rt came down from Sellanraa to Storborg, to start a bit of
ditching for his brother, and lo, Andresen himself went out on the
land digging too. Heaven knows what possessed him to do it, for 'twas
no work of his, but that was the sort of man he was. It was not thawed
deep enough yet, and they could not get as far as they wanted by a
long way, but it was something done, at any rate. It was Isak's old
idea to drain the bogs at Storborg and till the land there properly;
the bit of a store was only to be an extra, a convenience, to save
folk going all the way down to the village for a reel of thread.

So Sivert and Andresen stood there digging, and talking now and again
when they stopped for a rest. Andresen had also somehow or other
managed to get hold of a gold piece, a twenty-_Krone_ piece, and
Sivert would gladly have had the bright thing himself; but Andresen
would not part with it--kept it wrapped up in tissue paper in his
chest. Sivert proposed a wrestling match for the money--see who could
throw the other; but Andresen would not risk it. Sivert offered to
stake twenty _Kroner_ in notes against the gold piece, and do all the
digging himself into the bargain if he won; but Andresen took offence
at that. "Ho," said he, "and you'd like to go back home, no doubt, and
say I'm no good at working on the land!" At last they agreed to set
twenty-five _Kroner_ in notes against the gold twenty-_Krone_ piece,
and Sivert slipped home to Sellanraa that night to ask his father for
the money.

A young man's trick, the pretty play of youth! A night's sleep thrown
away, to walk miles up and miles down again, and work next day as
usual--'twas nothing to a young man in his strength, and a bright gold
piece was worth it all. Andresen was a little inclined to make fun of
him over the deal, but Sivert was not at a loss; he had only to let
fall a word of Leopoldine. "There! I was nearly forgetting. Leopoldine
she asked after you...." And Andresen stopped his work of a sudden and
went very red.

Pleasant days for them both, draining and ditching, getting up long
arguments for fun, and working, and arguing again. Now and then
Eleseus would come out and lend a hand, but he soon tired. Eleseus was
not strong either of body or will, but a thorough good fellow for all
that....

"Here's that Oline coming along," Sivert the jester would say. "Now
you'll have to go in and sell her a paper of coffee." And Eleseus was
glad enough to go. Selling Ol