we to do with her when we have caught her?" asked the
Skull-Splitter, innocently.

"We will keep her imprisoned in the empty saeter hut,"
Wolf-in-the-Temple responded. "Now, are you ready? We'll leave the
horses here on the croft, until our return."

The question now was to elude Brumle-Knute's vigilance; for the Sons of
the Vikings had good reasons for fearing that he might interfere with
their enterprise. They therefore waited until Brumle-knute was invited
by the dairymaid to sit down to dinner. No sooner had the door closed
upon his stooping figure, than they stole out through a hole in the
fence, crept on all-fours among the tangled dwarf-birches and the big
gray boulders, and following close in the track of their leader, reached
the ford between the lakes. There they observed two enormous heaps of
stones known as the Parson and the Deacon; for it had been the custom
from immemorial times for every traveller to fling a big stone as a
"sacrifice" for good luck upon the Parson's heap and a small stone
upon the Deacon's. Behind these piles of stone the boys hid themselves,
keeping a watchful eye on the road and waiting for their chief's signal
to pounce upon unwary travellers. They lay for about fifteen minutes in
expectant silence, and were on the point of losing their patience.

"Look here, Wolf-in-the-Temple," cried Erling the Lop-Sided, "you
may think this is fun, but I don't. Let us take the raft there and go
fishing. The tarn is simply crowded with perch and bass."

"Hold your disrespectful tongue," whispered the chief, warningly, "or
I'll discipline you so you'll remember it till your dying day."

"Ho, ho!" laughed the rebel, jeeringly; "big words and fat pork don't
stick in the throat. Wait till I get you alone and we shall see who'll
be disciplined."

Erling had risen and was about to emerge from his hiding-place, when
suddenly hoof-beats were heard, and a horse was seen approaching,
carrying on its back a stalwart peasant lass, in whose lap a pretty
little girl of twelve or thirteen was sitting.

The former was clad in scarlet bodice, a black embroidered skirt, and
a snowy-white kerchief was tied about her head. Her blonde hair hung in
golden profusion down over her back and shoulders. The little girl
was city-clad, and had a sweet and appealing face. She was chattering
guilelessly with her companion, asking more questions than she could
possibly expect to have answered. Nearer and nearer they came t