not worth much--it has stood too long uncovered in the
open; but Axel bids a full five _Kroner_ more at last, and gets the
cart as well. After that Axel buys no more, but all are astonished to
see that cautious man buying so much as he has.

Then came the animals. They had been kept in their shed today, so as
to be there in readiness. What did Brede want with live stock when he
had no farm to keep them on? He had no cows; he had started farming
with two goats, and had now four. Besides these, there were six sheep.
No horse.

Isak bought a certain sheep with flat ears. When Brede's children led
it out from the shed, he started bidding at once, and people looked at
him. Isak from Sellanraa was a rich man, in a good position, with no
need of more sheep than he had. Brede's wife stops selling coffee for
a moment, and says: "Ay, you may buy her, Isak; she's old, 'tis true,
but she's two and three lambs every blessed year, and that's the
truth."

"I know it," said Isak, looking straight at her. "I've seen that sheep
before."

He walks up with Axel Stroem on the way back, leading his sheep on a
string. Axel is taciturn, seemingly anxious about something, whatever
it might be. There's nothing he need be troubled about that one can
see, thinks Isak; his crops are looking well, most of his fodder is
housed already, and he has begun timbering his house. All as it should
be with Axel Stroem; a thought slowly, but sure in the end. And now he
had got a horse.

"So you've bought Brede's place?" said Isak. "Going to work it
yourself?"

"No, not for myself. I bought it for another man."

"Ho!"

"What d'you think; was it too much I gave for it?"

"Why, no. Tis good land for a man that'll work it as it should."

"I bought it for a brother of mine up in Helgeland."

"Ho!"

"Then I thought perhaps I'd half a mind to change with him, too."

"Change with him--would you?"

"And perhaps how Barbro she'd like it better that way."

"Ay, maybe," said Isak.

They walk on for a good way in silence. Then says Axel:

"They've been after me to take over that telegraph business."

"The telegraph? H'm. Ay, I heard that Brede he's given it up."

"H'm," says Axel, smiling. "'Tis not so much that way of it, but Brede
that's been turned off."

"Ay, so," says Isak, and trying to find some excuse for Brede. "It
takes a deal of time to look after, no doubt."

"They gave him notice to the new year, if he didn't do better."

"H'm."