A Perilous Wooing

Southland Times, Issue 11898, 20 November 1891, Page 4

A Perilous Wooing

By Bjobnstjkbnk Bjornson. From the time that Aalang was quite grown up there was no longer any peace or^aiet at Husaby. In fact, all the handsomest yooag fellows in the Tillage did nothing bat fight and quarrel night after night ; and it was always worst on Saturday nights. Aslang'a father, old Canute Hasaby, never went to bed on those nights without keeping on at least hie leather breecheß, and laying a good stout birch stick on the bed beside him. 'If I have snch a pretty daughter,' said old Canute, ' I must know how to take care of her.' Tbor Neseet was only tbe son of a;poor cottager, and yet folks said that it waf be whp weot oftenest to visit the farmer*! daughter at Hasaby. Of course old Canute wad not pleased to bear this. He ■aid it was not true ; that, at any rate, be had never seen him there. Still they smiled, and whispered to each other that if be only tad thoroughly searched the hay-loft, whither Aslang bad many an errand, he would have found Tbor there. Spring came, and Aslang went up the mountain with the cattle. And now, when the heat of the day bung over the valley, the rocks rose 000l and clear through the sun's misty rays, the cow. bells tinkled, the shepherd's dog barked, Aslang sang her 'jodel* songs, and blew the cow-born, all the young men felt their hearts grow sore and heavy as they gaz ad upon her beauty. And on the first Saturday evening one after the other they crept up the bill. But they came down again quicker than they had gone up, for at the top stood a man, who kept gua J, recei 7tng erch one wbo came np with such a wa*m reception that he all bia 'life long remembered the words that accompanied the action : ' Come up here •gain, and there will be still more in store for yon I 1 All the young fellows could arrive at hot one conclusion, that there was only man in the whole parish wbo had ■nob fists, and that man was Tbor Nesset. And all the rich farmers' daughters thougbt it was too bad that this cottager's •oo should stand highest in Aslang Hcsaby'f favour. Old Canute tiOJgbt the lime when be heard all about it, and said tbat if there was no one else wbo wonld check him he would doit himself. Now Oannte was certainly getting on in years ; still, although be was past sixty, he often enjoyed a good wrestling match with his eldes. son whenever time indoors fell heavy on b : s hand p. There was bat one path up to the mountain belonging to Hasaby, and it went straight through the farm garden. Next Saturday eveniog, as Thor was on his way to the mountain, creeping carefully across the yard, hurrying as soon as he was well past the farm buildings— a man suddenly rushed at him. * What do you want with roe ?' asked Thor, and bit him such a blow in the face tbat sparks danced before bis eyes. ' You will soon learn that,' eaid someone else behind him, and gave him a great blow io the back if his neck. That was Aelang's brother. ' And here's (he third man, 1 said Old Canute, and be attacked him also. The greater the danger the greater was Thor's ■treogtb. He was aa supple as a willow, and bit out right manfully ; be dived and he ducked ;Jwhenever a blow fell it missed him ; and when none expected it be would deal a good one. He stooped down, be •prang on one side, bat for all that he got * tenible ttrasbig. Old Gtonte said afterwards tbat ' li« bad never fought with a braver fellow.' They kept it up till blood began to flow, then Canute cried out : ' Stop 1' Then be added in a croaking tone : * If you can get np bere next Saturday, in spite of Canute Hueaby an J his men, the girl shall be youra !' Thor dragged himself home as best he could, and when be reached the cottage went straight to bed. There was a great deal of talk about the fight op on Husaby Hill, but everyone said, • Why did he go there?' Only one person did not say so, and tbat was Aslang. She bad been expecting Tbor that Saturday evening, but when she beard what bad happened between him and her father, ehe eat down and cried bitterly, and said to herself, 'If I may not have Tbor, I shall never have a hsppy day again in this world.' Thor stayed in his bed all Sunday, and when Monday came he felt he must stay on where he wac. Taesday cam^aod it was a very lovely day. It bad rained in the nigh*; the bills looked -•o fresh acd green, the window was open, sweet odours *ere wafted in.the cow-belli were tinkling on the mountain, and far up •bove someone was 'jodliDg.' . . Truly if it had not been for bis mother who was sitting in the room, be could have cried. Wednesday came, and still he stayed in bed ; on Thursday, tbongb, be began to tLiok about the possibility of being well again by Saturday, and Friday found him on his legs again. Then he thought of What Aslang's father h&* eaid : 'If you can get op to her next Sitorday without being •topped by Canute and his men, the girl •hail be yours.' Over and over again be looked up at Husaby farm : ' I shall never ■ee another Christmas, 1 thought Thor. As "before mentioned, there was but one path np to Hasaby Hill ; but surely any strong, able fellow mast be able to get to it, even though the direct way were barred to bim. For instance, if be were to row round the point yonder and fasten bis boat at tbe one aide, it might he possible to climb np (here, Although it was so very steep tbat the goats had great difficulty in climbing it, and they •re not usually afraid of mountain work. Satnrduy came, and Thor went out early in the morning. The day was most beaotiful; the son shone so brightly that tbe very boshes seemed alive. Upon the mountain many voices were ' jodling,' and there was much blowing of horns. When eveniog came he was sitting at his cottage door watching tbe steaming mist rise up on the bills. He looked upwards — all was quiet; he looked over towards Hasaby farm—and then he jumped into his boat and rowed •way round tbe point. Aslang sat before the bHt ; her day'a work was done ; she wes thinking Thor would not come that evoßing, and tbat therefore many others might corns instead, •o she aofastened the dog.and without say. ing anything, walked further on. She sat downso tbat she could see across tbe valley, bat the mist was rising there and prevented her looking down. Then she cho«e another pUof*, and without thinking more about it, sat down so tbat ehe looked towards tho aide where lay tbe fiord; it seemed to bring peace to ber soul when tli> coul.i geze far •way across the water. As sbo sat there the fancy struck her that she was ioc ioed to •ing, so aha chore a aoog with 'long-drawn ' notes,' and far and wide it sounded through the mountains. She likf d to hear herself sin?, soßhe b°gan over again wh?n tbe Grst 1 Verse was end<d. But whr>n sVie bad pung tbe second, it seemed to h<r ni thnngb * •otneooe ais^ered from far dn<\n bslow. 'D-*ar nap, what c«o that he ?' tboight - A»l»rg. Sbo etepp. d forward to ihe et?t»e, j and twined her arm a round a <!ondor birch f which bang tiemb ing over tbe precipice, and looked down. Bat she could see no j c

f thing; the fiord lay there calm and at rest; I not a single bird skimmed the water. So Aelang eat herßelf down again, and again ehe began to sing. Once more csme the answering voice in tbe same tones and nearer than the first time. 'That sound was no ecbo, whatever it may be.' Aslang jumped to her feet and again leaned over the cliff. And there down below, at the foot of the rocky wall, ehe saw a boat fastened. It looked like a tiny natsbel),f or it was very far down. She looked again and ssw a far cap, and under it tbe figure of a man, climbing op tbe steep and barren cliff. 'Who can it be ?' Aslang asked herself ; and letting go the birch, she stepped back. She dared not answer her own question, bat well she knew who it was. She flung herself down on the greensward, seized tbe grass with both hands as though it were she who dared not loose her hold for fear of falling. Bat tbe grass came op by tbe roots; she screamed alond, and dug her hand 8 deeper and deeper into the soil. She prayed to God to help him ; bat then it struck her that this feat of Tbor's would be called 'tempting Providence,' and therefore she could not expect help from above. 'Only just thitj once !' she prayed. ' Hear xny prayer just tbia one time, and help bim!' Then she threw her arms round the dog, as thongh it were Thor whom she was clasping, and rolled herself on tbe grass beside it. Tbe time seemed to her quite endless. Suddenly the dog began to bark. ' Bow, wow !' eaid be to Ae'aog, and jumped upon her. And again, ' B >w, wow !' then over the edge of the cliff a coarse, round cap came to view, and — L'hor was in ber armel He lay there a whole minute, and neither of them was caprble of ottering a syllable. And when they did begin to talk there was neither sense nor reason in anything they said. But when old Canute Hasaby heard of it he ottered a remark which had both sense and reason. Bringing bis fiat down on tbe table with a tremendous crash, 'The lad deserves her,' he cried ; ' the girl shall be his !'