n, and finally formed a shepherd's crook, the end of which suddenly
began to separate and fall off, as if driven by a strong wind, until the
whole belt shot away in long, drifting lines of fiery snow. It then
gathered again into a dozen dancing fragments, which alternately
advanced and retreated, shot hither and thither, against and across each
other, blazed out in yellow and rosy gleams or paled again, playing a
thousand fantastic pranks, as if guided by some wild whim.

We lay silent, with upturned faces, watching this wonderful spectacle.
Suddenly, the scattered lights ran together, as by a common impulse,
joined their bright ends, twisted them through each other, and fell in a
broad, luminous curtain straight downward through the air until its
fringed hem swung apparently but a few yards over our heads. This
phenomenon was so unexpected and startling, that for a moment I thought
our faces would be touched by the skirts of the glorious auroral
drapery. It did not follow the spheric curve of the firmament, but hung
plumb from the zenith, falling, apparently, millions of leagues through
the air, its folds gathered together among the stars and its embroidery
of flame sweeping the earth and shedding a pale, unearthly radiance over
the wastes of snow. A moment afterwards and it was again drawn up,
parted, waved its flambeaux and shot its lances hither and thither,
advancing and retreating as before. Anything so strange, so capricious,
so wonderful, so gloriously beautiful, I scarcely hope to see again.

By this time we came upon the broad Lulea River, and were half an hour
traversing its frozen surface, still watching the snow above us, which
gradually became fainter and less active. Finally we reached the
opposite shore, drove up a long slope, through a large village of
stables, and past the imposing church of Old Lulea to the inn. It was
now nearly eight o'clock, very cold, and I was thoroughly exhausted. But
the inn was already full of travellers, and there was no place to lay
our heads. The landlord, a sublimely indifferent Swede, coolly advised
us to go on to Perso, ten miles distant. I told him I had not slept for
two nights, but he merely shrugged his shoulders, repeated his advice,
and offered to furnish horses at once, to get us off. It was a long,
cold, dreary ride, and I was in a state of semi-consciousness the whole
time. We reached Perso about eleven, found the house full of travellers,
but procured two small