“Geissler, is he here, then?”
“Is he not? Ought to be shot, he ought! Comes up one day by the steamer and says to the engineer: ‘Well, how’s things going?’—‘All right, as far as I can see,’ says the engineer. But Geissler he just stands there, and asks again: ‘Ho, all right, is it?’—‘Ay, as far as I know,’ says the engineer. But as true as I’m here, no sooner the post comes up from that same boat Geissler had come by, than there’s letter and telegram both to the engineer that the work wasn’t paying, and he’s to shut down at once.”
The members of the expedition look at one another, but the leader, Andresen himself, has not lost courage yet.
“You may just as well turn back and go home again,” is Aronsen’s advice.
“We’re not doing that,” says Andresen, and packs up the coffeepot.
Aronsen stares at the three of them in turn. “You’re mad, then,” says he.
Look you, Andresen he cares little now for what his master that was can say; he’s master himself now, leader of an expedition equipped at his own expense for a journey to distant parts; ’twould lose him his prestige to turn back now where he is.
“Well, where will you go?” asks Aronsen irritably.
“Can’t say,” answers Andresen. But he’s a notion of his own all the same, no doubt; thinking, maybe, of the natives, and coming down into the district three men strong, with glass beads and finger rings. “We’ll be getting on,” says he to the rest.
Now, Aronsen had thought like enough to go farther up that morning, seeing he’d come so far, wanting, maybe, to see if all the place was quite deserted, if it could be true every man on the place was gone. But seeing these pedlar-folk so set on going on, it hinders him, and he tells them again and again they’re mad to try. Aronsen is furious himself, marches down in front of the caravan, turning round and shouting at them, barking at them, trying to keep them out of his district. And so they come down to the huts in the mining centre.
A little town of huts, but empty and desolate. Most of the tools and implements are housed under cover, but poles and planks, broken carts and cases and barrels, lie all about in disorder; here and there a notice on a door declares “No admittance.”
“There you are,” cries Aronsen. “What did I say? Not a soul in the place.” And he threatens the caravan with disaster—he will send for the Lensmand; anyway, he’s going to follow them every step now, and if he can catch them at any unlawful trading ’tis penal servitude and slavery, no mistake!
All at once somebody calls out for Sivert. The place is not altogether dead, after all, not utterly deserted; here is a man standing beckoning at the corner of a house. Sivert trundles over with his load, and sees at once who it is—Geissler.
“Funny meeting you here,” says Geissler. His face is red and flourishing, but his eyes apparently cannot stand the glare of spring, he is wearing smoked glasses. He talks as brilliantly as ever. “Luckiest thing in the world,” says he. “Save me going all the way up to Sellanraa; and I’ve a deal to look after. How many settlers are there in the Almenning now?”
“Ten.”
“Ten new holdings. I’ll agree. I’m satisfied. But ’tis two-and-thirty-thousand men of your father’s stamp the country wants. Ay, that’s what I say, and I mean it; I’ve reckoned it out.”
“Sivert, are you coming on?” The caravan is waiting.
Geissler hears, and calls back sharply: “No.”
“I’ll come on after,” calls Sivert, and sets down his load.
The two men sit down and talk. Geissler is in the right mood today; the spirit moves him, and he talks all the time, only pausing when Sivert puts in a word or so in answer, and then going on again. “A mighty lucky thing—can’t help saying it. Everything turned out just as I wanted all the way up, and now meeting you here and saving all the journey to Sellanraa. All well at home, what?”
“All well, and thank you kindly.”
“Got up that hayloft yet, over the cowshed?”
“Ay, ’tis done.”
“Well, well—I’ve a heap of things to look to, almost more than I can manage. Look at where we’re sitting now, for instance. What d’you say to that, Sivert man? Ruined city, eh? Men gone about to build it all against their nature and well-being. Properly speaking, it’s all my fault from the start—that is to say, I’m a humble agent in the workings of fate. It all began when your father picked up some bits of stone up in the hills, and gave you to play with when you were a child. That was how it started. I knew well enough those bits of stone were worth exactly as much as men would give for them, no more; well and good, I set a price on them myself, and bought them. Then the stones passed from hand to hand, and did no end of damage. Time went on. And now, a few days ago, I came up here again, and what for, d’you think? To buy those stones back again!”
Geissler stops for a moment, and looks at Sivert. Then
