one of five thousand marks to any vessel that would
bring one of the survivors of the shipwreck back to his native land.

So, during the two days spent in Bergen Sylvius Hogg did everything
in his power to insure the success of the enterprise, and he was
cheerfully seconded in his efforts by Help, Junior, and all the
maritime authorities. M. Help would have been glad to have the worthy
deputy as a guest some time longer, but though Sylvius Hogg thanked
him cordially he declined to prolong his stay. He was anxious to
rejoin Hulda and Joel, being afraid to leave them to themselves too
long, but Help, Junior, promised him that any news that might be
received should be promptly transmitted to Dal.

So, on the morning of the 4th, after taking leave of his friend
Help, Sylvius Hogg re-embarked on the "Run" to cross the fiord of the
Hardanger, and if nothing unforeseen occurred he counted on reaching
the Telemark by the evening of the 5th.

CHAPTER XIV.

The day that Sylvius Hogg left Bergen proved an eventful one at the
inn.

After the professor's departure the house seemed deserted. It almost
seemed as if the kind friend of the young Hansens had taken away with
him, not only the last hope, but the life of the family, and left only
a charnel-house behind him.

During the two days that followed no guests presented themselves at
the inn. Joel had no occasion to absent himself, consequently, but
could remain with Hulda, whom he was very unwilling to leave alone
with her own thoughts.

Dame Hansen seemed to become more and more a prey to secret anxiety.
She seemed to feel no interest in anything connected with her
children, not even in the loss of the "Viking." She lived a life
apart, remaining shut up in her own room, and appearing only at
meal-time. When she did address a word to Hulda or Joel it was only
to reproach them directly or indirectly on the subject of the
lottery-ticket, which neither of them felt willing to dispose of
at any price. Offers for the ticket continued to pour in from every
corner of the globe. A positive mania seemed to have seized certain
brains. Such a ticket must certainly be predestined to win the prize
of one hundred thousand marks--there could be no doubt of it, so said
every one. A person would have supposed there was but one ticket in
the lottery, and that the number of it was 9672. The Manchester man
and the Bostonian were still at the head of the list. The Englishman
had outb