cleared away, and the meadow to be levelled ready for next year. When the ground hardened,

with all these log

p to the house, a barrier hedging in his fields where he wanted room. Moreover, there must be some way of getting the logs down to the village that winter; there were fol

matter, and not at all a thing he wished for her to do; but she understood all the same that it

o do but come out here and

I can't see there's any living sense in y

that coat of mine th

ly, indeed. I've no tim

ready to cal

lving, y

you think now about that same calf

none of my business w

up calf, seems to me. And leave

like you'd do that

at and overfull of growth, but a blessing for

as no stint of flour, though he had carried it all the way himself, on his back. And there lay a pretty calf, a beauty, red-flanked like

grows up," said Inger. "And what ar

her ways, and no cle

. "Why, Silverhorns,

full of concealment and mystery as ever, when Inger asked his errand. And sure enough, he

ys Inger. "And you've no

len

found i

orse...." But to tell the truth, he had only hired i

the sledge; bought it for next to nothing, by reason they were getting short of fodder down in the village. Shaggy and thin, no way

bringing up ne

r; a grindstone, a wafer iron, tools-all in exchange for his logs. Inger was bursting with ric

had thought it all out, tramping down beside his loads of wood that winter; he would clear more ground over the hillside and level it of

with her, and was glad of it. But-suppose one day they were to come for the cow, and take it away-and worse, maybe, to come after? What was it Inger herself had said about the horse: "You haven't stolen it, I suppose, or found it?" T

eturn again. A pity-for 'twas a little fri

comfortingly. "Why, you

he spring coming on-and

day, he stopped as he neared the house, and stood listening. There was a curious noise inside.... A child c

ound his neck in front; there it was, hung up by a string at each end from the ceiling, a cradle and a bedplace for the child

g. "You're through with

hrough wit

'm

irst evening y

'm

up the cradle there, but it was too mu

t you tell

y to a minute when

a b

ife of me think what w

ge

rank and station in a packing-case; Isak felt himself curiously weak. The rugged man stood there with a miracle before him; a thing created firs

e your food,"

*

ut the house now, and does not come out as before to watch him at his work; Isak must find a pretext now and then to slip off home for a moment instead. Queer to have a little fellow like that about the place! Isak, of course, would neve

er. "With your hands all me

n on my hands since I built this house. Give me the

*

to that lonely place where none ever came; she was of Ing

she says, "and see how Goldenh

ittle pitying voice: "Ah, there's none asks how

e lad and all. And who'd have thought it a year gone, Inger, to find

But there's one sitting there th

Not wedded ye

," says Inger. "We'd have been wedded before, but couldn't come

Isak. "Why, y

st to come up for a few days in the off time once

e would

t's no loss

"And you're building again, I see. Now wha

in here: "Why, you must ask h

bit of a shed, maybe, if we should need it. What's that

sitor nods her head, looking at the beasts, and at the shed; all fine as could be, and cle

: "Goldenhorns was a

ough; at my son's. But 'tis all th

h, he had half thought of getting rid of his trouble in a sorry way; to kill off the cow that autumn, scrape the hide, bury the horns,

ue. There's not her like nor equal to be found. 'Twas a poor

t natural so,

em a couple of days, and had the little room to sleep in. And, when she set out for home, she had a bundle of wool that Inger

s was yielding well, the goats had dropped their kids and were yielding well; Inger had a row of red and white cheeses already, stor

, made a doorway in it, and a neat little window with four panes; laid on a roof of outer boards, and made do with that till the ground thawed and he co

shed with turf and it was finished. Then one morning he ate a meal to last for the day

cotton print, if you can,

want with tha

me to listen; even thought of taking the child on her arm and going after him. Then at last he came back, with a horse and cart. "Piro!" shouted Isak as he drew up; shouted so as to be heard. And

is it now? Oh, Isak, ha

n all this time? '

ts of ways round to find a road for this car

on't mean to say you'

a plough and a harrow he has brought; nails, provisions, a

nt to know? For here have I been longing and longing for a loom

a place to put all his goods and implements; it was hard to find room for them all. But when Inge

ows, and all the rest of it? And since you want to know, why,

her head and murmur: "Well,

t were, like a gentleman, for Goldenhorns. "Here you are," he

d it up against the wall. Oh, he could manage an estate! He took up the other things: the harrow, the grindstone, a new fork he had b

dare say, as long as I've my health. And there's you

ought. A bottomless well, rich in al

ne could have seen all

d! Isak sniffed contemptuously. Though perhaps he himself wo

ld was

the boy," said Isak. "

?-Everything, the whole sum, a mighty debt; but it should all be paid that summer, never fear. He had stacks of cordwood to pay with, and some building bark from last year's cut, not to speak of heavy ti

nuring, harrowing, working with pick and spade, breaking lumps of soil and crumbling them with hand and heel; a tiller of the ground alw

y rain, soon after the grey goose flight. Potatoes were a new thing, nothing mystic, nothing religious; women and children could plant them-earth-apples that

grains that are to take life and grow, shoot up into ears, and give more corn again; so it is throughout all the earth where corn is sown. Palestine, America, the valleys of Norway itself-a great wi