d be with him afterward--if perchance he might not regret that he
had not succoured her; or if people should some day learn of the meeting
and that he had not tried to help her. It was a terrible temptation.

"'I would rather not have seen her,' he said to himself.

"Just then the wolves howled savagely. The horse reared, plunged
forward, and dashed past the old beggar woman. She, too, had heard the
howling of the wolves, and, as the man from Hede drove by, he saw that
the old woman knew what awaited her. She stood motionless, her mouth
open for a cry, her arms stretched out for help. But she neither cried
nor tried to throw herself into the sledge. Something seemed to have
turned her to stone. 'It was I,' thought the man. 'I must have looked
like a demon as I passed.'

"He tried to feel satisfied, now that he was certain of escape; but at
that very moment his heart reproached him. Never before had he done a
dastardly thing, and he felt now that his whole life was blasted.

"'Let come what may,' he said, and reined in the horse, 'I cannot leave
her alone with the wolves!'

"It was with great difficulty that he got the horse to turn, but in the
end he managed it and promptly drove back to her.

"'Be quick and get into the sledge,' he said gruffly; for he was mad
with himself for not leaving the old woman to her fate.

"'You might stay at home once in awhile, you old hag!' he growled. 'Now
both my horse and I will come to grief on your account.'

"The old woman did not say a word, but the man from Hede was in no mood
to spare her.

"'The horse has already tramped thirty-five miles to-day, and the load
hasn't lightened any since you got up on it!' he grumbled, 'so that you
must understand he'll soon be exhausted.'

"The sledge runners crunched on the ice, but for all that he heard how
the wolves panted, and knew that the beasts were almost upon him.

"'It's all up with us!' he said. 'Much good it was, either to you or to
me, this attempt to save you, Finn-Malin!'

"Up to this point the old woman had been silent--like one who is
accustomed to take abuse--but now she said a few words.

"'I can't understand why you don't throw out your wares and lighten the
load. You can come back again to-morrow and gather them up.'

"The man realized that this was sound advice and was surprised that he
had not thought of it before. He tossed the reins to the old woman,
loosed the ropes that bound the casks, and pitched them o