d in about five
minutes was standing before me.

"A horse and cariole," said I; "let me have them quick!"

"Ja! Ja!"

"_Strax!_" [directly!] said I.

"Ja! Ja!"

"How long will it be?"

"Ach!"--here he yawned.

"An hour?"

"Ja! Ja!"

"Two hours?"

"Ja! Ja!"

"Three hours?"

"Ja! Ja!"

"Sacramento! I can't stand that, I must have one
STRAX--directly--forstoede?"

"Ja! Ja!" and the fellow rubbed his eyes and yawned again.

"Look here! my friend," said I, "if you'll get me a horse and cariole
in half an hour, I'll give you two marks extra--forstoe?"

"Ja! Ja! twa mark" (still yawning).

"Half an hour, mind you!"

"_Tre time_--three hours!" grunted the incorrigible dunderhead.

"Then good-by--I must travel on foot!" and, with rage and indignation
depicted in every feature, I flung my knapsack over my shoulder and
made a feint to start.

"Adieu! farvel!" said the sleepy lout, good-naturedly holding out his
hand to give me a parting shake. "Farvel, min Herr! May your journey
be pleasant! God take care of you!"

The perfect sincerity of the fellow completely dissipated my rage,
and, giving him a friendly shake, I proceeded on my way. As I turned
the corner of the main building and struck into the road, I cast a
look back. He was still standing by the cart, yawning and rubbing his
eyes as before. That man would make money in California--if money
could be made by a bet on laziness. He is lazier than the old Dutch
skipper who was too lazy to go below, and gave orders to the man at
the helm to follow the sun so as to keep him in the shade of the
main-sail, by reason of which he sailed round the horizon till his
tobacco gave out, and he had to return home for a fresh supply. I call
that a strong case of laziness, but scarcely stronger than the
traveler meets with every day in Norway.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

OUT OF MONEY.

I now began to enjoy the real pleasures of Norwegian travel. No longer
compelled to endure the vexatious delays to which I had lately been
subject, I bowled along the road, with my knapsack on my back, at the
rate of four miles an hour, whistling merrily from sheer exuberance of
health and lack of thought. The weather was charming. A bright sun
shed its warm rays over hill and dale; the air was fresh and
invigorating; the richest tints adorned the whole face of the country,
which from Soknaes to Trondhjem gradually increases in fertility and
breadth of outline, till it becomes