felt that he would gladly give
his life for a good blow at the monster who had so unmercifully taken
his dearest from him, and still wanted more victims.

Between three and four in the morning Elias saw, advancing through the
dark, another foam-crest, so high that at first he thought they must be
near breakers, close to land. But he soon saw that it really was an
enormous wave. Then he fancied he distinctly heard laughter over in the
other boat, and the words, "Now your boat will capsize, Elias!" Elias,
who foresaw the disaster, said aloud: "In Jesus' name!" and told his
sons to hold on, with all their might, to the willow bands on the
rowlocks when the boat went under, and not to leave go until she rose
again. He made the elder boy go forward to Bernt; he himself held the
younger close to him, quietly stroking his cheek, and assured himself
that he had a good hold. The boat was literally buried under the
foam-drift, then gradually lifted at the bow, and went under. When she
rose again, keel uppermost, Elias, Bernt, and the twelve-year-old Martin
still held on to the willow bands. But the third brother was gone.

The first thing to be done now was to cut the shrouds on one side, so
that the mast could float beside them, instead of greatly adding to the
unsteadiness of the boat underneath; and the next to get up on to the
rolling keel and knock the plug in, which would let out the air
underneath, so that the boat could lie still. After great exertion they
succeeded in this, and then Elias, who was the first to get on to the
keel, helped the others up too.

And there they sat through the long winter night, clinging convulsively
with hands and knees to the keel over which the waves washed again and
again.

After two or three hours had passed, Martin whom his father had
supported as well as he could the whole time, died of exhaustion, and
slipped down into the sea. They had already tried calling out for help
several times, but gave it up, because they saw it was of no use.

While Elias and Bernt sat alone upon the overturned boat, Elias said to
his son that he was quite sure he himself would go to "be with mother,"
but he had strong hopes that Bernt might yet be saved, if he only held
out like a man. Then he told him of the goblin he had wounded in the
back with the halibut pike, and how it had revenged itself upon him, and
would not give up "until they were quits."

It was about nine in the morning, when the dawn beg