The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-12-06

luougH Ne udu DdsSeu Ile luTe6-sc0I6, ne
still liked to try wrestling match with
his oldest son when sometimes the COM
pany seemed to him to become sleepy.
Up to the Husaby grazing grounds
there led only one pathway and it
started just in front of Husaby farm.
Next Saturday evening when Tore in
tended to take this way and already
felt little more quick-footed because
he had cleared the stables, one rushed |
upon him and grasped him by the
throat. What do you want?" said
Tore and threw the other to the ground |
so it rang through his body. ''That l
shall tell you," said another, and gave
him a blow from behind; it was the
brother. "And here is a third" said
old Junt and clasped him around the
waist.
Tore grew stronger with the danger;
where he hit it was felt And he was
timber like a willow-wand; he bowed
and bent; where blows fell. he was not;
where blows were not expected, he hit.
But at last he tumbled, over-matched,
and sound threshing he got, though
afterward old Junt often said that he
had never had a finer lad to deal with.
| The three kept on till the blood came,
then Husaby said stop, and added
shrewdly: "Now, if next Saturday
night you can cheat the old Husaby
/ bear and these cubs of his, you may
have the lass"
Tore dragged himself along as best he
could; when he reached home he lay
down. Much was spoken in the parish
of that fight on Husaby farm, but
every one said: What would he
| there%' There was one, though, who did
not say so, and that was Aslang. She
had waited for him that Saturday night,
and when she heard of the meeting be-
tween him and her father she sat down
and cried, and said to herself: " Ii l
cannot get Tore / shall not see another
glad day in this world"
Tore was laid up for the whole Sun
day, and on Monday he felt that he
must still keep thebed. Tuesday came,
and what a fine day it was! 1t had
rained during the night, and the cliff
was green afresh. The window was
open and the smell of the foliage drifted
in. Upon the cliff the cow-bells tinkled
and somebody was singing. Had it not
been for his mother who sat in the room,
he would have cried.
On Wednesday he was still in bed, but
on Thursday he wondered whether he
could not be all right till Saturday, and
on Friday he was up. He remembered
now the words which Junt had said
eff next Saturday night you can cheat
the old Husaby bear and these cubs OF
his, you may have the lass" He looked
away to Husaby farm, time after time
~ don't think there will be any more
beating" he said.
There led, as above mentioned, only
one pathway up to the Husaby grainin&
grounds; but one who dared, might ge
up there, though he did not go tht
beaten way. By rowing round small
land-slip, and mooring at the foot of tn
,, cliff, one might get up, though the wal
, was so steep that it had seldom beel
trodden by the goat who else is not yer,
8 particular about her way.
Saturday came and Tore was outdoor
! the whole day. Never was such day
! The sun played, and the woods danced
! and every now and then some one san
and called upon the cliff He sat i
:, front of the door when dusk came an
y dewy mist crept upward along the hill
I He looked toward the cliff; all was quie
:, there. He looked toward Husaby farm
= and then he jumped into the boat an
Il roWed around the slip.
:, IL Upon the cliff, before the hut, S.
d Aslang, her days work done. ST
- thought that since Tore could not. com
- ~ all the more would other people com
70 and she let loose the dog and strolle
&c e away. She sat where she could loc
! down into the valley, but there stoo
~ the mist, and somehow she did not lii
y either to look down there just no7
y Then she moved away, and without al
-, more thought she came and sat on ii
~ ~ opposite side Of the cliff, where 81
W W could look down over the Fjord. The
&c ae came peace to her from the long view
. the water.
~ ~ While she was sitting there S
W " thought she would like to sing, and S
nS iS chose song with long notes and bl
~ ~ den, which foated far away into t
a.. "o calm evening. She found that she lik
III III to hear herself slug, and when she cal
~ ail to the end of her first verse she beg
ne the second with louder voice. But VIII
= u she had sung that verse it seemed to b
~ "a as if somebody was answering from
~ ~ below. "Dear me, what can that be
aJ ta1 she thought, stepped out on the utt
~ most ledge, and threw her arms arou
~ L0 tall birch-tree which stood there a
VII ,r trembled over the abyss. She look
s7 is downward, but she saw nothing. 7
m m Fjord lay quietly. asleep; not bird v
III, stirring. She sat down again and to
i,n tan up her song. But this time somebo
S SL answered with the same tune and mu
lad nearer. Aslang sprang up and lean
~ once more over the ledge. Then she S
boat moored at the foot of the cl
,o1- but so far below that it looked lk
'Gn o;n nutshell. She drew the eyes upw;
e. La and caught sight of red cap climb
he ne the naked wall. "Who can that be
.;ri nJ she asked, and made long leap ba
90 ward. She dared not answer. for
''' knew full we'll who it was. She th1
rod herself down on the green sward &
go +o took hold of the grass with both
~ W hands, as if it were she who must
n sen miss the grasp. The roots ioosened;
tbn thn shrieked, thrust her hands deeper i
eru onv the sod, and prayed to God Almight,
.4tly help him. Then she felt that this
\ hot a. truly to try God, and could not be
not not pected TO be. granted. "But only
iio' one time," she burst out, "Help h
oh only this one timep' She clas
the dog as if it were Tore she wo
hold fast, rolled with it over the or
,wn sward, and thought that these mini
rm would never come to an end.
led But suddenly the dog sprang
II stared toward the ledge, wagged
hen tail, and barked; turned back to
his lang, jumped with his forepaws into
b at lap and barked; twisted round as
be and barked with frantic restlessr
, of while red cap rose above the ledge,
Tore leaped to her bosom.
SON There he lay for whole min
said Neither of them spoke, and when
,er's begun to talk there was not much
,lse in what they said.
said But old Junt, when he heard abou
seen said aword which was not unwitty.
ono threw his fist down on the table,
,ked thundered through the room: " t
sat- is might in that boy, and the girl S
Who be his"