accordingly as he turned the
oar to the right or left; and now they coasted the whole land of Finmark
at such a rate that the huge mountain islands shot by them like little
rocks. Behind him he saw the Draug in his half-boat, and he was going so
swiftly that the foam stood mid-mast high. Shortly afterwards he was
again lying on the skerry, and the lass smiled so blithely; she bent
over him and said, "It is I, Eilert."

With that he awoke, and saw that the sunbeams were running over the wet
skerry, and the Mermaid was still sitting by his side. But presently the
whole thing changed before his eyes. It was the sun shining through the
window-panes, on a bed in the Finn's hut, and by his side sat the Finn
girl supporting his back, for they thought he was about to die. He had
lain there delirious for six weeks, ever since the Finn had rescued him
after capsizing, and this was his first moment of consciousness.

After that it seemed to him that he had never heard anything so absurd
and presumptuous as the twaddle that would fix a stigma of shame or
contempt on Finn blood, and the same spring he and the Finn girl Zilla
were betrothed, and in the autumn they were married.

There were Finns in the bridal procession, and perhaps many said a
little more about that than they need have done; but every one at the
wedding agreed that the fiddler, who was also a Finn, was the best
fiddler in the whole parish, and the bride the prettiest girl.

* * * * *

_THE HOMESTEAD WESTWARD IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS_

[Illustration: HOMESTEAD WESTWARD IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.]

THE HOMESTEAD WESTWARD IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

There was once a farmer's son who was off to Moen for the annual
manoeuvres. He was to be the drummer, and his way lay right across the
mountains. There he could practise his drumming at his ease, and beat
his tattoos again and again without making folks laugh, or having a
parcel of small boys dangling about him like so many midges.

Every time he passed a mountain homestead he beat his rat-tat-tat to
bring the girls out, and they stood and hung about and gaped after him
at all the farmhouses.

It was in the midst of the hottest summer weather. He had been
practising his drumming from early in the morning, till he had grown
quite sick and tired of it. And now he was toiling up a steep cliff, and
had slung his drum over his shoulder, and stuck his drumsticks in his
bandoleer.

The s