n a voice which partook equally of the tones of remonstrance and
abuse, but Olaf made no reply, chiefly because, not understanding what
was said, he could not. Seeing this plainly indicated on his face, the
savage stopped speaking and gave him a box on the other ear, by way of
interpreting what he had said. It was not quite so violent as the
first, and only staggered Olaf, besides lighting up a few faint stars.
Very soon little Snorro became silent, from the combined effects of
exhaustive squeezes and horror.

Having thus promptly brought matters to what he seemed to consider a
satisfactory condition, the savage wiping his Roman nose, which had bled
a little, threw Snorro over his shoulder and, seizing Olaf by the collar
of his coat, so as to thrust him on in advance, left the cavern with
rapid strides.

Words cannot describe the condition of poor Olaf's mind, as he was thus
forced violently along through the forest, he knew not whither. Fearful
thoughts went flashing swiftly through his brain. That the savage would
take him and Snorro to his home, wherever that might be, and kill,
roast, and eat him, was one of the mildest of these thoughts. He
reflected that the hatred of the savage towards him must be very
intense, in consequence of his recent treatment of his nose, and that
the pain of that feature would infallibly keep his hatred for a long
time at the boiling-point; so that, in addition to the roasting and
eating referred to, he had every reason to expect in his own case the
addition of a little extra torture. Then he thought of the fact, that
little Snorro would never more behold his mother, and the torture of
mind resulting from this reflection is only comparable to the roasting
of the body; but the worst thought of all was, that the dreadful pass to
which he and Snorro had come, was the consequence of his own wilful
_disobedience_! The anguish of spirit that filled him, when he
reflected on this, was such that it caused him almost to forget the pain
caused by savage knuckles in his neck, and savage prospects in the
future.

Oh how he longed for a knife! With what fearful gloating did he
contemplate the exact spot in the savage groin into which he would have
plunged it until the haft should have disappeared! And this, not so
much from a feeling of revenge--though that was bad enough--as from an
intense desire to rescue Snorro ere it should be too late.

Several times he thought of a final dying effo