Bowie, who was evidently anxious to get ashore.

"Come along," cried Fred, jumping into the boat, and taking his seat in
the stern-sheets.

He was quickly followed by his companions and by honest Bob, whose
delight in a ramble on shore was only equalled by his love for a voyage
on the sea!

"Ain't it an xtroar'nary church, sir?" said Bob, sidling up to Temple
and touching his hat, as they ascended the green mound on which the
building stood.

"It is, Bob, most remarkable," replied Fred.

To say truth, there could not be two opinions on this point. The church
was of very peculiar and curious form. It was more like a number of
dove-cots placed together than anything else; those dove-cots, I mean,
which have sloping roofs, and are frequently seen nailed against the
sides of houses in country places. Take four such dove-cots and place
them back to back so as to form a sort of square; on the top of these
place three more dove-cots, also back to back; above these set up two
more dove-cots, and one on the top of all, with a short steeple above
it, and a spire with an enormous weathercock on the top of that, and the
building will not be a bad model of a Norwegian church, especially if
you paint the sides white, and the gabled roofs blackish-red.

Inside, this church was found to be exceedingly plain, but very clean.
The pews and galleries and walls were of unpainted fir, and the ceiling
was whitewashed. The entire building was utterly devoid of ornament,
except round the altar, above which there was a large crucifix and a few
candles, and other things somewhat resembling those used in Roman
Catholic worship.

The service had begun some time before the arrival of our friends. It
was a Lutheran church, and the ceremonial resembled that of the English
Church in some respects, that of the Roman Catholic in others.

The entrance of so many strangers of course created some sensation, even
although they entered as quietly as possible and sat down on the first
seats they found vacant. The people seemed to have native politeness in
them. They could not, indeed, resist the temptation to look round, but
they did it modestly, and only indulged in glances, as if they felt that
it was rude to stare at strangers.

Unfortunately Bob Bowie had not been warned that it is the custom in
Norway for the men to sit together on one side of the church and the
women on the other side, and, being rather a stupid man in some matters,
he