descent upon it, and boldly beat up the premises. But now, the building
was so silent, and deserted, and frowning, their hearts failed them, and
they crept cautiously along up the southern shore till they were concealed
by a bend in the river; then striking across, they floated down, by
accident as it were, close under the northern bank. When they arrived
under the hill, on the top of which the object of their curiosity was
placed, they looked anxiously up at it; but every thing was as silent as
the grave. Seeing it thus unguarded, they took courage, ran the skiff
ashore, and prepared to land. But when on the point of stepping on the
beach, the door of the house opened, the man himself walked out therefrom
and advanced to the brow of the eminence. There he stood; black all over,
except his face, which at that instant appeared to wear a peculiarly
terrible and ferocious aspect. The children were frightened, and hastily
shoved off their little cockle-boat. But the man came down to the edge of
the water, and called them by name to return. _She_ thought how far off
home was, and no one near to afford assistance in case of need; and when
she thought, she would have been glad to have retreated as fast as
possible; but her brother was commander of the expedition, and without
more words he pushed back to land.

They went ashore, neither of them altogether devoid of fear and trembling,
and sat down on the grassy bank, by the side of their venerable friend. He
soon talked away their timidity; and seemed so mild and affectionate, that
in a few minutes they were chatting and laughing as merrily as ever
children could. He showed them his garden, his trees, and flowers, and
fruits. He gave them a little basket, which they filled with strawberries,
some of which he squeezed between his fingers and rubbed on her cheeks, to
see he said, if they could be made any redder. In fine, he amused them so
much with his stories, and was so pleasant and kind, that they fell more
than ever in love with him; and after promising a dozen times to come and
see him every week while it was summer, they returned gaily home.

But the old man died at last. The children went up one sunshiny morning to
pay him a visit, and found the house all still, and the door locked. They
knocked and knocked, but no one answered. They peeped in at the window and
saw him stretched at length on the bed, fully dressed, with a handkerchief
over his face, and his gray hair lyi