The boy
having fallen asleep again, the horse took advantage of it to run off at
full speed, we following at the same rate, sometimes losing sight of him
and uncertain of our way, until, after a chase of a few miles, we found
the boy getting his reins out from under the runners. Finally, after two
in the morning, we reached Bro.

Here we had ordered a warm room, beds and supper, by _forbud_, but found
neither. A sleepy, stupid girl, who had just got up to wait on a captain
who had arrived before us and was going on, told us there was nothing to
be had. "We _must_ eat, if we have to eat _you_," I said, savagely, for
we were chilled through and fierce with hunger; but I might as well have
tried to hurry the Venus de Medici. At last we got some cold sausage, a
fire, and two couches, on which we lay down without undressing, and
slept. I had scarcely closed my eyes, it seemed, when the girl, who was
to call us at half-past five o'clock, came into the room. "Is it
half-past five?" I asked. "Oh, yes," she coolly answered, "it's much
more." We were obliged to hurry off at once to avoid paying so much
waiting money.

At sunrise we passed Hudiksvall, a pretty town at the head of a deep
bay, in which several vessels were frozen up for the winter. There were
some handsome country houses in the vicinity, better cultivation, more
taste in building, and a few apple and cherry orchards. The mercury was
still at zero, but we suffered less from the cold than the day previous,
and began to enjoy our mode of travel. The horses were ready at all the
stations on our arrival, and we were not delayed in changing. There was
now plenty of snow, and the roads were splendid--the country undulating,
with beautiful, deep valleys, separated by high, wooded hills, and rising
to bold ridges in the interior. The houses were larger and better than we
had yet seen--so were the people--and there was a general air of progress
and well-doing. In fact, both country and population improved in
appearance as we went northward.

The night set in very dark and cold, threatening snow. We had an
elephant of a horse, which kicked up his heels and frisked like an
awkward bull-pup, dashed down the hills like an avalanche, and carried
us forward at a rapid rate. We coiled ourselves up in the hay, kept
warm, and trusted our safety to Providence, for it was impossible to see
the road, and we could barely distinguish the other sled, a dark speck
before us. The old hors