Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-26

the same black line upon the horizon:
The pedestrian is moving but slowly.
and has very Iittls moro running left in
him. The snow retsrds every step and
clogs in Jumps upon the heels OF his
boots. There il no track to 60 by. but
ma keeps as strnighs as he can for the
tai fincer-poss. TO reach the black line
before those flying feet in the rear have
closed with him is, he knows, impossi-
bic, and yet he staggers forward. He
cannot help himself. The instinct OF
salf-preseryation would make him strug-
Gle on. even though safety were a hum
drel miles distant instead OF scarce five.
And on he will drag his tired body till
he drops, or till the wolves pull him
down.
Then comes-think Of 1.-THE sound
OF sledge-bells in his ears, the only
earthly melody he knows that, in his
present sore strait. can mean succor and
salvation. He heeds it not at first
The Norwegians are g superstltlous
folk, and our poor wretch thinks
that the night demons are abroad, dane
ing in the drifting snow wreaths, laughing
Mt his agony and turning the distant
howlings into tho sonnd of bells
Sledge-bells do not always make music.
There is nothing 10 suggest pleasure and
plumes and nodding Of proud equine
heads in the harsh jangle that now PUSHES
down upon the traveller. Svantsen's
horses have long since caught the dis
tant chorus and their ears are beginning
to lie back and their necks to stretch out.
Jangls, janele, jangle, thud, thud. thud,
20 hoofs and bells. A hot steam streams
away from the animals aud the bright
red ray of little lamp in front OF the
sledge casts glow upon their sweating
fianks. The driver is standing up now
and unvinds the lash Of his long whip.
His hat is of and he looks with frown
behind him. To MS horses and man and
vehicle seem but the incarnation OF flying
terror; to him on foot a chariot sent
straight from God.
And thus they meet, these men, than
whom all Norway could not show two
enemies more bitter. They ere jewellers
in the little village OF Joksdal, in Fin
mark, the most northern division OF
Tromso, or Northern Norway. There
|
there had Svantsen-rich, proud, and the
autocrat of his birthplace - cruelty
wronged Eric Skien, young herdsman
and poor one.
An old, stale story it was, of two men
loving the same woman. Young Eric
had been everything to her until the
other came creeping into her heart, GUST
ing the old love and replacing it with
one ten times as powerful. She dared
not to tell her betrothed, and upon the
very eve Of their marriage Svantsen had
stolen the girl away with her own con-
sent, married her in distant hamlet,
and then, returning, braved the black
storm of rage that swept over him. All
believed this step to be one Of most law
less abduction upon the mans part. and
he, only thinking for his wife and her
reputation, was content that in such a
belief Joksdal should remain. Eric
Skien, however, was wiser. He had long
noted the change in his sweetheart, and
the blow did not fail so heavily upon
him therefore as his friends supposed.
BE was a good easy going,
loutish fellow, not overquick OF COM
prehension, but a popular man among
bis comrades and one with kind soul in
him. That he would nurse his revenge
until it grew into something strong and
terrible and could walk alone was
the general opinion in Joksdal.
But Skien breathed no word of
his future intentions to anybody,
and went on living and work
ing tamely enough, though with nost of
the laughter and rough frolic blotted out
OF his life. 1t is improbable that he
would ever have seriously set about re-
taliation or gone far ont of bis way to get
it. Dwellers in northern lands, all things
being equal, are not so fruitful of yio-
lenco and the knife as hot-blooded men
of the South Nor have they quite such
keenness and capability for either suf-
fering or Joy. Their sensibilities are
somewhat more blunt and there is more
prose and less poetry in their lives, less
sunshine and more hard work. speak,
of course. of the lowest social classes !;
Skien was shepherd Svantsen the
keeper of q small in.
And nova year after the catastro-
phe-they meet, the one flashed and
hot, and nearly spent with his hard run
ming, the other cold and white. and
with all his wits about him. Skien,.
thinking to see friend, looks up at the
man in the sledge. AS he does so anxiety
changes into incredulous and savage Joy ;
the howl of wolves falls UNDECIDED upon
his ear he clutches hard as something
hidden in his belt, and shows his teeth.
The other, with IN iron hand upon the
reins, checks for an instant his flying
sledge, and keeps pace with his old
enemy. One of the struggling horses,
arrested in his fight for life, neighs, and
plunpes to be free. The bells clash and
jangle; for moment the hungry throats
behind aresrlent over all the moon
shines bright and cold, bringing out
every detail OF the scene as clearly as
daylight could.
Rollo Svantsen speaks first.
"Ah, friend Skien, thou wilt have to
60 at greater pace than thy present jog
il Joksdal is TO see thee again. Graa-
BEEN travels world faster and is now
nearer to thee than thou art TO home.
Wilt deign to accept seat? II so. it is
| AT buJ heKNlCSs
cat last We meet then," gasped the
other. al had rather see thee than the
truest friend and strongest horse in Nor
way. At last thou art IN my innd, Rollo
Svantsen. Nay, stay thy horses or | will
do it for thee"
"Fool Thou do it Could thou
stop me a year ago? Then think not to
hold back those mad brutes here by any
act OF thine"
For answer Skien levelled pistol at
the head of the horse nearest him. The
barrel flashed into the moonlight like 3
knife, and Svantsen. choking in his
throat the cry OF horror that rose into
it, pulled at the reins and nearly over
turned the vehicle he drove.
"This is no time for jesting, man !"
he cried. "Leap by me, and do it
quickly. or we shall both be lost"
"And why not2 Thou has left me
nothing to live for. Everything that was
| o,ood M u,a IN tha World has haan 70 kar,