Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-14
4 PERILOUS wOOING.

grown up there was no longer any peace
or quiet at dusaby. In fact, ali the hand
soonest Sou0g fellows in the village did
nothing bat fight and quarrel, night after
night, and il was always worse on Satur.
5ay nights. Aslang's father, old Canute
Husaby. never went to bed on those
Ll.his without Ike ping Oh at least his
leather breeches and laying l good stout
buch stick on the bed beside him. If |
have such pretty daughter" said old
Cahuie. Il must kno 10 q to take cafe
Of her"
Tor Nesset was only the son # poor
COZ; ager, and Yet folks said that it was he
who went cftenest TO visit the farmers
daughter at Husaby. OF Course, old Can
nte was not pleased to hear this. He said
1t was nc true; that, al any rate, he had
never seen him there. Still they smiled
and whispered at each other that if he
only had thoroughly searched the hay lott,
wLltAeI Aslang had many an errand, he
would have found Thot there.
Spring came. and lang went up the
mountain with the cattle. And now,
when the heat OF the day hung over the
valley, tie rocks rise cool and clear
through the suns misty rays, the cow
bells tir cklek, the shepherds dog barked.
Aslang sang her ''jodei" song and blew
the cow-horn, all the you"g men felt their
hearts grow sore and heavy, as they gazed
upon her beauty. And ON the first Satur-
day evening one after another they crep UP
The hill. But they came down again
QUE ker than ttey had gone up, for at the
top stood "a man who kept guard, receiv-
ing each one who came up with such a
warm reception that he all his life long
remembered the words that accompanied
tbe action, Come up mere again and there
will ba stlil mure i'll store for you!
All young fellows could arrive at but one
conclusion, that there was only one man 10
the whole parish who had such fists, and
that man was Thor Nessett. All the rich
farmers daughters thOugh t it was too bad
that the cottager S son should stand high
est in Aslang Husaby' s favor.
Old Canute thought the same when he
heard about it all, and said that is there
was no one else who could check him he
would do it himself Now, Canute was
certainly getting on in years; still, al
'hough he was past sixty. he orten enjoy
I'd a good wrestling match with his eldest
son whenever time indoors fell heavily On
Al> hands.
AhSIC was Jul oAC pdtl up w ObS
tain belonging to Husa6y, and it went
ntraig ht through the farm garden. Next
Saturday evening, as Thor was on his Way
TO the mountain, creeping carefully across
he yard, huTrying as soon as he VIZ well
past the farm buildings, man suddenly
rushed at him.
"What dc you want with me?" asked
Thor, and hit him such blow In the face
:, r., 1ono,1 l.afc hi
You will soon learn that" said some
ono else behind him, and gave him great
tlyw in the back of his neck. That was
Aaiang's brother.
And here's the hired man." said old
Carute, and attacked him also
The greater the danger the greatea was
THOR strength He was supple as d will
SOW, duo hit ou5 right manfuIly; he dived
ana he ducked; whenever blow fell it
missed him, and when meme expected it
he would deal good one. He stopped
down, u6 Sprdng Oh one side, but for that
he got terrible thrashing Old Canute
said afterward that ''he had never fought
with a Jraver fellow" Tney kept if up
ill blood began to flow, then Canute cried
out, "Stop!" Then he added in d cr0ak-
ing tome. "If you can get up here next
~ Ilhi Ody LII EAC VI NtllAIttC lIoolDy anu
ms men, the girl shall be yOurs!'
Thor dragged himself home as best he
could, anu when be reached the cottage
w8nr Straight to bed. There was great
deal of talk about the fight upon Husaby
bill. but every one said "Why did he 20
there?' Only one person did not say so,
ana that was Aslang. she had been ex-
pecting Thor that saturday evening, but
when she heard what had happened
between him and her father, she sat
down and cried bitterly, and said to her
self, ''If | may not have Thor | shall
never have happy day again in this
world
Thor stayed IN his bed all Sunday, and
when Monday came he felt he must stay
on where he YVES Tuesday came and it
was lovely day. It bad ralned in the
night; the hills looked So fresh and green,
the window was open, sweet doors wert
waited in, the cow-belIs were tinklins on
the mountain, and far up above some one
was ''jodl1ng." Truly, II it had not been
for his mother, who was sitting In the
room, he could have cried. Wednesday
came, and still be stayed in bed; on
Thursday, though, he began to think about
the possibility of being well again by Sat
urday, and Friday found him on his legs
again Then he thought of what Aslang's
father had said, IF you can get up here
next Saturday without being stopped by
Canute and his men the girl shall be
yours Over and oven again he looked
up at Husaby farm. Il shall never see
another Christmas" thought Thor.
AS before mentioned, there was but one
path up to Husaby hill; but surely any
strong, able fellow must be able to get it,
even though the direct way were barred to
him. For instance, is he were to row
round the point yonder and fasten his
ooat at the one side, it might be possible
TO climb up there. although it was so very
steep that the goats had great difficulty in
climbing it, and they are not usually afraid
of mountain work.
Saturday came, and Thor went out early
in the morning. The day was most beau
tiful; the sun shone so brightly that the
very bushes seemed alive. Up on the noun
tain many voices were ''jodling" and there
was much blowing of horns. When even
ing came he was sitting at his cottage
door watching the steaming mist rise up
on the hills. He looked upward-a all was
quiet; he looked over toward Husaby farm
and then he jumped into his boa and
rowed away around the point.
Aslang sat before the hut; her days
work was done; she was thinking Thor
would not come that evening, and that