childhood--he now trod them
under his feet. As he was walking along his nose began to bleed. That
was only a trifle in itself, but it might have some meaning. A few
large drops of blood fell upon his arms; he washed them off, stopped
the bleeding, and found that the loss of a little blood had actually
made him feel lighter in his head and in his heart. A small quantity
of sea-kale was growing in the sand; he broke a blade off of it, and
stuck it in his hat. He tried to feel happy and confident now that he
was going out into the wide world--"away from the door, a little way
up the stream," as the eel's children had said; and the mother said,
"Take care of bad men; they will catch you, skin you, cut you in
pieces, and fry you." He repeated this to himself, and laughed at it.
He would get through the world with a whole skin--no fear of that; for
he had plenty of courage, and that was a good weapon of defence.

The sun was already high up, when, as he approached the small inlet
between the German Ocean and Nissumfiord, he happened to look back,
and perceived at a considerable distance two people on horseback, and
others following on foot: they were evidently making great haste, but
it was nothing to him.

The ferry-boat lay on the other side of the narrow arm of the sea.
Joergen beckoned and called to the person who had charge of it. It came
over, and he entered it; but before he and the man who was rowing had
got half way across, the men he had seen hurrying on reached the
banks, and with threatening gestures shouted the name of the
magistrate. Joergen could not comprehend what they wanted, but
considered it would be best to go back, and even took one of the oars
to row the faster. The moment the boat neared the shore, people sprang
into it, and before he had an idea of what they were going to do, they
had thrown a rope round his hands, and made him their prisoner.

"Your evil deed will cost you your life," said they. "It is lucky we
arrived in time to catch you."

It was neither more nor less than a murder he was accused of having
committed. Morten had been found stabbed by a knife in his neck. One
of the fishermen had, late the night before, met Joergen going to the
place where Morten lived. It was not the first time he had lifted a
knife at him, they knew. He must be the murderer; therefore he must be
taken into custody. Ringkjoebing was the most proper place to which to
carry him, but it was a long way off. The win