rowed, and said not a word to anybody of what had happened
to him.

But from that day forth a strange restlessness came over him.

When he was sweeping out the shop or measuring goods, he would suddenly
stand there in a brown study, and fancy he was right away at the
landing-stage in the mountain-side, and the black woman was laughing at
him over the meal-sack.

Out yonder he must needs venture once more, and put his ring to the
test, though it cost him his life.

And in the course of the summer his boat lay over at the mountain-side
in the self-same place as before.

When he had opened the drawer with his gold ring, he caught sight of the
broad-shouldered woman. Her eyes sparkled, and had a wild look about
them, and she peered curiously at him.

And, every time he came, he seemed to be more expected, and she was more
and more gladsome. They became quite old acquaintances, and she was
always waiting for him there.

But at home he grew gloomy and silent. Yet, although he bethought him
that it was all sorcery, and her arms were hairy almost like a beast's,
and although he determined and really tried to keep away, nevertheless
he could not help going thither, and whenever he had been away from her
a whole week, she grew quite unmanageable, and laughed and shrieked when
she saw him coming again.

And he always heard the noise and the bustle of many people all about
him, but never could he see anything. It seemed to him, however, as if
they all lay a little way off and pulled their boat aside for him to
pass. His boat, too, was always nicely baled out, and the oars and sails
righted and trimmed. The cable, too, was fastened for him whenever he
came, and thrown to him whenever he went away.

Now and then she so managed it that he caught a glimpse into their
warehouses and their bright halls in the mountain side, and at such
times she seemed to be enticing him after her. And then, on his way
home, he would shudder. "What," thought he, "if the mountain wall were
to shut to behind me?" and every time he was right glad that he had been
so far on his guard and had come off scot free.

And now, towards autumn, he grew more at his ease. He really made up his
mind to try to give up these journeys. He set to work in real earnest,
so that he had no time for thought, and plunged into his business with
fiery impetuosity.

But when Christmas-tide drew nigh with its snowflakes and darkness, such
strange fancies came over him.