ilding.

[9] Meaning that he would never have a chance of building the new sort
of boat that his mind was bent on.

[10] The Finn's hut.

[11] _Tvinde Knuder_. When the Finn tied _one_ magic knot, he raised a
gale, so two knots would give a tempest.

[12] I.e., where the Gan-Finn let out the wind.

[13] An eight-oared boat.

[14] A place where sea-birds' eggs abound.

[15] A contraction of _Sexaering_, i.e., a boat with six oars.

[16] Eng. dialect word (the Norse is _staur_) meaning impediments of any
kind.

[17] _Daudvatn_ (Dan. _Doedvand_), water in which there is no motion.

* * * * *

TUG OF WAR.

[Illustration: TUG OF WAR.]

TUG OF WAR

For the last two or three days the weather had been terrific; but on the
third day it so far cleared up that one of the men who belonged to the
fishing station thought that they might manage to drag the nets a bit
that day. The others, however, were not inclined to venture out. Now it
is the custom for the various crews to lend each other a hand in pushing
off the boats, and so it happened now. When, however, they came to the
_Femboering_, which was drawn up a good distance ashore, they found the
oars and the thwarts turned upside down in the boat, and, more than
that, despite all their exertions, it was impossible to move the boat
from the spot. They tried once, twice, thrice; but it was of no use. But
then one of them, who was known to have second sight, said that, from
what he saw, it would be best not to touch the boat at all that day; it
was too heavy for the might of man to move. One of the crew, however,
who belonged to the fishing-station (he was a smart lad of fourteen),
was amusing them all the time with all manner of pranks and tomfoolery.
He now caught up a heavy stone, and pitched it with all his might right
into the stern of the boat. Then, suddenly and plainly visible to them
all, out of the boat rushed a Draug in seaman's clothes, but with a
heavy crop of seaweed instead of a head. It had been weighing down the
boat by sitting in the stern, and now dashed into the sea, so that the
foam spirted all over them. After that the _Femboering_ glided quite
smoothly into the water. Then the man with second sight looked at the
boy, and said that he should not have done so. But the lad went on
laughing as before, and said he didn't believe in such stuff. When they
had come home in the evening, and the folks lay sleeping