing -at their hearts. They were hungry, but they did not -know where to turn to obtain bread. The world seemed -so vast and strange and bewildering that it gave one a -headache only to look at it. To ears accustomed only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -to the murmur of the pines in the summer night and the -song of birds and the river’s monotonous roar, the huge -city, with its varied noises and its incessant, deafening -rattle of wheels over stone pavements, seemed overwhelming -and terrible.</p> - -<p>Only Truls, who had a spirit less sensitive and less -easily daunted than his brother and sister, could summon -courage to think—to devise a way, if possible, out of -their perplexities. He carefully investigated first his -own pockets, then his brother’s, in the hope of finding -something that might be exchangeable for a loaf of -bread. But he could find nothing except a couple of -buttons, some curious snail-shells, and a folding knife, -the blades of which had been sharpened until there was -scarcely anything left of them. After a few minutes’ -meditation, he resolved, although with an aching heart, -to part with his valuable treasures; and he took Karen -by one hand and Alf by the other, and led the way -through the Battery Park toward Greenwich Street, -where he hoped to find a baker’s shop.</p> - -<p>They had advanced but a short distance, however, when -they caught sight of their friend Annibale, who was sitting -on a bench, swinging his legs with an air of deep -dejection. His eyes lighted up a little when he recognized -Truls; he jumped up and, pointing to something -resembling a large muff under the bench, exclaimed, in -a tearful voice:</p> - -<p>“Garibaldi is very sick. Garibaldi will die. He has -been ill a long time; he will not stand up any more. -He hangs his head like this.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span></p> - -<p>Annibale here demonstrated, with pathetic absurdity, -the pitiful manner in which the little bear hung his head. -There could be no doubt; it was a serious case. Truls -was especially conscious of this, after having stooped -down and noted Garibaldi’s symptoms. His eyes were -much inflamed, his nose was hot, and he frothed slightly -at the corners of his mouth. Yes, it was plain that Garibaldi -was going to die.</p> - -<p>Alf and Truls nearly forgot their hunger and their distress -at the thought of this great calamity. By signs -and gestures, they persuaded Annibale to seek lodgings -where his pet might receive proper care and perhaps -stand some chance of recovering. This seemed sound -advice, and Annibale was not slow in following it, when -once he understood it. But it was a very sad march; -for Garibaldi refused to move, and the three boys had to -carry him as best they could.</p> - -<p>A lodging-house was finally found where supper and -bed could be procured for twenty cents; and though -neither was particularly inviting, the boys were too hungry -and tired to be fastidious. The Savoyard fortunately -had a little money, which he was very willing to share -with his Norse friends, as soon as he had gained an inkling -of the day’s adventures. Moreover, he had relatives -in the city, and knew the addresses of many Italian -friends. He therefore had no fear of suffering want, and, -as he asserted in his own jargon, could well afford to be -generous.</p> - -<p>The boys and the bear slept in a little square box of a -room in which there were two beds, while a kind-hearted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -servant carried weary little Karen to her own apartment. -Truls, out of gratitude to Annibale, offered to watch over -the bear; but, unhappily, his gratitude was not lively -enough to keep him awake, though he struggled bravely -to keep his eyes open. Toward midnight his head sank -slowly down upon Garibaldi’s back, and when the daylight -peeped in through the dusty window-panes he was -yet sleeping peacefully. The sunbeams crept, inch by -inch, across the floor, until they lighted on Truls’ chin, -then climbed up to his nose and reached his eyes. Then -he awoke with a pang, sprang up, and stared confusedly -about him.</p> - -<p>Suddenly his eyes fell upon Garibaldi, who lay immovable -at the foot of the bed; he stooped down and -touched him. The poor bear was stone cold! It had -died quietly in the night. Truls, with a dim notion that -Garibaldi’s death was due to his own lack of watchfulness, -made haste to rouse his friend and explain to him, -with tears of grief and remorse, that he had, without -meaning to do it, used Garibaldi as a pillow, and that -the poor animal had probably died in consequence. Annibale, -however, showed no disposition to reproach Truls, -but, leaping out of bed with a frightened face, flung himself -down over the bear, hugged him, and wept over him, -overwhelming him with caresses and endearing names. -But it was all in vain. Garibaldi was, and remained, -dead. He had caught a violent cold during the night -of the storm at sea, from which he had never recovered.</p> - -<p>Although it was yet early in the morning, all the city -seemed to be awake and to be surging and roaring out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span>side -of the windows like a storm-beaten sea. Stage-coaches, -carriages, and enormous drays laden with bales -and barrels and boxes, were pouring in steady streams up -and down the street; people of all sorts and conditions -were hurrying hither and thither; and out in the harbor, -but a stone’s throw distant, there was a forest of masts, -and big and little steam-boats rushed shrieking in all directions. -It seemed like tempting Providence to venture -out into this wild turmoil, and Truls implored Annibale -not to risk it, when he perceived that the latter was bent -upon some such dangerous expedition.</p> - -<p>Annibale, however, had seen great cities before, and -gave no heed to his companion’s fear, but tore himself -away, promising to return before noon. With a painful -fascination Truls stood watching him from the window, -following his lithe and dexterous motions as he wound -himself through the crowd and dodged the huge wheels -and wagon-poles, as they seemed on the point of knocking -him down. When at last the Savoyard vanished -around a street-corner, and Truls was about to relapse -into his sad meditations, the kind-hearted servant-girl -caused a sensation by entering with Karen and a tray, -upon which were three pieces of bread and three cups of -coffee. Truls then awakened his brother, who had slept -soundly through the recent excitement, and the three -had quite a pleasant meal, considering their forlorn condition.</p> - -<p>They covered Garibaldi with a blanket. He had had -a hard life of it on board the steamer, and had suffered -much. Now his career was finished. At least, so Alf<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -and Truls supposed, until a very extraordinary thing -happened.</p> - -<p>They had finished their breakfast some little time, -when the door opened and Annibale entered with a -little, smoky, and shrivelled-up Italian. He was Annibale’s -uncle; his name was Giacomo Bianchi, and by -trade he was a tobacconist. When he talked he used his -arms, legs, eyes, and mouth, all with equal vigor. Fiddle-John’s -children stood and gazed at him in undisguised -wonder; they had never in all their lives seen anything -so lively.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="it" xml:lang="it">Ecco!</i>” he cried, pointing excitedly first to the dead -bear and then to Truls; “the fit is perfect. He is of the -same height, and will do perfectly well. If he has ordinary -intelligence, and not too much of it, he can act the -bear as well as if he were born one. I will prepare the skin -for you, and stuff it just enough to fit his figure. Then -you can make money like the sands of the sea. I have -a small hand-organ at home, and a tambourine which that -vagabond Gregorio left me for a debt. You give me -half of what you earn, and I will lend you all these -things. You will become a rich man before you die. -The bigger boy can play the hand-organ, the little girl -can strike the tambourine, and you yourself lead the bear -and make him dance. Behold, my son, your fortune is -made. <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">Ecco</i>, I have spoken!”</p> - -<p>Giacomo’s dark eyes flashed with enthusiasm as he unfolded -this glorious scheme, and he flourished his stick -so violently in the direction of Karen that she grew -frightened and began to cry. Her brothers, too, viewed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span> -the excitable little man with suspicion, and listened in -no friendly spirit to his unintelligible talk. To their -guileless Norse minds his gestures seemed at first to indicate -insanity, but after awhile they concluded that, for -some reason, he was angry at their sister. Then they -clinched their fists in their pockets and made themselves -ready to pounce upon him, the very moment he ventured -to touch her.</p> - -<p>His apparent wrath suddenly left him, however, and -he came up to shake hands with each of them, smiling, -and nodding his shaggy head with extreme affability. -Still they could not quite conquer their distrust of him, -and it required a long and lively pantomime to induce -them to accompany him to his own dwelling. At last -they yielded, because they knew of nothing else to do. -Garibaldi was put into a bag, and Giacomo and the boys, -taking each a corner, carried him easily. First they went -to Castle Garden to inquire for their father, but there -was no one there who knew anything about him. Another -steamer had just come in with over eleven hundred -Polish Jews, and the officials were too busy to give heed -to the questions of the strange-looking boys who talked -a strange-sounding language. All their attempts to get -possession of the baggage were also unavailing; and with -heavy hearts they plodded along together with the Italian -and Garibaldi, winding their way through a labyrinth -of dirty streets, until they reached a little, ill-smelling -bird-shop in Canal Street.</p> - -<p>Here, too, there was a bedlam of noise, and the young -Norsemen remained standing in the middle of the floor,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -staring about them in helpless bewilderment. Two great -blue-and-yellow macaws were shrieking overhead, an ancient -and wise-looking cockatoo was apparently scolding -them for their undignified behavior, and uncounted -paroquets, pigeons, and canary-birds were chirping, cooing, -and screaming in a confused chorus which would have -racked the nerves of a mummy. The barking of a number -of dogs, which seemed to object to the limited area -of their cages, added to the uproar; and it was a great -relief to the whole juvenile company when Giacomo invited -them up-stairs, where he had his own personal -domicile.</p> - -<p>The bird-store, according to Annibale’s assertion, was -a source of enormous revenue, but belonged to his other -uncle, Matteo, who was a citizen of much weight and influence -in the Italian colony. This great man, however, -it was understood, had more important matters to attend -to, and left the business in charge of his humbler brother, -Giacomo. A vague impression of these facts Annibale -had managed to communicate to his friends, in spite of -the linguistic difficulties under which he labored; and -the Norse boys, who during the two weeks on the steamship -had learned the Italian names for many common -things and ideas, were pleasantly surprised at the readiness -with which they comprehended the mixture of signs, -gestures, and words which constituted Annibale’s medium -of communication.</p> - -<p>Uncle Giacomo’s rooms proved much more agreeable -than the shop below. The noise of the birds penetrated -the floor only as a subdued confusion of sounds, and did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span> -not interfere with conversation. On a little low table at -the window there was a multitude of small, sharp tools, -and an array of bottles which emitted strong but not -unpleasant odors. Some of them had feathers sticking -through their stoppers, and others were labelled -“Poison” in big red letters. About the walls there were -rows of shelves, upon which stood bright-colored birds, -perching upon twigs, as if on the point of taking flight, -owls with big yellow eyes and a dignified sullenness of -expression, hawks with wings outspread, swooping down -upon unseen, unsuspicious rabbits; and, besides, there -were little pet dogs and birds, whose skins had been preserved -by the taxidermist’s art for sorrowing owners.</p> - -<p>All these objects the boys and Karen found highly -entertaining, and Uncle Giacomo, who was bent upon -making a good impression, allowed them to take down -and examine anything that struck their fancy. The work -of skinning poor Garibaldi also served to occupy their -minds, and thus the forenoon passed rapidly until it was -time to sit down to dinner. They did not sit down, however, -for their dinner consisted only of bread and milk, -and that could be eaten just as well standing. In the -afternoon they were allowed to fetch up some rabbits and -guinea-pigs from the store, and when they had played -with them for a couple of hours, Uncle Giacomo brought -them a green parrot that could talk and scold in both -English and Italian. Neither Alf nor Truls nor Karen -understood its talk; but, for all that, it entertained them, -and served for a time to keep their minds from dwelling -on their misfortunes. They scarcely knew what was to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> -become of them; the world seemed so vast and so pitiless, -and they themselves such a very small part of it. They -thought with flutterings of hope and fear of their father, -and determined never to abandon their search for him -until they should find him.</p> - -<p>Their fate seemed strange and incomprehensible. But -a few weeks ago they were living happily in their quiet -Norse home, in the little cottage under the mountain-wall. -Now they were flung out, helpless and alone, into -a huge whirlpool of foreign life; their mother, whom -they had loved more than anyone else in the whole -world, was dead, and their father was wandering about, -no one knew where, vainly seeking them, perhaps, and -not knowing whither to turn. Indeed, much can happen -in two short weeks. If they had but known what was to -befall them before they left their happy home! Oh, if -they had but known!</p> - - -<h3>V.</h3> - -<p>Nearly a week passed before Garibaldi’s skin was -properly padded and prepared for the reception of its -new occupant; but then it fitted to perfection, and was -as soft and flexible as an overcoat. Truls put it on with -perfect ease, and breathed as freely through Garibaldi’s -nose as if it had been his own. Fortunately the bear had -been of the shaggy, long-haired kind, and when the opening -was laced together with fine silk cords the joining -was completely hidden by the fur. The children had -repeated rehearsals in Uncle Giacomo’s room; and they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -all agreed that Truls made a very respectable bear. He -could walk on his hind-legs beautifully, he could salute -with his right fore-paw, and he could even nod with his -head in a very intelligent fashion. In fact, there was a -danger that he might be too intelligent.</p> - -<p>“Now, do remember,” Alf would cry out to him, “a -bear cannot blow his nose. He may be allowed to -sneeze, and even to cough; but he must not be too frisky -and intelligent. And remember, that if you laugh or -make any sound whatever, the game is up and we are -ruined. Uncle Giacomo only keeps us to make money -with us, but he is not unkind, and as long as we don’t -starve, we ought to be thankful. It all depends upon -you, whether we shall have a home or be thrown into the -streets.”</p> - -<p>It was with a great flutter of excitement that the Savoyard -and his Norse friends started out early one Monday -morning in the middle of May. Alf was carrying -the hand-organ, Karen the tambourine, and Annibale was -leading the make-believe bear by the same iron chain -which had regulated the movements of Garibaldi. They -were about to open their first performance on the sidewalk -at the corner of Broadway and Canal Street, but -two policemen were immediately on hand and sternly -commanded them to “trot.” Trot they accordingly did; -but the sidewalks were everywhere so crowded that they -seemed in danger of being knocked down, in case they -should offer to obstruct the hurrying stream of humanity.</p> - -<p>It was not until they reached the broad steps of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span> -Sub-Treasury in Wall Street that they summoned courage -to make a second stop; and Truls was by that time -so tired of the unnatural four-footed gait that he rose, -without invitation, and began to promenade in a very unbearlike -fashion. Presently Alf’s hand-organ began to -wail a very sad air from “Il Trovatore,” and Karen struck -the tambourine with a vigor which threatened to ruin -both her knuckles and the drum-skin. A number of -newsboys and bootblacks instantly scampered up to witness -this attractive entertainment, and half a dozen -brokers and bank-messengers also paused to view the -antics of the little bear. Annibale shouted and swung -his whip, and the animal saluted and danced slowly and -clumsily (as he had been commanded), and at the end -of five minutes quite a shower of pennies dropped into -the Savoyard’s hat. The crowd increased; the newsboys -screamed with delight, and scrambled up the steps, -pell-mell, whenever the bear approached them. Truls -began to enjoy the fun, and chuckled to himself at the -thought that he could chase a whole flock of big boys -who, if they had known what sort of a creature he was, -would in all likelihood have chased him. This reflection -made him every moment bolder, and he would have -been in danger of overstepping his part altogether if Alf -had not screamed to him in Norwegian:</p> - -<p>“Now, take care, smarticat, don’t be too intelligent!”</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, just as he was resolving to heed this advice, -a little ragged bootblack, while trying to back away -from him, fell, turned a dexterous somersault, and came -down on his feet on the sidewalk at the foot of the stairs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span> -The sight was so comical that Truls lost control of himself -and burst out laughing; but in the same instant his -brother and sister were at his side, and made so terrific a -noise with their respective instruments that his laughter -was completely drowned in the din. Someone, however, -must have noticed his mirth; for there was a -shriek of merriment among the boys, and one of them -cried out:</p> - -<p>“Did you hear that? The bear is a-laughin’! He is -a jolly old coon, that bear is.”</p> - -<p>“No, he was only a-yawnin’!” shouted another boy. -“He is a queer old party, and he knows lots of -tricks.”</p> - -<p>“Them b’ars is a mighty funny lot,” the first boy rejoined. -“<ins class="corr" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: ‘I onct seed’">I once seed</ins> one at the circus; he could ride -bare-back and drink beer.”</p> - -<p>“<ins class="corr" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: ‘I onct knowed’">I once knowed</ins> one as could smoke cigars and kiss -his boss,” shouted number two, determined not to be -outdone.</p> - -<p>All these comments escaped the bear’s brother, but -Annibale caught a suspicion that something was wrong. -He hastily gathered in the second shower of pennies, -and made a sign to his friends to stop the entertainment. -They made their way as quickly as they could down to -the water-front, and thence to the Battery Park, where -there was plenty of room for another exhibition. The -newsboys and bootblacks followed them for a couple of -blocks, but seeing that they had no intention of stopping, -gradually dropped behind and returned to their accustomed -haunts. Alf and Truls heaved a sigh of relief<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> -when the last of their importunate followers had disappeared; -and it was with a lighter heart that they took -their station under the trees of the park and commenced -the same programme which had been so successful in -Wall Street.</p> - -<p>Their audience was here even larger than it had been -at their first performance, but it was not nearly so profitable; -for the foreign emigrants and corner-loafers who -abound in this locality had probably no money to spare, -or they preferred to have their entertainment gratis. -Hardly half a dozen pennies dropped into Annibale’s -hat, in spite of his repeated invitations to contribute. It -was obvious that they had hit upon a bad locality, where -art was not properly appreciated.</p> - -<p>As Karen’s knuckles were by this time quite numb, it -was agreed that Annibale should take his turn at the -hand-organ and give Alf a chance to distinguish himself -at the tambourine. They had just completed this arrangement, -and were strolling rather aimlessly past Castle -Garden toward the Coney Island Pier, when they saw a -dense crowd gathered at the entrance of the great immigration -depot. Curiosity prompted them to discover the -cause of the demonstration, and as everyone fell aside to -make room for the bear, they had no difficulty in reaching -the open space in the centre of the throng.</p> - -<p>What was their horror when they suddenly found -themselves confronted with a real bear—a huge black -beast which was dancing slowly upon his hind-legs, and -every now and then, with an angry yawn, showing an -array of terrible teeth! They wished themselves well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> -out of sight again, and strove with all their might to -avoid attracting attention. But instead of that, they -found themselves pushed right into the middle of the -ring. And the moment the huge bear spied a comrade, -down he dropped on all-fours and insisted upon making his -acquaintance. With a wild scream which was anything -but bearlike, Truls rose up and rushed toward his brother -Alf, flinging his paws about his neck. The keeper of the -big bear gave him a cut with his whip, but he still strained -at his chain and gave forth angry growls. The people -fled in all directions, and Alf grabbed his disguised -brother in his arms and ran as fast as he could carry -him. The others followed; but before they had overtaken -him he was stopped by a policeman, who inquired -whether he had a license. The boy stared in abject -terror at the officer of the law.</p> - -<p>“Pl-please, sir,” he stammered, imploringly, in his -native tongue, “don’t hurt my brother! He isn’t a bear -at all, if you please, sir; and—and—I am a harmless lad -who—who—arrived from Norway the other day, and—and—never -did mortal thing any harm as long as I lived, -sir!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t jabber yer Dutch at me, ye young scalawag!” -the policeman replied, seizing the boy by the arm and -shaking him. “Ef it is an honest loivelihood ye’re -afther, why don’t ye drap that poor dumb cr’atur’ and -foind some dacent imployment, begorra?”</p> - -<p>Alf was altogether too frightened to make any answer -to this suggestion, of which, moreover, he understood -not a word. He only gazed with his large blue eyes at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -the policeman, and moved his lips nervously, without -being able to utter a sound.</p> - -<p>“Pl—please, sir,” he faltered, after several vain attempts -to speak, “please let me go.” And Truls, completely -forgetting his disguise, raised two hairy paws imploringly -toward the officer and begged tearfully.</p> - -<p>“Please, sir, do let my brother go!”</p> - -<p>The policeman’s face underwent a sudden and startling -change. His eyes nearly popped out of his head, his jaw -dropped down on his chest, and the veins on his forehead -swelled. “I’ll be blowed,” he cried in breathless -amazement, “ef the dumb cratur’ ain’t a-talkin’ Dutch!”</p> - -<p>He stooped for a minute, with his hands resting upon -his knees, and stared with a perplexed expression at the -supposed bear; then the situation began to dawn upon -him, and he burst out into a tremendous laugh.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it is a foine bear ye be, sonny!” he exclaimed, -lifting the boy-bear unceremoniously on his arm, and -grabbing hold of Alf’s collar with his disengaged hand. -“A smart young un ye be, be jabers! It is an alderman -ye will be before ye doi—if ye only vote the roight -ticket. ’Tis a shame, it is, ye don’t talk a Christian language, -sech as a gintleman can understand.”</p> - -<p>He was moving up Greenwich Street, talking in this -humorous strain, half to himself and half to his prisoners, -whom he was dragging reluctantly along, when his -progress was suddenly arrested by a little girl who became -unaccountably entangled in his legs.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="FP260" id="FP260"></a> -<p class="p2" /> -<img src="images/i_260fp.jpg" width="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -IN BATTERY PARK.</div> -</div> - -<p>“Mr. Policeman,” the child cried, in the same unintelligible -tongue, gazing up with a pale and excited face at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> -the tall officer, “please don’t hurt my brothers. And -won’t you please take me along, too? I have been bad, -too, Mr. Policeman—much badder than Truls.”</p> - -<p>“Why, how-de-do, sis!” the officer asked, with a -broad grin. “Is it the bear ye be, did ye say, as lent yer -skin to this little chap? Ah, be jabers! now I begin to -take in yer capers. It is a moighty mixed-up lot ye be, -and up to no end of thricks. But jest ye wait till his -honor gits hold on ye, and he will know how to git each -one of ye back into his roight skin.”</p> - -<p>This sinister allusion was lost, however, on the three -culprits, and even if they had understood it, it would -probably not have impressed them greatly. Their life -had been so exciting since they left their quiet Norse -valley, that they had almost ceased to be surprised at -anything that might happen to them. Alf and Karen -plodded on wearily at the policeman’s side, holding on -to the tails of his coat, and showing no desire to part -company with him; and Truls, who was wellnigh exhausted -by the labors and excitement of the day, was -only too glad to be able to rest his shaggy head on the -officer’s shoulders, and to embrace his neck with his two -hairy paws. The officer, somehow, seemed to enjoy the -situation; for he laughed and chuckled incessantly to -himself, as if he were contemplating some delightful plan -which promised a great deal of amusement. He shook -his club good-naturedly at the crowd which followed him, -and pushed his way onward, until he reached a large -brick building, over the door of which was carved, in big -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span>Roman letters, “Police Precinct, No. ——.” Here he -entered with his prisoners, and after having made an -entry in a book, consigned them to a large, bare, and -dreary-looking room, where a few miserable people were -reposing in various attitudes upon the floor.</p> - -<p>The two Norse boys, who vaguely understood that this -was some kind of a prison, looked with horror upon the -ragged and untidy occupants of the room, and withdrew -with their sister into the remotest corner they could find, -so as to escape observation. Here they held a consultation, -glancing all the while fearfully about them, and -lowering their voices to a whisper.</p> - -<p>“Truls,” said Alf, raising his guileless eyes to those of -his younger but braver-hearted brother, “what do you -think will become of us? do you think we shall have to -stay long in this dreadful place?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no, you sillibub!” replied the ursine Truls, with -well-feigned cheerfulness; “we will be let out before -night; and anyhow, I know what I am going to do. -You remember that handsome American gentleman on -board the steamboat, whom I wanted to fight because I -thought he was making fun of father?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I remember,” said Alf.</p> - -<p>“Well, he gave me his card, which I gave you to keep -in your pocket-book; and he made me promise that if -ever I needed a friend, I should send for him. There is -an address on the card, and I shouldn’t wonder if he is a -great man; and then everybody will be sure to know -him.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Truls!” his brother exclaimed, admiringly; -“you are always so bright and so clever; and I have the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span> -card here; and I’ll not lose it. But don’t you think you -had better take off your bear-skin, so that the judge may -see you aren’t a bear, but a little boy?”</p> - -<p>“I have thought of that,” Truls rejoined, earnestly; -“but the trouble is I haven’t anything else to put on. -So I shall have to go to the judge as I am, and I guess -he won’t be so very mad, when I tell him I haven’t got -nothing else under.”</p> - -<p>A dreary hour passed—dreary beyond expression. -The two boys tried each to persuade the other that he -was, on the whole, not at all afraid, but really quite -cheerful. The only one whose argument was really convincing, -however, was Karen; for she went peacefully to -sleep on Truls’ shoulder, and did not wake until the -policeman came and summoned them all into court. -They made quite a sensation when they entered; and -people rose and craned their necks to catch a glimpse of -the curious group. It was probably the first time that a -bear had marched on its hind-legs into a police-court and -taken its place behind the bar as a prisoner. The judge -smiled a little when he saw it, and leaned himself half -over to the policeman who was apparently giving an account -of the case.</p> - -<p>“The officer charges you with roaming about with an -unlicensed bear,” he said severely, fixing a stern glance -upon Alf. “What have you to say to the charge?”</p> - -<p>Alf gazed up helplessly, and shook his head.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you answer?” repeated the judge, impatiently. -“Why didn’t you take out a license for your -bear?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span></p> - -<p>The policeman again leaned over and explained that -the prisoners were Dutch, or some other kind of foreigners, -and that they did not understand a word of -English.</p> - -<p>“Hm,” growled his Honor, “why didn’t you tell me -that before? Is there anyone in this court-room,” he -went on, raising his voice, “who understands foreign -languages and would be willing to help the court out of -a difficulty?”</p> - -<p>He looked expectantly about the large room, but no -one volunteered to act as interpreter of anything so comprehensive -as “foreign languages.”</p> - -<p>“The gintleman over there,” the policeman remarked, -pointing out a well-dressed man in the audience, “looks -as if he understood furrin languages.”</p> - -<p>The gentleman in question disclaimed all knowledge -of the languages referred to, and the Court visited him -with a look of serious displeasure. It was very annoying, -and there seemed positively no way of disposing of -the case, except to recommit the prisoners until an interpreter -could be found. The judge was about to resort -to that expedient, when a new prisoner was led into -the court, and the boys gave a simultaneous exclamation -of surprise at beholding Jens Skoug, the emigration -agent. Mr. Skoug had evidently come into collision -with a policeman’s club, or some other unyielding substance, -for his left eye was much blackened, and he had -a great bump on his forehead. He had been arrested -the previous night for disturbing the peace.</p> - -<p>“That man, it appears, is acquainted with these Dutch<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> -boys,” the Court remarked, nodding to the policeman -who had charge of Mr. Skoug; “bring him up.”</p> - -<p>“Do you understand foreign languages?” the justice -went on, addressing the emigration agent in his severest -judicial tones.</p> - -<p>“Yes, lots of them,” replied Jens, drowsily.</p> - -<p>“Do you know these boys?”</p> - -<p>Jens contemplated the boys with a puzzled frown; -then he shook his head boozily and replied:</p> - -<p>“No, yer Honor, I never saw them in all my life. -They are not my style, yer Honor; don’t look as if they -had moved in the best society.”</p> - -<p>“Well, never mind that,” interrupted the Court; “but -can’t you find out anything about them? why they did -not license their bear? Who provides for them? Where -do they live?”</p> - -<p>Jens, in turning his back to the Court, gave Alf and -Karen and the bear a fierce glance, as if to say that he -would make them smart, if they dared in any way to -compromise him. Then, to their surprise, he stooped -down and talked with them earnestly for several minutes.</p> - -<p>“Your Honor,” he resumed, rising and facing the -judge; “these boys are, as you supposed, Dutch. They -are utterly destitute, and have no money wherewith to -buy a license for their bear. In other words, they are -vagrants; and if I may be permitted to make a suggestion, -I think the Reform School or the workhouse would -be the right place for them. They are a hardened lot, I -am afraid, judging by their talk——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You may spare your suggestions,” the judge interrupted -curtly; “though they happen to fit in exactly -with what I had determined to do with them. Their -bear will have to be killed or sold, and they are hereby -recommitted, and will be sent to the Island for thirty -days.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Skoug again stooped down and explained to the -two culprits; but he had no sooner mentioned the word -“kill” than Alf gave a shout, half of anger, half of -dread, pulled his Norse tolle-knife<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> from its sheath, -and with one swift motion slit the bear’s skin from the -neck downward. The policeman rushed forward, the -audience jumped up on the benches, the judge himself -started at the flash of the knife, and was on the point of -leaping over his desk. What was his amazement when, -instead of a bear, he saw a little shivering boy in very -scanty attire! A roar of laughter and a deafening salvo -of applause burst forth from all parts of the room, and it -was in vain that the judge hammered with all his might -on his desk, and in thunderous tones demanded order. -The Irish policeman, to whose taste for practical jokes -the whole scene was due, laughed as if he were going to -split his sides. He would not have ventured to confess -that he had planned some such dramatic incident, although, -as he admitted to himself, it had turned out -even more startling than he had dared to hope.</p> - -<p>When order was finally restored, the Court commanded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span> -that the prisoners be removed; but Truls, who now comprehended -the situation, and was determined not to -submit to further imposition, marched boldly up to the -judge, and put Mr. Tenney’s card before him on the -desk.</p> - -<p>“This gentleman,” he said, confidently, “made me -promise to send for him if I should ever need a friend. -Now I need him, and if you would kindly send someone -to fetch him, I should be much obliged.”</p> - -<p>The judge understood the purport of this speech, even -though the words were unintelligible to him. Mr. Tenney’s -name was well known to him, as that of a citizen -of great wealth and influence, and his prisoners immediately -rose in his estimation when he heard that they enjoyed -the protection of so prominent a man. He therefore -beckoned to a policeman, wrote a hasty note, and told -him to have it instantly despatched. The boys and their -sister, in the meanwhile, were permitted to sit down in the -court-room, awaiting Mr. Tenney’s arrival. Mr. Skoug, -who betrayed a great anxiety to be off, pleading a variety -of business engagements, was then examined and fined -ten dollars. He had just managed to disappear through -a side-room when Mr. Tenney’s tall and portly figure -was seen entering. He gave the boys a friendly nod, as -he walked rapidly up to the judge, with whom he conversed -amicably for several minutes. There was something -brisk, energetic, and business-like in all his movements. -He laughed very heartily when the recent -incident with the bear was related to him, and the judge -joined in the laugh, and asserted that it was the most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span> -amusing thing that ever had occurred in all his long experience -on the bench. Then Mr. Tenney apologized for -having taken up so much of the Court’s valuable time, -and the Court expressed itself delighted to have made -Mr. Tenney’s acquaintance and to have been in any way -able to serve him; whereupon Mr. Tenney had the three -children conveyed to his carriage, and they drove away -through the glorious May sunshine, up one street and -down another, until they reached a large and stately -house on Madison Avenue. Here they stepped out of -the carriage, and a liveried servant flung the doors open -before them, as they entered the house.</p> - -<p>Such magnificence the boys had never beheld before: -long, wonderful mirrors which looked like strips of lake -standing on end, carpets which felt soft under the feet -like fine moss, and gilt and carved furniture, which -seemed to have stepped right out of a fairy story. It -was certainly very extraordinary; but still more extraordinary -was the kindness and consideration with which -they were treated by Mr. Tenney and his wife. Two -pretty rooms were assigned to them on the fourth floor -of the house; little Karen was dressed in beautiful -clothes, and the boys themselves got each a new suit, -the like of which they had never had on their backs before. -They felt like young princes, and if they could -only have talked with the kind people who took so much -trouble on their account, they would have expressed to -them their gratitude, and perhaps, too, solicited their -aid in ascertaining the whereabouts of their lost father.</p> - -<p>Mr. Tenney, however, guessed their thoughts, and did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span> -not need to be told that their minds were torn with -anxiety. He first procured a Norwegian interpreter from -one of the steamship companies, and made the boys describe -to him accurately the time and circumstances of -Fiddle-John’s disappearance. He wrote letters to the -emigration commissioners, inserted advertisements in the -newspapers, and set the whole official machinery in -motion to get a clew by which to unravel the mystery.</p> - -<p>Investigations were set on foot, detectives were employed, -the Castle Garden officials were questioned and -cross-examined, but there was no one who had the -slightest recollection of having seen Fiddle-John. Thus -three days passed. Mr. Tenney’s determination to accomplish -his purpose increased, the greater the obstacles -were that he encountered. There was a streak of obstinacy -in his temperament, and there seemed to be an -impression abroad that Mr. Tenney was not to be trifled -with, when once he was aroused, and that may have been -the reason why Fiddle-John grew in the course of a week -to be a kind of public character, and people asked each -other jocosely when they met in street cars or in hotel -vestibules:</p> - -<p>“How do you do? Seen Fiddle-John?”</p> - -<p>Someone, it appears, had seen Fiddle-John, and that -was the purser of the steamboat Ruckert, whose encounter -with the lamented Garibaldi was yet fresh in -the boys’ memories. He came late one evening to Mr. -Tenney’s residence, and explained to him that a man -called Fiddle-John had just been put aboard the ship, as -a lunatic, to be taken back to Norway free of charge.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span> -The ship was to sail the next day at noon; and if Mr. -Tenney would hold himself responsible for the consequences, -the purser said he would undertake to restore -Fiddle-John to his family within—well, within five -minutes.</p> - -<p>Mr. Tenney was quite ready to assume all the responsibility -in the matter, and accordingly the purser raised -the window, and beckoned to a carriage which had -stopped on the other side of the street. The carriage -drove up before the door, and out stepped Fiddle-John. -But oh, how miserable he looked! The light from the -gas-lamp fell upon his pale face, his disordered hair, and -his tall, stooping figure. He was led carefully up the -steps, and the children flew into his arms, hugging him, -kissing him, and weeping over him. He sat down on a -low stool, and stared about him in a bewildered fashion. -But gradually, as his eyes rested upon the dear familiar -faces, his expression softened, the wild look of fright departed -from his face, and the tears began slowly to course -down his cheeks.</p> - -<p>“O, children!” he said in a hoarse, broken voice; -“I thought I should never see you again!”</p> - -<p>He covered his face with his hands, and wept long and -silently.</p> - -<p>“They wanted to make a madman of me,” he sobbed; -“and they almost succeeded. Whatever I did or said—it -made no difference—it only proved that I was mad. -I came to believe it, children, and the thought was terrible -to me; if I had staid another day, I should never -have recovered my reason.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span></p> - - -<h3>VI.</h3> - -<p>Five years have passed since Fiddle-John and his sons -were rescued from misery by Mr. Tenney. They now -live in the porter’s lodge of Mr. Tenney’s beautiful Berkshire -country-seat; and Fiddle-John, with all his eccentricities, -makes a very acceptable porter. The little stone -cottage at the gate of the larger villa looks very picturesque -with the green vines trailing over it, and it is very -comfortably and prettily furnished. Little Karen is now -a matronly little body, with a strict sense of order, and -many housewifely accomplishments. She goes to the -public school in the morning, but studies at home in the -afternoon, and keeps her father company. The boys are -both big fellows now, and they are as good Americans as -any to the manner born. Truls brags of American enterprise, -and the blessings of democratic institutions, as if -every drop of his Norse blood had become naturalized. -He is an engineer, and earns good wages, and is full of -hopefulness for the future. It need scarcely be said that -his sister adores him, and regards him as one of the -most remarkable men of the century.</p> - -<p>Alf, who has inherited his father’s handsome face, and -incapacity for practical concerns, is at present preparing -to enter college. Mr. Tenney is much interested in him, -as a lad of unusual ability and a singular sweetness of -character; and it is owing to his generosity that Alf has -been able to follow the career for which he is by nature<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span> -and inclination adapted. He has his father’s beautiful -voice, too, and makes a sensation in the church choir -every Sunday when he sustains the lovely tenor solo in -the anthems “As Pants the Hart,” and “I Know that -My Redeemer Liveth.”</p> - -<p>He is a rather serious fellow, with thoughtful eyes, -and a frank and open countenance. Some think he -would have a fine career as a clergyman, but it is difficult -to tell whether his inclination, in later years, will -turn in that direction. His father, however, does all in -his power to encourage this ambition, and it is not unlikely -that his hopes may some day be fulfilled. In fact, -it is Fiddle-John’s favorite occupation to hope and dream -about the future of his sons.</p> - -<p>During the long summer afternoons he sits in the -shadow of the vines, outside of his cottage, while his -daughter reads aloud to him from the old Norse ballad -books which he yet loves so dearly. And it happens -very frequently, then, that the young ladies and gentlemen -who are visiting at the neighboring villas come, in -a company, and beg him to sing to them. They throw -themselves down in easy attitudes upon the soft, close-trimmed -lawn; and their bright garments, their crimson -sunshades, and their fresh, youthful faces make a fine -picture against the green background of elms and chestnut -trees.</p> - -<p>To the gentle and guileless minstrel it is a great pleasure -to see these gay and happy creatures; and when the -young girls hang upon his arms and urge him to sing, -his eyes beam with delight.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Now, do sing, Fiddle-John,” they coaxingly say. -“You know we have walked miles and miles to hear -your voice. And here is a young lady from New York, -who never heard a Norse song in all her life, and -is disappointed, because you look so nice and gentle, -and not wild and savage as a son of the Vikings -should.”</p> - -<p>Fiddle-John likes this kind of banter very well; and -when, finally, he yields to their coaxing and lifts up his -clear, strong voice, singing the sad, wild ballads of his -native land, there falls a hush upon the noisy company, -as if they were in the presence of a renowned artist. -These are Fiddle-John’s happiest moments. And it was -just on such an occasion when, on a beautiful afternoon -in July, he had been entertaining the young people with -his songs, that a swarthy-looking Savoyard walked up -before his door, and began to whip up a bear which -danced to a tune from “Il Trovatore,” played upon a -wheezy hand-organ.</p> - -<p>“Stop, you sacrilegious brute!” said one of the young -men, addressing, not the bear, but his master; “we have -a better kind of music here than your asthmatic organ -can produce.”</p> - -<p>The Savoyard, being apparently well accustomed to -this manner of address, swung his organ across his back -and was about to take his departure, when Karen, -prompted by some idle impulse, stepped up to the bear -and patted it. Then a sudden change came over the -young man’s countenance. He stared for a moment fixedly -at the little girl.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Take care, <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">Carina mia</i>,” he said, with a smile; “that -bear is a real one!”</p> - -<p>“Annibale!” she cried in surprise; and, to be sure, it -was Annibale!</p> - -<p>He had grown five years older, but in other respects -he had changed but little. He knew but very little -more English than he had done on the day of his arrival, -and his ambition still did not extend beyond hand-organs -and bears. He reaped a plentiful harvest of coins that -night; but that was owing to little Karen, and not to -the doleful hand-organ. She ran into the cottage and -spread out upon the lawn a rug, made out of a small -bear-skin. “Do you know that, Annibale?” she cried.</p> - -<p>“Garibaldi, my poor Garibaldi!” exclaimed the -Savoyard, while the tears glittered in his eyes; and he -stooped down and caressed the furry head.</p> - -<p>Now the curiosity of the young ladies was excited, -and the whole company clamored for the story of Annibale -and the bear-skin. They all seated themselves in a -ring about Fiddle-John, and he told the story, as I have -told it to you. For I had the good luck to be one of the -listeners.</p> - - - <div class="chapter"></div> - -<div class="footnotes"> -<h2><a name="FOOTNOTES" id="FOOTNOTES">FOOTNOTES:</a></h2> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Skees are a kind of snowshoe, four to six feet long, bent upward in -front, with a band to attach it to the foot in the middle.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Lord Dufferin tells, in his Letters from High Latitudes, how the -Icelandic pilots conversed with him in Latin, and other travellers have -many similar tales to relate.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Professor Willard Fiske, formerly of Cornell University, was instrumental -in collecting in the United States a library of several thousand volumes, -which he presented to the Icelanders on the one thousandth birthday -of their nation.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> The auk cannot fly well, but uses its wings for swimming and diving.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> The burgomaster gull is the largest of all gulls. It is thirty inches -long, exclusive of its tail, and its wings have a span of five feet.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> The national knife of Norway. It has a round or oblong handle of -wood, bone, or ivory, often beautifully carved, and a slightly curved, one-edged -blade, with a sharp point.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> The sheriffs in Norway are by law required to pay, in behalf of the -State, certain premiums for the killing of bears, wolves, foxes, and eagles.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> A species of grouse.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> The finishing-stroke.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> Skees (Norwegian <i lang="no" xml:lang="no">skier</i>) are a peculiar kind of snow-shoes, generally -from five to nine feet long, but only a few inches broad. They are made -of tough pine-wood, and are smoothly polished on the under side, so as to -make them glide the more easily over the surface of the snow. In the middle -there are bands to put the feet into, and the front end of each skee is -pointed and strongly bent upward. This enables the runner to slide easily -over logs, hillocks, and other obstacles, instead of thrusting against them. -The skee only goes in straight lines; still the runner can, even when moving -with great speed, change his course at pleasure by means of a long -pole which he carries for this purpose, and uses as a sort of rudder. Skees -are especially convenient for sliding downhill, but are also, for walking in -deep snow, much superior to the common American snow-shoes.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> “Ah, Mr. Truls, Garibaldi and I are half dead.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> All Norse peasant lads wear a sheathed knife at the side, called a -“tolle-knife.”</p></div> -</div> - - -<div class="transnote pg-brk"> -<a name="TN" id="TN"></a> -<p><strong>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</strong></p> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been -corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within -the text and consultation of external sources.</p> - -<p>Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, -and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, -book-case, bookcase; hind-legs, hind legs; drift-wood, driftwood; -bowlder; despatch; skee; inspiriting.</p> - -<p> -<a href="#Page_4">Pg 4</a>, “the otto’s name” replaced by “the otter’s name”.<br /> -<a href="#Page_51">Pg 51</a>, “tore his watstcoat” replaced by “tore his waistcoat”.<br /> -<a href="#Page_82">Pg 82</a>, “gentle plashing” replaced by “gentle splashing”.<br /> -<a href="#Page_115">Pg 115</a>, “to find himself himself in” replaced by “to find himself in”.<br /> -<a href="#Page_125">Pg 125</a>, “into the the twilight” replaced by “into the twilight”.<br /> -<a href="#Page_257">Pg 257</a>, “I onct seed” replaced by “I once seed”.<br /> -<a href="#Page_257">Pg 257</a>, “I onct knowed” replaced by “I once knowed”.<br /> -</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Modern Vikings, by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MODERN VIKINGS *** - -***** This file should be named 53070-h.htm or 53070-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/0/7/53070/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, John Campbell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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