WITH CARL OF THE HILL 17 



that this referred to a visit to the Kyle of Tongue, in 

 which, driven by a storm, he had lain three days, 

 put time was pressing, and we had hard work to get 

 away. We only escaped at last under promise to 

 come on our return to a feast, that " Engelsman " 

 might see that the Swedes were his friends, and that 

 Carl might relate his adventures since last he was 

 that way. 



From this point, then, we struck on foot into the 

 forest where it was settled up in parts ; and the 

 wonders of that eventful journey I have no space to 

 tell. It was like moving through a fairy story, so 

 aptly things fell out. Whether Carl had really con- 

 trived to send a herald on I never could niake sure ; 

 for when I asked him he only smiled and answered 

 that " in all savage countries news travelled very 

 fast." But in one house the floor had been strewn 

 with fresh spruce branches, and coffee-berries had 

 just been roasted on the hearth. The mother gave us 

 a cheery welcome, but the daughter only smiled from 

 the corner a blushing greeting and would not leave 

 her wheel. And I remembered how I had said to 

 Carl, that I hoped I should see some spinning, for 

 that in our own country it was dying out. And once 

 we came in sight of a mountain lake and I wondered 



B 



