The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-04-08
A BRAVE ICELAND GIRL.
FINE DISPLAY OF FEMININE BAREBACK RID
ING-TIE PARTING KISS IN THE RIVER.

Mr.. S. f. Walker started for trip in Ice
land in June, 1872. He gives an account OF
''Six Weeks in the Saddle" in a little vol
ume from which we get an idea of the
customs of the people there. The Icelanders
are almost inconvieniently .hOspitable. 1t is
difficult to get Il farmer, who keeps you for
a day or two, to accept pay. Our author
seems to have done his best to requte his
host by making himself amusing. Here we
have an instance of native kindness and
feminine courage:
In the morning l made small study, and
after a very tolerable meal and many good
wishes, we rode off. All went we'll until we
came to the river Markafijot, which hap
pened to be very much flooded. Not liking
to attempt to swim, under the circumstances,
we rode on down the bank for some miles,
and fortunately found house.
Knocking at the door, we asked: is the
river very deepW Every" said voice from
the inside.
"Is there man who will show us ford ?"
we asked again.
NO." was the reply, both Jon and Olavr
are up in the mountains, but one of the girls
will do quite as well. Here, Thora, go and
show the Eng lishman the way"
Immediately an exceedingly handsome
young woman ran out. and nOdding kindly
to me, went around to the back of the house,
caught pony, put bride on it, and not
taking the trouble to fetch a saddle, vaulted
on his back, and sitting astride, drove her
heels into its sides and gallOped of down
the river bank as hard as she could 90,
shouting for us to follow.
We became naturally rather excited at
such display of dash on the part of such
pretty girl, and started off Immediately in
chase. But, though we did our utmost to
catch her, she increased her distance hand
over hand. There was no doubt about it:
she had as much courage as ever we could
boast of, and in point of hOrsemanshsp was
a hundred yards ahead of either of us.
For about half mile we ratified along,
when suddenly she pulled up short on a
sand bank.
d" You can cross here" she said, "but you
must be careful. Make straight for that
rock right over there, and when you have
reached it, you will be able to see the cairn
of stones we built to show the landing
place."
"All right" said. "Good by"
She looked puzzled for a moment, and
then said, .'Pll come through with You; it
will be safer"
"Good gracious, Barni, don't let her
come," said, ''she is sure to be drowned
and l can't get her out with all these wet
But before l was halfway through the
sentence, she had urged her horse into the
water, and in a moment was twenty yards
into the river OF course we followed as
quick as possible, and after great deal of
splashing, reached the middle Of the flood.
IS Now" she said, bringing her horse up
abreast with mine, and pointing with her
whip, ''there's the mark" The water was
level with the horses withers, and
it was only by lifting their heads very high
that they could keep their noses clear.
"Good-by," she said, "God Bless" and
before l was quite aware Of it, kissed me
Oh the cheek.
! was about to return the compliment, but
she was gone, and few minutes after we
saw her, "a mere speck in the distance, gal
opins over the plain.
Kissing in Iceland is custom similar to
shaking hands here. | had thought Of it
n ordinary situations, but kiss in the
midst of bonndless waters was, to say the
east of it, strange. 1t was certainly the
Nettest one ever had in my life.