The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-03-16
HOW AKING WAS SAVED BY
A WOMAN'S WIT.

n WOMAN'S WIT.
There is beautiful province in CEN
trail Sweden, lying north of the great
lakes, called Dalecarlia. or in the
Swedish tongue Dalarne. 1t abounds
with streams and lakes, and many Of
the hills are covered with woods,
There are also large tracts Of swamp
lands that have a very thick forest
growth. Among the hills are rich
copper mines, some OF which have
been worked for more than six hundred
years.
The people Of this romantic and syl-
van country are among the hardest
and most independent peasantry IN
Europe. They are fond Of equality, and
have never in the history of Sweden
bowed to tyranny. Their hospitality
is unbounded.
Darkness was just falling upon the
valleys lying around the Stora Kop-
parburg(big copper hills)one Novem-
Der night more than three hundred and
fifty years ago, when stout, muscular
man, bender, or farmer, who had
been clearing wood in the forest, should
cred his ak and taking his sheepskin
coat upon his arm, prepared to 60 down
to his home in the valley. He had
scarcely gone a dozen steps when a
voice hailed him.
"Hola, there! Canst thou tell me if
| am on the right road to Falun.'
The stranger was young man, tall
and active, dressed in the same style
of clothes as the bender wore-that is
to say: heavy wooden shoes, gartered
hose, leathern jacket, and a skin cap
over dark, shining hair. But there
was something in his air and in the
tone of his voice that indicated acquaint-
ance with the great world, and it was
this that struck the bonder's unfavor-
ably.
eff thou followest Inc thou will be
on the way to Falun,'' the latter an
swered rather ungraciously.
"Take the thanks Of poor wayfarer
for the courtesy" said the stranger, as
he advanced and walked beside the
bonder. 81 feared l had lost my way.
How tar may it be to my journeys
end?"
The bender looked keenly at his
companion. There was something in
the flashing dark eyes and lofty brow
of the stranger that impressed him
against his will.
"Falun lies a good dozen miles from
here, and there's the river to be cross
ed. 1t will be dark and stormy be-
fore midnight. Wilt thou not tarry
with me?''
"Nay; l am on urgent business,
and friends, whom l must not disap-
point, are awaiting me there"
Then pausing moment, his keen
eyes looking the bodder through and
through, he asked: "Friend, what
dost thou think of this Danish tyran-
ny?"
"Swedish or Danish, it matters lit
tie to me-" answered the other, guard
lily.
But thou hadst rather be free
man than slave, hadst thou not :"
"Olof Larson is a slave to no man.
returned the bender, Strengthening
himself proudly. eve men Of Darle-
carlia serve no tyrants."
"Yct Christian of Denmark would
enslave them," said the stranger cal
ready he hath seized the crown and
the treasury, and to-day | have been
told that not a week back he had six
hundred of the greatest mobiles of the
land executed, so that none might
stand in the way of his tyranny. Shall
we endure such wrongs as these !!
Must our ancient Sweden submit to
the tyranny of such Nero?'
"Who will lead us should there be
an uprising?" asked the bender. Nay,
1 knew of one, but he is an exile, and
may not be dead Were he alive
II come from him. said the other,
quickly. ale has not forgotten his
conntry's wrongs. For months he
has been among your Dalecarian
mountains, with a price set upon his
! head, working in your mines and herd
ing with your bonders. But now the
time has come to strike"
But how shall | know that thou
art true man, AMI not an emissary
of the Danes? p asked the mad, suspi-
c:olsly.
Il think thou wilt kno me present
ly," replied the other, calmly "Give me
thy good ak, friend. All, it is Of extra
weight and finely tempered, too, |
ween Did'st thou ever know Of an
other man who could strike 4 blow
like this p
Where they stood, knotty log of
hickory lay near them on the ground,
log well seasoned and somewhat
more than two feet thick. AS he
spoke stranger raised the AK, and the