to give themselves into
custody. He feared that they were making sport of him; in that case,
however, he resolved to make them suffer for their audacity.

"You are my prisoners," he said, after a moment's hesitation. "Take them
to the lock-up, Olsen, and handcuff them securely," he added, turning to
his deputy.

There were now a dozen men--most of them guests and attendants of the
sheriff's household--standing in a ring about Ralph and the poacher.
Albert, too, had scrambled to his feet and had joined his comrade.

"Will you permit me, Mr. Sheriff," said Ralph, making the officer his
politest bow, "to send a message to my father, who is probably anxious
about us?"

"And who is your father, young man?" asked the sheriff, not unkindly;
"I should think you were doing him an ill-turn in taking to poaching at
your early age."

"My father is Mr. Hoyer, of Solheim," said the boy, not without some
pride in the announcement.

"What--you rascal, you! Are you trying to, play pranks on an old man?"
cried the officer of the law, grasping Ralph cordially by the hand.
"You've grown to be quite a man, since I saw you last. Pardon me for not
recognizing the son of an old neighbor."

"Allow me to introduce to you my friend, Mr. Biceps--I mean, Mr. Albert
Grimlund."

"Happy to make your acquaintance, Mr. Biceps Albert; and now you must
both come and eat the Christmas porridge with us. I'll send a messenger
to Mr. Hoyer without delay."

The sheriff, in a jolly mood, and happy to have added to the number of
his Christmas guests, took each of the two young men by the arm, as if
he were going to arrest them, and conducted them through the spacious
front hall into a large cosey room, where, having divested themselves of
their wraps, they told the story of their adventure.

"But, my dear sir," Mr. Bjornerud exclaimed, "I don't see how you
managed to go beyond your father's preserves. You know he bought of
me the whole forest tract, adjoining his own on the south, about three
months ago. So you were perfectly within your rights; for your father
hasn't killed an elk on his land for three years."

"If that is the case, Mr. Sheriff," said Ralph, "I must beg of you to
release the poor fellow who chased us. I don't wish any informer's fee,
nor have I any desire to get him into trouble."

"I am sorry to say I can't accommodate you," Bjornerud replied. "This
man is a notorious poacher and trespasser, whom my deputies have long
been tra