the watery stretch that had taken the place of the
meadow.

Nils, with his strong arms, got on rapidly, and his boat was soon far in
advance of the other. He neared the bank, plunged in and drew the
uncertain little craft to the shore, and then as a sledge up the long
slope.

Nils had before decided that he would deposit his passengers in a
sheepfold high on the bank, where he had seen in the morning a window
left open under the projecting roof to give the poor creatures a little
air. He knew that in the corner by the window there was a great bin that
had been freshly filled with dried birch branches as food for the sheep.
He left the children looking down at the pretty lambs and their mothers,
and ran back himself to see what he could do for the rest of the party.

The little mistress was only half-way over, and evidently managing with
difficulty her awkward oars in the thick, snow-encumbered water through
which she was making her way.

Nils plunged in, swam to her boat, tied the loose rope round his body,
and then struck out for the shore, while the oars were plied as well as
they could be by the weary hands that held them. His feet had just
touched bottom when there was a loud cheer from the top of the hill that
sloped down to the meadow. Two great wagons, with a pair of strong
horses attached to each, were coming to the rescue of the children.

As horses that were good forders and wagons suited to the purpose were
to be selected, some time had been lost in the preparations after the
first news of the condition of the meadow had been spread abroad. The
question now was how to get the whole party under roof as soon as
possible.

The drivers were for putting the children half in one wagon and half in
the other; but Nils said in a tone most unusual for him, "_All_ the
children must go in one wagon, and you will see them safe home, Petter.
_We_ go the other way where the road forks. Of course, I take the
mistress home with me. Mother wouldn't forgive me if I let her go
anywhere else; and I think I have a kind of right to her too!"

"That you have," said the rough man, with a kind of little quiver round
his lips. "You've earned that right, anyhow."

And away Nils and the teacher were borne, while from the other wagon
there was a merry "Good-bye! good-bye! good-bye, teacher! good-bye,
Nils!" and a hearty shout of "Hurrah for Nils!" from the driver, which
came from the very depths of Petter's honest heart.