in the
fishing-station, they heard, about twelve o'clock at night, the lad
yelling for help; it even seemed to one of them, by the light of the
train-oil lamp, as if a heavy hand were stretching forward from the door
right up to the bench on which the lad lay. The lad, yelling and
struggling, had already been dragged as far as the door before the
others had so far come to their senses as to think of grasping him round
the body to prevent him from being dragged right out. And now, in mid
doorway, a hard fight began, the Draug dragging him by the legs, while
the whole crew tugged against him with the boy's arms and upper limbs.
Thus, amidst yelling and groaning, they swayed to and fro all through
the midnight hour, backwards and forwards, in the half-open door; and
now the Draug, and now the men, had the most of the boy on their side of
the doorway. All at once the Draug let go, so that the whole crew fell
higgledy-piggledy backwards on to the floor. Then they found that the
boy was dead; it was only then that the Draug had let him go.

* * * * *

"THE EARTH DRAWS"

[Illustration: "THE EARTH DRAWS."]

"THE EARTH DRAWS"

There was once a young salesman at the storekeeper's at Soervaag.

He was fair, with curly hair, shrewd blue eyes, and so smart, and
obliging, and handsome, that all the girls in the town got themselves
sent on errands, and made pilgrimages to the shop on purpose to see him.
Moreover, he was so smart and skilful in everything he put his hand to,
that the storekeeper never would part with him.

Now it happened one day that he went out to a fishing station for his
principal.

The current was dead against him, so he rode close in shore.

All at once he saw a little ring in the rocky wall a little above
high-water mark. He thought it was the sort of ring which is used for
fastening boats to, so he fancied it wouldn't do any harm to rest a bit
and lay to ashore, and have a snack of something, for he had been
pulling at the oars from early morn.

But when he took hold of the ring to run his boatline through it, it
fitted round his finger so tightly that he had to tug at it. He tugged,
and out of the mountain side with a rush came a large drawer. It was
brimful of silk neckerchiefs and women's frippery.

He was amazed, and began pondering the matter over.

Then he saw what looked like rusty flakes of iron in rows right over the
whole mountain side, exactly r