Presentlythesignalwasgiventhatsupperwasready，andvarioussavoryodors，whichescaped，wheneveradoorwasopened，servedtoarousetheanticipationsoftheboystothehighestpitch.
Now，ifIdidnothavesomuchelsetotellyou，Ishouldstophereanddescribethatsupper.Thereweretwenty—twopeoplewhosatdowntoit;butthatwasnothingunusualatSolheim，foritwasahospitablehouse，whereeverywayfarerwaswelcome，eithertothetableintheservants’hallortothemaster’stableinthedining—room.
III.
Atthestrokeoftenallthefamilyarose，andeachinturnkissedthefatherandmothergood—night;whereuponMr.Hoyertookthegreatlampfromthetableandmountedthestairs，followedbyhispackofnoisyboysandgirls.AlbertandRalphfoundthemselves，withfoursmallerHoyers，inanenormouslow—ceiledroomwithmanywindows.Inthreecornersstoodhugecanopiedbedsteads，withflowered—chintzcurtainsandmountainouseiderdowncoveringswhichswelleduptowardtheceiling.Inthemiddleofthewall，oppositethewindows，abigironstove，liketheoneinthesitting—room（onlythatitwasadornedwithabunchofflowers，peaches，andgrapes，andnotwithDianaandhernymphs），wasroaringmerrily，andsendingalongredsheenfromitsdraught—holeacrossthefloor.
Aroundthebigwarmstovetheboysgathered（foritwaspositivelySiberianintheregionofthewindows），andwhileundressingplayedvariouspranksuponeachother，whichcreatedmuchmerriment.ButthemostlaughterwasprovokedattheexpenseofFinnHoyer，aboyoffourteen，whosebarebackhisbrotherinsisteduponexhibitingtohisguest;foritwasdecoratedwithafacsimileofthepictureonthestove，showingrosesandlusciouspeachesandgrapesinredrelief.Threeyearsbefore，onChristmasEve，theboyshadstoodaboutthered—hotstove，undressingfortheirbath，andFinn，whowasnaked，had，inthegeneralscrimmagetogetfirstintothebath—tub，beenpushedagainsttheglowingiron，theornamentationofwhichhadbeenbeautifullyburneduponhisback.Hehadtobewrappedinoilandcottonafterthatadventure，andherecoveredinduetime，butneverquiterelishedthedistinctionhehadacquiredbyhispictorialskin.
ItwaslongbeforeAlbertfellasleep;forthecoldkeptupacontinualfusillade，asofmusketry，duringtheentirenight.
Thewoodworkofthewallssnappedandcrackedwithloudreports;
andalittleaftermidnightaservantcameinandstuffedthestovefullofbirch—wood，untilitroaredlikeanangrylion.
ThisroarfinallylulledAlberttosleep，inspiteofthestartlingnoisesabouthim.
Thenextmorningtheboyswerearousedatseveno’clockbyaservant，whobroughtatraywiththemostfragrantcoffeeandhotrolls.Itwasinhonoroftheguestthat，inaccordancewithNorsecustom，thisearlymealwasserved;andalltheboys，carryingpillowsandblankets，gatheredonAlbert’sandRalph’sbedandfeastedrightroyally.Soitseemedtothem，atleast;
foranybreakintheordinaryroutine，beiteversoslight，isaneventtotheyoung.Thentheyhadapillow—fight，thawedatthestovethewaterinthepitchers（foritwasfrozenhard），andarrayedthemselvestodescendandmeetthefamilyatthenineo’clockbreakfast.Whenthisrepastwasatanend，thequestionarosehowtheyweretoentertaintheirguest，andvariousplanswereproposed.ButtoallRalph’spropositionshismotherinterposedtheobjectionthatitwastoocold.
\"Motherisright，\"saidMr.Hoyer;\"itissocoldthat’thechipsjumponthehill—side.’You’llhavetobecontentwithindoorsportsto—day.\"
\"But，father，itisnotmorethantwentydegreesbelowzero，\"theboydemurred.\"Iamsurewecanstandthat，ifwekeepinmotion.Ihavebeenoutatthirtywithoutlosingeitherearsornose.\"
Hewenttothewindowtoobservethethermometer;butthedimdaylightscarcelypenetratedthefantasticfrost—crystals，which，likeasplendidexoticflora，coveredthepanes.Onlyattheuppercorner，wheretheicehadcommencedtothaw，afewtimidsunbeamswerepeepingin，makingthelampuponthetableseempaleandsickly.Wheneverthedoortothehallwasopenedawhitecloudofvaporrolledin;andeveryonemadehastetoshutthedoor，inordertosavethepreciousheat.Theboys，beingdoomedtoremainindoors，walkedaboutrestlessly，felteachother’smuscle，punchedeachother，andsometimes，forwantofbetteremployment，teasedthelittlegirls.Mr.Hoyer，seeinghowmiserabletheywere，finallytookpityonthem，and，afterhavingthawedoutawindow—panesufficientlytoseethethermometeroutside，gavehisconsenttoalittleexpeditiononskees[2]downtotheriver.
[2]Norwegiansnow—shoes.
Andnow，boys，yououghttohaveseenthem！Nowtherewaslifeinthem！Youwouldscarcelyhavedreamedthattheywerethesamecreatureswho，amomentago，lookedsolistlessandmiserable.
Whatrollickinglaughterandfun，whiletheybundledoneanotherinscarfs，cardigan—jackets，fur—linedtop—boots，andovercoats！
\"Youhadbettertakeyourgunsalong，boys，\"saidthefather，astheystormedoutthroughthefrontdoor;\"youmightstrikeacoupleofptarmigan，oramountain—cock，overonthewestside.\"
\"Iamgoingtotakeyourrifle，ifyou’llletme，\"Ralphexclaimed.\"Ihaveafancywemightstrikebiggergamethanmountain—cock.Ishouldn’tobjecttoawolfortwo.\"
\"Youarewelcometotherifle，\"saidhisfather;\"butIdoubtwhetheryou’llfindwolvesontheicesoearlyintheday.\"
Mr.Hoyertooktheriflefromitscase，examineditcarefully，andhandedittoRalph.Albert，whowasalessexperiencedhunterthanRalph，preferredafowling—piecetotherifle;
especiallyashehadnoexpectationofshootinganythingbutptarmigan.Powder—horns，cartridges，andshotwereprovided;andquiteproudlythetwofriendsstartedoffontheirskees，glidingoverthehardcrustofthesnow，which，asthesunrosehigher，wasoversownwiththousandsofglitteringgems.TheboyslookedlikeEsquimaux，withtheirheadsbundledupinscarfs，andnothingvisibleexcepttheireyesandafewhoarylocksofhairwhichthefrosthadsilvered.
IV.
\"Whatwasthat？\"criedAlbert，startledbyasharpreportwhichreverberatedfromthemountains.Theyhadpenetratedtheforestonthewestside，andrangedovertheiceforanhour，inavainsearchforwolves.
\"Hush，\"saidRalph，excitedly;andafteramomentofintentlisteningheadded，\"I’llbedrawnandquarteredifitisn’tpoachers！\"
\"Howdoyouknow？\"
\"Thesewoodsbelongtofather，andnooneelsehasanyrighttohuntinthem.Hedoesn’tmindifapoormankillsahareortwo，orabraceofptarmigan;butthesechapsareafterelk;andiftheoldgentlemangetsonthescentofelk—hunters，hehasnomoremercythanBeelzebub.\"
\"Howcanyouknowthattheyareafterelk？\"
\"Nomanislikelytogotothewoodsforsmallgameonadaylikethis.Theythinkthecoldprotectsthemfrompursuitandcapture.\"
\"Whatareyougoingtodoaboutit？\"
\"Iamgoingtoplayatrickonthem.Youknowthatthesheriff，whosedutyitistobeonthelookoutforelk—poachers，wouldscarcelysendoutapossewhenthecoldissointense.Elk，youknow，arebecomingveryscarce，andthelawprotectsthem.Nomanisallowedtoshootmorethanoneelfayear，andthatoneonhisownproperty.Now，youandIwillplaydeputy—sheriffs，andhavethosepoacherssecurelyinthelock—upbeforenight.\"
\"Butsupposetheyfight？\"
\"Thenwe’llfightback.\"
Ralphwassoaglowwithjoyousexcitementatthethoughtofthisadventure，thatAlberthadnotthehearttothrowcoldwateronhisenthusiasm.Moreover，hewasafraidofbeingthoughtcowardlybyhisfriendifheofferedobjections.TherecollectionofMidshipmanEasyandhisdaringpranksflashedthroughhisbrain，andhefeltaninstantdesiretorivaltheexploitsofhisfavoritehero.Ifonlytheenterprisehadbeenontheseahewouldhavebeentwiceashappy，forthelandalwaysseemedtohimaprosyandinconvenientplacefortheexhibitionofheroism.
\"But，Ralph，\"heexclaimed，nowmorethanreadytobearhispartintheexpedition，\"Ihaveonlyshotinmygun.Youcan’tshootmenwithbird—shot.\"
\"Shootmen！Areyoucrazy？Why，Idon’tintendtoshootanybody.
Ionlywishtocapturethem.Myrifleisabreech—loaderandhassixcartridges.Besides，ithastwicetherangeoftheirs（forthereisn’tanothersuchrifleinallOdalen），andbyfiringoneshotovertheirheadsIcanbringthemtoterms，don’tyousee？\"
Albert，tobefrank，didnotseeitexactly;buthethoughtitbesttosuppresshisdoubts.Hescenteddangerintheair，andhisbloodboundedthroughhisveins.
\"Howdoyouexpecttotrackthem？\"heasked，breathlessly.
\"Skee—tracksinthesnowcanbeseenbyabat，bornblind，\"
answeredRalph，recklessly.
Theywerenowclimbingupthewoodedslopeonthewesternsideoftheriver.Thecrustofthefrozensnowwasstrongenoughtobearthem;andasitwasnotglazed，butcoveredwithaninchofhoar—frost，itretainedtheimprintoftheirfeetwithdistinctness.Theywereobligedtocarrytheirskees，onaccountbothofthesteepnessoftheslopeandthedensityoftheunderbrush.Roadsandpathswereinvisibleunderthewhitepallofthesnow，andonlythefacilitywithwhichtheycouldretracetheirstepssavedthemfromthefearofgoingastray.Throughthevastforestadeathlikesilencereigned;andthissilencewasnotmadeupofaninfinityoftinysounds，likethesilenceofasummerdaywhenthecricketswhirrinthetreetopsandthebeesdroneintheclover—blossoms.No;thissilencewasdead，chilling，terrible.Thehugepine—treesnowandthendroppedaloadofsnowontheheadsoftheboldintruders，anditfellwithathud，followedbyanoiseless，glitteringdrizzle.Asfarastheireyescouldreach，themonotonouscolonnadeofbrowntree—trunks，risingoutofthewhitewaste，extendedinalldirections.Itremindedthemoftheenchantedforestin\"Undine，\"throughwhichamanmightrideforeverwithoutfindingtheend.Itwasagreatreliefwhen，fromtimetotime，theymetasquirreloutforagingforpine—conesorpickingupascantylivingamongthehusksoflastyear’shazel—nuts.Hewaslivelyinspiteoftheweather，andthefaintnoisesofhissmallactivitiesfellgratefullyuponearsalreadyap—palledbytheawfulsilence.Occasionallytheyscaredupabraceofgrousethatseemedhalfbenumbed，andhoppedaboutinamelancholymannerunderthepines，oramagpie，drawinginitsheadandrufflingupitsfeathersagainstthecold，untilitlookedfrowsyanddisreputable.
\"Biceps，\"whisperedRalph，whohadsuddenlydiscoveredsomethinginterestinginthesnow，\"doyouseethat？\"
\"Je—rusalem！\"ejaculatedAlbert，withthoughtlessdelight，\"itisahoof—track！\"
\"Holdyourtongue，youblockhead，\"warnedhisfriend，tooexcitedtobepolite，\"oryou’llspoilthewholebusiness！\"
\"Butyouaskedme，\"protestedAlbert，inahuff.
\"ButIdidn’tshout，didI？\"
Againthereportofashottoreagreatrentinthewintrystillnessandrangoutwithsharpreverberations.
\"We’vegotthem，\"saidRalph，examiningthelockofhisrifle.
\"Thatshotsettlesthem.\"
\"Ifwedon’tlookout，theymaygetusinstead，\"grumbledAlbert，whowasstilloffended.
Ralphstoodpeeringintotheunderbrush，hiseyesaswildasthoseofanIndian，hisnostrilsdilated，andallhissensesintenselyawake.Hiscompanion，whowaswhollyunskilledinwoodcraft，couldseenocauseforhisagitation，andfearedthathewasyetangry.Hedidnotdetecttheevidencesoflargegameintheimmediateneighborhood.Hedidnotsee，bythebendofthebrokentwigsandthesmalltuftsofhaironthebriar—bush，thatanelkhadpushedthroughthatverycopsewithinafewminutes;nordidhesniffthegamyodorwithwhichthelargebeasthadchargedtheair.Inobediencetohisfriend’sgesture，heflunghimselfdownonhandsandkneesandcautiouslycreptafterhimthroughthethicket.Henowsawwithoutdifficultyaplacewheretheelkhadbrokenthroughthesnowcrust，andhecouldalsodetectacertainaimlessbewildermentinthetracks，owing，nodoubt，totheshotandtheanimal’sperceptionofdangerontwosides.Scarcelyhadhecrawledtwentyfeetwhenhewasstartledbyanoiseofbreakingbranches，andbeforehehadtimetocockhisgun，hesawanenormousbull—elktearingthroughtheunderbrush，blowingtwocolumnsofsteamfromhisnostrils，andsteeringstraighttowardthem.AtthesameinstantRalph’srifleblazedaway，andthesplendidbeast，rearingonitshindlegs，gaveawildsnort，plungedforwardandrolledonitssideinthesnow.Quickasaflashtheyounghunterhaddrawnhisknife，and，inaccordancewiththelawsofthechase，haddrivenitintothebreastoftheanimal.Buttheglancefromthedyingeyes——thatglance，ofwhicheveryelk—huntercantellamovingtale——piercedtheboytotheveryheart！Itwassuchatouching，appealing，imploringglance，sosoftandgentleandunresentful.
\"Whydidyouharmme，\"itseemedtosay，\"whoneverharmedanylivingthing——whoclaimedonlytherighttolivemyfrugallifeintheforest，diggingupthefrozenmossesunderthesnow，whichnomortalcreatureexceptmyselfcaneat？\"
Thesanguinaryinstinct——thefeverforkilling，whicheveryboyinheritsfromsavageancestors——hadleftRalph，beforehehadpulledtheknifefromthebleedingwound.Amiserablefeelingofguiltstoleoverhim.Heneverhadshotanelkbefore;andhisfather，whowasanxioustopreservethenoblebeastsfromdestruction，hadnotavailedhimselfofhisrighttokilloneformanyyears.Ralphhad，indeed，manyatimehuntedrabbits，hares，mountain—cock，andcapercaillie.Buttheyhadneverdestroyedhispleasurebyarousingpityfortheirdeaths;andhehadalwaysregardedhimselfasbeingproofagainstsentimentalemotions.
\"Lookhere，Biceps，\"hesaid，flingingtheknifeintothesnow，\"IwishIhadn’tkilledthatbull.\"
\"Ithoughtwewerehuntingforpoachers，\"answeredAlbert，dubiously;\"andnowwehavebeenpoachingourselves.\"
\"ByJiminy！Sowehave;andIneveroncethoughtofit，\"criedthevalianthunter.\"Iamafraidweareoffmyfather’spreservestoo.Itiswellthedeputysheriffsarenotabroad，orwemightfindourselvesdecoratedwithironbraceletsbeforenight.\"
\"Butwhatdidyoudoitfor？\"
\"Well，Ican’ttell.It’sintheblood，Ifancy.ThemomentI
sawthetrackandcaughtthewildsmell，Iforgotallaboutthepoachers，andstartedonthescentlikeahound.\"
Thetwoboysstoodforsomeminuteslookingatthedeadanimal，notwithsavageexultation，butwithadimregret.Thebloodwhichwasgushingfromthewoundinthebreastfrozeinasolidlumptheverymomentittouchedthesnow，althoughthecoldhadgreatlymoderatedsincethemorning.
\"Isupposewe’llhavetoskinthefellow，\"remarkedRalph，lugubriously;\"itwon’tdotoleavethatfinecarcassforthewolvestocelebrateChristmaswith.\"
\"Allright，\"Albertanswered，\"Iamnotmuchofahandatskinning，butI’lldothebestIcan.\"
Theyfelltoworkratherreluctantlyattheunwontedtask，buthadnotproceededfarwhentheyperceivedthattheyhadafullday’sjobbeforethem.
\"I’venotalentforthebutcher’strade，\"Ralphexclaimedindisgust，droppinghisknifeintothesnow.\"There’snohelpforit，Biceps，we’llhavetoburythecarcass，pilesomelogsonthetopofit，andsendahorsetodragithometo—morrow.IfitwerenotChristmasEveto—nightwemighttakeacoupleofmenalongandshootadozenwolvesormore.Forthereissuretobepandemoniumherebeforelong，andaconcertinG—flatthat’llcurdlethemarrowofyourboneswithhorror.\"
\"Thanks，\"repliedtheadmirerofMidshipmanEasy，strikingarecklessnavalattitude.\"Themarrowofmybonesisnotsoeasilycurdled.I’vebeenonawhalingvoyage，whichismorethanyouhave.\"
Ralphwasabouttovindicatehisdignitybyreferringtohisownvaliantexploits，whensuddenlyhiskeeneyesdetectedaslightmotionintheunderbrushontheslopebelow.
\"Biceps，\"hesaid，withforcedcomposure，\"thosepoachersaretrackingus.\"
\"Whatdoyoumean？\"askedAlbert，invaguealarm.
\"Doyouseethetopofthatyoungbirchwaving？\"
\"Well，whatofthat！\"
\"Waitandsee.It’snogoodtryingtoescape.Theycaneasilyovertakeus.Thesnowistheworsttell—taleunderthesun.\"
\"Butwhyshouldwewishtoescape？Ithoughtweweregoingtocatchthem.\"
\"Sowewere;butthatwasbeforeweturnedpoachersourselves.
Nowthosefellowswillturnthetablesonus——takeustothesheriffandcollecthalfthefine，whichisfiftydollars，asinformers.\"
\"Je—rusalem！\"criedBiceps，\"isn’titabeautifulscrapewe’vegotteninto？\"
\"Rather，\"respondedhisfriend，coolly.
\"Butwhymeeklyallowourselvestobecaptured？Whynotdefendourselves？\"
\"MydearBiceps，youdon’tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout.
Thosefellowsdon’tmindputtingabulletintoyou，ifyourun.
Now，I’dratherpayfiftydollarsanyday，thanshootamaneveninself—defence.\"
\"Buttheyhavekilledelktoo.Weheardthemshoottwice.
Supposeweplaythesamegameonthemthattheyintendtoplayonus.Wecanplayinformerstoo，thenwe’llatleastbequits.\"
\"Biceps，youareabrick！That’sacapitalidea！Thenletusstartforthesheriff’s;andifwegettherefirst，we’llinformbothonourselvesandonthem.That’llcancelthefine.Quick，now！\"
NopersuasionswereneededtomakeAlbertbestirhimself.Heleapedtowardhisskees，andfollowinghisfriend，whowasafewrodsaheadofhim，starteddowntheslopeinazigzagline，cautiouslysteeringhiswayamongthetreetrunks.Theboyshadtakentheirdeparturenonetoosoon;fortheywerescarcelyfivehundredyardsdownthedeclivity，whentheyheardbehindthemloudexclamationsandoaths.Evidentlythepoachershadstoppedtorollsomelogs（whichwerelyingcloseby）overthecarcass，probablymeaningtoappropriateit;andthisgavetheboysanadvantage，ofwhichtheywereingreatneed.Afterafewmomentstheyespiedanopenclearingwhichslopedsteeplydowntowardtheriver.TowardthisRalphhadbeendirectinghiscourse;foralthoughitwasaventuresomeundertakingtoslidedownsosteepandruggedahill，hewasdeterminedrathertobreakhisneckthanlowerhispride，andbecomethelaughing—stockoftheparish.
Onemoretackthroughaldercopseandjuniperjungle——hardindeed，andterriblyvexatious——andhesawwithdelightthegreatopenslope，coveredwithanunbrokensurfaceofglitteringsnow.
Thesun（whichatmidwinterisbutafewhoursabovethehorizon）
hadset;andthestarswereflashingforthwithdazzlingbrilliancy.Ralphstopped，ashereachedtheclearing，togiveBicepsanopportunitytoovertakehim;forBiceps，likeallmarineanimals，movedwithlessdexterityonthedryland.
\"Ralph，\"hewhisperedbreathlessly，ashepushedhimselfuptohiscompanionwithavigorousthrustofhisskee—staff，\"therearetwoawfulchapsclosebehindus.Idistinctlyheardthemspeak.\"
\"Fiddlesticks，\"saidRalph;\"nowletusseewhatyouaremadeof！
Don’ttakemytrack，oryoumayimpalemelikearoastpigonaspit.Now，ready！——one，two，three！\"
\"Holdonthere，orIshoot，\"yelledahoarsevoicefromoutoftheunderbrush;butitwastoolate;foratthesameinstantthetwoboysslidoutoverthesteepslope，and，wrappedinawhirlofloosesnow，werescuddingatadizzyingspeeddowntheprecipitoushill—side.Thump，thump，thump，theywent，wherehiddenwood—pilesorfencesobstructedtheirpath，andouttheyshotintospace，buteachtimecamedownfirmlyontheirfeet，anddashedaheadwithundiminishedardor.Theircalvesached，thecoldairwhistledintheirears，andtheireyelidsbecamestiffandtheirsighthalfobscuredwiththehoar—frostthatfringedtheirlashes.Butonwardtheysped，keepingtheirbalancewithwonderfulskill，untiltheyreachedthegentlerslopewhichformedthebanksofthegreatriver.ThenforthefirsttimeRalphhadanopportunitytolookbehindhim，andhesawtwomovingwhirlsofsnowdartingdownward，notfarfromhisowntrack.Hisheartbeatinhisthroat;forthosefellowshadbothenduranceandskill，andhefearedthathewasnomatchforthem.Butsuddenly——hecouldhaveyelledwithdelight——theforemostfigureleapedintotheair，turnedatremendoussomersault，and，comingdownonhishead，brokethroughthecrustofthesnowandvanished，whilehisskeesstartedonanindependentjourneydownthehill—side.Hehadstruckanexposedfence—rail，which，abruptlycheckinghisspeed，hadsenthimflyinglikearocket.
Theotherpoacherhadbarelytimetochangehiscourse，soastoavoidthesnag;buthewasunabletostopandrenderassistancetohisfallencomrade.Theboys，justastheywereshootingoutupontheice，sawbyhismotionsthathewashesitatingwhetherornotheshouldgiveupthechase.Heusedhisstaffasabrakeforafewmoments，soastoretardhisspeed;butdiscovering，perhaps，bythebrighteningstarlight，thathisadversarieswerenotfull—grownmen，hetookcourage，startedforwardagain，andtriedtomakeupforthetimehehadlost.Ifhecouldbutreachthesheriff’shousebeforetheboysdid，hecouldhavethemarrestedandcollecttheinformer’sfee，insteadofbeinghimselfarrestedandfinedasapoacher.Itwasaprizeworthracingfor！And，moreover，thereweretwoelks，worthtwenty—fivedollarsapiece，buriedinthesnowunderlogs.Thesealsowouldbelongtothevictor！Thepoacherdashedahead，strainingeverynerve，andreachedsafelythefootofthesteepdeclivity.Theboyswerenowbutafewhundredyardsaheadofhim.
\"Holdonthere，\"heyelledagain，\"orIshoot！\"
Hewasnotwithinrange，buthethoughthecouldfrightentheyoungstersintoabandoningtherace.Thesheriff’shousewasbutashortdistanceuptheriver.Itstall，blackchimneyscouldheseenloomingupagainstthestarlitsky.Therewasnoslopenowtoacceleratetheirspeed.Theyhadtopegawayfordearlife，pushingthemselvesforwardwiththeirskee—staves，laboringlikeplough—horses，panting，snorting，perspiring.Ralphturnedhisheadoncemore.Thepoacherwasgaininguponthem;therecouldbenodoubtofit.HewaswithintherangeofRalph’srifle;andasturdyfellowhewas，whoseemedgoodforacoupleofmilesyet.ShouldRalphsendabulletoverhisheadtofrightenhim？
No;thatmightgivethepoacheranexcuseforsendingbackabulletwithalessinnocentpurpose.PoorBiceps，hewaspantingandpuffinginhisheavywrapslikeasteamboat！Hedidnotonceopenhismouthtospeak;but，exertinghisvauntedmuscletotheutmost，keptabreastofhisfriend，andsometimespushedapaceortwoaheadofhim.Butitcosthimamightyeffort！Andyetthepoacherwasgaininguponhim！Theycouldseethelongbroadsideofwindowsinthesheriff’smansion，ablazewithChristmascandles.Theycamenearerandnearer！Thechurch—bellsuponthebendwereringinginthefestival.Fiveminutesmoreandtheywouldbeattheirgoal.Fiveminutesmore！Surelytheyhadstrengthenoughleftforthatsmallspaceoftime.Sohadthepoacher，probably！Thequestionwas，whichhadthemost.
Then，withashort，sharpresonance，followedbyalongreverberation，ashotrangoutandabulletwhizzedpastRalph’sear.Itwasthepoacherwhohadbrokenthepeace.Ralph，hisbloodboilingwithwrath，cametoasuddenstop，flunghisrifletohischeekandcried，\"Dropthatgun！\"
Thepoacher，bearingdownwithallhismightontheskee—staff，checkedhisspeed.InthemeanwhileAlberthurriedon，seeingthattheissueoftheracedependeduponhim.
\"Don’tforcemetohurtye！\"shoutedthepoacher，threateningly，toRalph，takingaimoncemore.
\"Youcan’t，\"Ralphshoutedback.\"Youhaven’tanothershot.\"
Atthatinstantsoundsofsleigh—bellsandvoiceswereheard，andhalfadozenpeople，startledbytheshot，wereseenrushingoutfromthesheriff’smansion.AmongthemwasMr.Bjornerudhimself，withoneofhisdeputies.
\"Inthenameofthelaw，Icommandyoutocease，\"hecried，whenhesawdownthetwofiguresinmenacingattitudes.Butbeforehecouldsayanotherword，someonefellprostrateintheroadbeforehim，gasping：
\"Wehaveshotanelk;sohasthatmandownontheice.Wegiveourselvesup.\"
Mr.Bjornerud，makingnoanswer，leapedovertheprostratefigure，and，followedbythedeputy，dasheddownupontheice.
\"Inthenameofthelaw！\"heshoutedagain，andbothrifleswerereluctantlylowered.
\"Ihaveshotanelk，\"criedRalph，eagerly，\"andthismanisapoacher，weheardhimshoot.\"
\"Ihavekilledanelk，\"screamedthepoacher，inthesamemoment，\"andsohasthisfellow.\"
Thesheriffwastooastonishedtospeak.Neverbefore，inhisexperience，hadpoachersracedfordearlifetogivethemselvesintocustody.Hefearedthattheyweremakingsportofhim;inthatcase，however，heresolvedtomakethemsufferfortheiraudacity.
\"Youaremyprisoners，\"hesaid，afteramoment’shesitation.
\"Takethemtothelock—up，Olsen，andhandcuffthemsecurely，\"headded，turningtohisdeputy.
Therewerenowadozenmen——mostofthemguestsandattendantsofthesheriff’shousehold——standinginaringaboutRalphandthepoacher.Albert，too，hadscrambledtohisfeetandhadjoinedhiscomrade.
\"Willyoupermitme，Mr.Sheriff，\"saidRalph，makingtheofficerhispolitestbow，\"tosendamessagetomyfather，whoisprobablyanxiousaboutus？\"
\"Andwhoisyourfather，youngman？\"askedthesheriff，notunkindly;\"Ishouldthinkyouweredoinghimanill—turnintakingtopoachingatyourearlyage.\"
\"MyfatherisMr.Hoyer，ofSolheim，\"saidtheboy，notwithoutsomeprideintheannouncement.
\"What——yourascal，you！Areyoutryingto，playpranksonanoldman？\"criedtheofficerofthelaw，graspingRalphcordiallybythehand.\"You’vegrowntobequiteaman，sinceIsawyoulast.
Pardonmefornotrecognizingthesonofanoldneighbor.\"
\"Allowmetointroducetoyoumyfriend，Mr.Biceps——Imean，Mr.
AlbertGrimlund.\"
\"Happytomakeyouracquaintance，Mr.BicepsAlbert;andnowyoumustbothcomeandeattheChristmasporridgewithus.I’llsendamessengertoMr.Hoyerwithoutdelay.\"
Thesheriff，inajollymood，andhappytohaveaddedtothenumberofhisChristmasguests，tookeachofthetwoyoungmenbythearm，asifheweregoingtoarrestthem，andconductedthemthroughthespaciousfronthallintoalargecoseyroom，where，havingdivestedthemselvesoftheirwraps，theytoldthestoryoftheiradventure.
\"But，mydearsir，\"Mr.Bjornerudexclaimed，\"Idon’tseehowyoumanagedtogobeyondyourfather’spreserves.Youknowheboughtofmethewholeforesttract，adjoininghisownonthesouth，aboutthreemonthsago.Soyouwereperfectlywithinyourrights;foryourfatherhasn’tkilledanelkonhislandforthreeyears.\"
\"Ifthatisthecase，Mr.Sheriff，\"saidRalph，\"Imustbegofyoutoreleasethepoorfellowwhochasedus.Idon’twishanyinformer’sfee，norhaveIanydesiretogethimintotrouble.\"
\"IamsorrytosayIcan’taccommodateyou，\"Bjornerudreplied.
\"Thismanisanotoriouspoacherandtrespasser，whommydeputieshavelongbeentrackinginvain.NowthatIhavehimIshallkeephim.There’snoelksafeinOdalensolongasthatrascalisatlarge.\"
\"Thatmaybe;butIshallthenturnmyinformer’sfeeovertohim，whichwillreducehisfinefromfiftydollarstotwenty—fivedollars.\"
\"Toencouragehimtocontinuepoaching？\"
\"Well，IconfessIhavealittlemoresympathywithpoachers，sincewecamesonearbeingpoachersourselves.Itwasonlyanaccidentthatsavedus！\"
THENIXY’SSTRAIN
LittleNilshadanideathathewantedtobesomethinggreatintheworld，buthedidnotquiteknowhowtosetaboutit.Hehadalwaysbeentoldthat，havingbeenbornonaSunday，hewasaluck—child，andthatgoodfortunewouldattendhimonthataccountinwhateverheundertook.
Hehadnever，sofar，noticedanythingpeculiarabouthimself，though，tobesure，hissmallenterprisesdidnotusuallycometogrief，hissnareswereseldomempty，andhistinystamping—mill，whichheandhisfriendThorsteinhadworkedatsofaithfully，wasnowmakingamerrynoiseoverinthebrookintheWestmoGlen，sothatyoucouldhearitahundredyardsaway.
Thereasonofthis，hismothertoldhim，accordingtothesuperstitionofherpeople，wasthattheNixyandtheHulder[3]
andthegnomesfavoredhimbecausehewasaSundaychild.Whatwasmore，sheassuredhim，thathewouldseethemsomeday，andthen，ifheconductedhimselfcleverly，soastowintheirfavor，hewould，bytheiraid，risehighintheworld，andmakehisfortune.
[3]Thegeniusofcattle，representedasabeautifulmaidendisfiguredbyaheifer’stail，whichsheisalwaystryingtohide，thoughoftenunsuccessfully.
NowthiswasexactlywhatNilswanted，andthereforehewasnotalittleanxioustocatchaglimpseofthemysteriouscreatureswhohadsowhimsicalareasonfortakinganinterestinhim.ManyandmanyatimehesatatthewaterfallwheretheNixywassaidtoplaytheharpeverymidsummernight，butalthoughhesometimesimaginedthatheheardavaguemelodytremblingthroughtherushandroarofthewater，andsawglimpsesofwhitelimbsflashingthroughthecurrent，yetneverdidhegetagoodlookattheNixy.
Thoughheroamedthroughthewoodsearlyandlate，settingsnaresforbirdsandrabbits，andwaseveronthealertforasightoftheHulder’sgoldenhairandscarletbodice，thetricksyspritepersistedineludinghim.
Hethoughtsometimesthatheheardafaint，girlishgiggle，fullofteasingprovocationandsuppressedglee，amongtheunderbrush，andonceheimaginedthathesawagleamofscarletandgoldvanishinadensealdercopse.
Butverylittlegooddidthatdohim，whenhecouldnotfixthevision，talkwithitfacetoface，andextortthefulfilmentofthethreeregulationwishes.
\"Iamprobablynotgoodenough，\"thoughtNils.\"IknowIamaselfishfellow，andcruel，too，some—times，tobirdsandbeasts.
Isupposeshewon’thaveanythingtodowithme，aslongassheisn’tsatisfiedwithmybehavior.\"
Thenhetriedhardtobekindandconsiderate;smiledathislittlesisterwhenshepulledhishair，pattedSultan，thedog，insteadofkickinghim，whenhewasinhisway，andnevercomplainedorsulkedwhenhewassentonerrandslateatnightorinbadweather.
But，strangetosay，thoughtheNixy’smysteriousmelodystillsoundedvaguelythroughthewater’sroar，andtheHulderseemedtotitterbehindthetree—trunksandvanishintheunderbrush，areal，unmistakableviewwasnevervouchsafedtoNils，andthethreewisheswhichweretomakehisfortunehehadnochanceofpropounding.
Hehadfullymadeuphismindwhathiswishesweretobe，forhewasdeterminednottobetakenbysurprise.Heknewwellthefateofthosefoolishpersonsinthefairytaleswhooffendtheirbenevolentprotectorsbybouncingagainstthemheadforemost，asitwere，withagreedycryforwealth.
Nilswasnotgoingtobecaughtthatway.Hewouldaskfirstforwisdom——thatwaswhatallright—mindedheroesdid——thenforgoodreputeamongmen，andlastly——andherewastherub——lastlyhewasinclinedtoaskforafive—bladedknife，liketheonetheparson’sThorwaldhadgotforaChristmaspresent.
Buthehadconsiderablemisgivingabouttheexpediencyofthislastwish.Ifhehadafairrenownandwisdom，mighthenotbeabletogetalongwithoutafive—bladedpocket—knife？Butno;
therewasnohelpforit.Withoutthatfive—bladedpocket—knifeneitherwisdomnorfamewouldsatisfyhim.Itwouldbethedropofgallinhiscupofjoy.
Aftermanydays’pondering，itoccurredtohim，asawayoutofthedifficulty，thatitwould，perhaps，notoffendtheHulderifheasked，notforwealth，butforamoderateprosperity.Ifhewereblessedwithamoderateprosperity，hecould，ofcourse，buyafive—bladedpocket—knifewithcorkscrewandallotherappurtenances，andstillhavesomethingleftover.
Hehadadreadfulstrugglewiththisquestion，forhewaswellawarethattheproperthingstowishwerelonglifeandhappinessforhisfatherandmother，orsomethinginthatline.But，thoughhewishedhisfatherandmotherwell，hecouldnotmakeuphismindtoforegohisownpreciouschancesontheiraccount.
Moreover，heconsoledhimselfwiththereflectionthatifheattainedthegoalofhisowndesireshecouldeasilybestowuponthem，ofhisbounty，areasonableprospectoflonglifeandhappiness.
YouseeNilswasbynomeanssogoodyetasheoughttobe.HewascleverenoughtoperceivethathehadsmallchanceofseeingtheHulder，aslongashisheartwasfullofselfishnessandenvyandgreed.
For，striveashemight，hecouldnothelpfeelingenviousoftheparson’sThorwald，withhiselaboratecombinationpocket—knifeandhissilverwatch—chain，whichheunfeelinglyflauntedinthefaceofanadmiringcommunity.ItwassmallconsolationforNilstoknowthattherewasnowatchbutonlyakeyattachedtoit;
forasilverwatch—chain，evenwithoutawatch，wasasufficientlysplendidpossessiontojustifyaboyinfordingitoverhislessfortunatecomrades.
Nils’sfather，whowasapoorcharcoal—burner，couldneveraffordtomakehissonsuchapresent，evenifheworkeduntilhewasasblackasachimney—sweep.Forwhatlittlemoneyheearnedwasneededatonceforfoodandclothesforthefamily;andthereweretimeswhentheywereobligedtomixgroundbirch—barkwiththeirflourinordertomakeitlastlonger.
Itwaseasyenoughforarichman’ssontobegood，Nilsthought.
Itwassmallcredittohimifhewasnotenvious，havingneverknownwantandnevergonetobedonbirch—barkporridge.Butforapoorboynottocovetallthenicethingswhichwouldmakelifesopleasant，ifhehadthem，seemednexttoimpossible.
StillNilskeptonmakinggoodresolutionsandbreakingthem，andthenpiecingthemtogetheragainandbreakingthemanew.
IfithadnotbeenforhisdesiretoseetheHulderandtheNixy，andmakingthempromisethefulfilmentofthethreewishes，hewouldhavegivenupthestruggle，andresignedhimselftobeingabadboybecausehewasbornso.ButthoseteasingglimpsesoftheHulder’sscarletbodiceandgoldenhair，andthevaguesnatchesofwondrousmelodythatrosefromthecataractinthesilentsummernights，filledhissoulwithanintensedesiretoseethewholeHulder，withherradiantsmileandmelancholyeyes，andtohearthewholemelodyplainlyenoughtobewrittendownonpaperandlearnedbyheart.
ItwaswiththislongingtorepeatthefewhauntingnotesthathummedinhisbrainthatNilswenttotheschoolmasteronedayandaskedhimfortheloanofhisfiddle.Buttheschoolmaster，hearingthatNilscouldnotplay，thoughthisrequestafoolishoneandrefused.
Nevertheless，thatvisitbecameanimportantevent，andaturning—pointintheboy’slife.Forhewasmovedtoconfideintheschoolmaster，whowasakindlyoldman，andfondofcleverboys;andhebecameinterestedinNils.ThoughheregardedNils’sdesiretorecordtheNixy’sstrainsasabsurd，heofferedtoteachhimtoplay.Therewasgoodstuffinthelad，hethought，andwhenhehadout—grownhisfantasticnonsense，hemight，verylikely，makeagoodfiddler.
Thusitcametopassthatthecharcoal—burner’ssonlearnedtoplaytheviolin.HehadnothadhalfadozenlessonsbeforehesetaboutimitatingtheNixy’snoteswhichhehadheardinthewaterfall.
\"Itwasthisway，\"hesaidtotheschoolmaster，pressinghisearagainsttheviolin，whileheranthebowlightlyoverthestrings;\"orratheritwasthisway，\"makinganotherineffectualeffort.\"No，no，thatwasn’tit，either.It’snouse，schoolmaster：Ishallneverbeabletodoit！\"hecried，flingingtheviolinonthetableandrushingoutofthedoor.
Whenhereturnedthenextdayhewasheartilyashamedofhisimpatience.TotrytocatchtheNixy’snotesafterhalfadozenlessonswas，ofcourse，anabsurdity.
Themastertoldhimsimplytobanishsuchfollyfromhisbrain，toapplyhimselfdiligentlytohisscales，andnottobotherhimselfabouttheNixy.
ThatseemedtobesoundadviceandNilsaccepteditwithcontrition.Hedeterminednevertorepeathissillyexperiment.
Butwhenthenextmidsummernightcame，awildyearningpossessedhim，andhestoleoutnoiselesslyintotheforest，andsatdownonastonebytheriver，listeningintently.
Foralongwhileheheardnothingbutthemonotonousboomofthewaterplungingintothedeep.But，strangelyenough，therewasavague，hushedrhythminthisthunderingroar;andafterawhileheseemedtohearafaintstrain，ravishinglysweet，whichvibratedontheairforaninstantandvanished.
Itseemedtostealuponhisearunawares，andthemomenthelistened，withadeterminationtocatchit，itwasgone.Butsweetitwas——inexpressiblysweet.
Letthemastertalkasmuchasheliked，catchithewouldandcatchithemust.Buthemustacquiregreaterskillbeforehewouldbeabletorendersomethingsodelicateandelusive.
AccordinglyNilsappliedhimselfwithallhismightandmaintohismusic，intheintervalsbetweenhiswork.
Hewasbigenoughnowtoaccompanyhisfathertothewoods，andhelphimpileturfandearthontheheapoflogsthatweretobeburnedtocharcoal.HedidnotseetheHulderfacetoface，thoughhewasconstantlyonthewatchforher;butonceortwicehethoughthesawaswiftflashofscarletandgoldintheunderbrush，andagainandagainhethoughtheheardhersoft，teasinglaughterinthealdercopses.That，too，heimaginedhemightexpressinmusic;andthenexttimehegotholdoftheschoolmaster’sfiddlehequaveredawayonthefourthstring，butproducednothingthathadtheremotestresemblancetomelody，muchlesstothatsweetlaughter.
Hegrewsodiscouragedthathecouldhavewept.Hehadawildimpulsetobreakthefiddle，andnevertouchanotheraslongashelived.Butheknewhecouldnotliveuptoanysuchresolution.Thefiddlewasalreadytoodeartohimtoberenouncedforamomentarywhim.Butitwaslikeanunrequitedaffection，whichbroughtasmuchsorrowasjoy.
TherewassomuchthatNilsburnedtoexpress;butthefiddlerefusedtoobeyhim，andscreechedsomethingutterlydiscordant，asitseemed，fromsheerperversity.
ItoccurredtoNilsagain，thatunlesstheNixytookpityonhimandtaughthimthatmarvellous，airystrainhewouldnevercatchit.WouldhetheneverbegoodenoughtowinthefavoroftheNixy？
Forinthefairytalesitisalwaysthebadpeoplewhocometogrief，whilethegoodandmercifulonesaresomehowrewarded.
ItwasevidentlybecausehewasyetfarfrombeinggoodenoughthatbothHulderandNixyeludedhim.Sundaychildthoughhewas，thereseemedtobesmallchancethathewouldeverbeabletopropoundhisthreewishes.
Onlynow，thethirdwishwasnolongerafive—bladedpocket—knife，butaviolinofsofinearinganddelicatemodulationthatitmightrendertheNixy’sstrain.
Whilethesedesiresandfanciesfoughtinhisheart，Nilsgrewtobeayoungman;andhestillwas，whathehadalwaysbeen——acharcoal—burner.Hewenttotheparsonforhalfayeartoprepareforconfirmation;andbyhisgentlenessandsweetnessofdispositionattractednotonlythegoodmanhimself，butallwithwhomhecameincontact.Hisanswerswerealwaysthoughtful，andbetrayedagoodmind.
Hewasnotaprig，byanymeans，whoheldalooffromsportandplay;hecouldlaughwiththemerriest，runaracewiththeswiftest，andtryawrestlingmatchwiththestrongest.
Therewasnooneamongthecandidatesforconfirmation，thatyear，whowassowelllikedasNils.Gentleashewasandsoft—spoken，therewasamanlyspiritinhim，andthatalwayscommandsrespectamongboys.
Hereceivedmuchpraisefromthepastor，andnooneenviedhimthekindwordsthatwereaddressedtohim;foreveryonefeltthattheyweredeserved.ButthethoughtinNils’smindduringalltheceremonyinthechurchandintheparsonagewasthis：
\"Now，perhaps，IshallbegoodenoughtowintheNixy’sfavor.
NowIshallcatchthewondrousstrain.\"
Itdidnotoccurtohim，inhiseagerness，thatsuchareflectionwasoutofplaceinchurch;norwasit，perhaps，fortheNixy’sstrainwasconstantlyassociatedinhismindwithallthatwasbestinhim;withhishighestaspirations，andhisconstantstrivingsforgoodnessandnoblenessinthoughtanddeed.
Ithappenedaboutthistimethattheoldschoolmasterdied，andinhiswillitwasfoundthathehadbequeathedhisfiddletoNils.Hehadverylittleelsetoleave，poorfellow;butifhehadbeenaCroesushecouldnothavegivenhisfavoritepupilanythingthatwouldhavedelightedhimmore.
Nilsplayednowearlyandlate，exceptwhenhewasinthewoodswithhisfather.Hisfamewentabroadthroughallthevalleyasthebestfiddlerinsevenparishesround，andpeopleoftencamefromafartohearhim.Therewasapeculiarqualityinhisplaying——somethingstrangelyappealing，thatbroughtthetearstoone’seyes——yetsoelusivethatitwasimpossibletorepeatordescribeit.
ItwasrumoredamongthevillagersthathehadcaughttheNixy’sstrain，andthatitwasthatwhichtouchedtheheartsodeeplyinhisimprovisations.ButNilsknewwellthathehadnotcaughttheNixy’sstrain;thoughafaintecho——ahauntingundertone——ofthatvaguelyrememberedsnatchofmelody，heardnowandtheninthewater’sroar，wouldstealattimesintohismusic，whenhewas，perhaps，himselfleastawareofit.
Invitationsnowcametohimfromfarandwidetoplayatweddinganddancingpartiesandfunerals.TherewasnofeastcompletewithoutNils;andsoonthisstrangethingwasnoticed，thatquarrelsandbrawls，whichinthosedayswerecommonenoughinNorway，wererarewhereverNilsplayed.
Itseemedasifhiscalmandgentlepresencecalledforthallthatwasgoodinthefeastersandbanishedwhateverwasevil.
Suchwashispopularitythatheearnedmoremoneybyhisfiddlinginaweekthanhisfatherhadeverdonebycharcoal—burninginamonth.
Ahalf—superstitiousregardforhimbecamegeneralamongthepeople;first，becauseitseemedimpossiblethatanymancouldplayashedidwithouttheaidofsomesupernaturalpower;andsecondly，becausehisgentledemeanorandquaint，tersesayingsinspiredthemwithadmiration.Itwasdifficulttotellbywhomthename，WiseNils，wasfirststarted，butitwasfeltbyalltobeappropriate，anditthereforeclungtothemodestfiddler，inspiteofallhisprotests.
Beforehewastwenty—fiveyearsolditbecamethefashiontogotohimandconsulthimindifficultsituations;andthoughhelongshrankfromgivingadvice，hisreluctanceworeaway，whenitbecameevidenttohimthathecouldactuallybenefitthepeople.
Therewasnothingmysteriousinhiscounsel.Allhesaidwasasclearandrationalastheday—light.Butthegoodfolkwereneverthelessinclinedtoattributeahigherauthoritytohim;andwoulddesistfromviceorfollyforhissake，whentheywouldnotfortheirownsake.Itwasodd，indeed：thisWiseNils，thefiddler，becameagreatmaninthevalley，andhisrenownwentabroadandbroughthimvisitors，seekinghiscounsel，fromdistantparishes.Rarelydidanyoneleavehimdisappointed，oratleastwithoutbeingbenefitedbyhissympatheticadvice.
Onesummer，duringthetouristseason，afamousforeignmusiciancametoNorway，accompaniedbyarichAmericangentleman.Whileinhisneighborhood，theyheardthestoryoftherusticfiddler，andbecamenaturallycurioustoseehim.
Theyaccordinglywenttohiscottage，inordertohavesomesportwithhim，fortheyexpectedtofindavainandignorantcharlatan，inflatedbytheflatteryofhismoreignorantneighbors.ButNilsreceivedthemwithasimpledignitywhichquitedisarmedthem.Theyhadcometomock;theystayedtoadmire.Thispeasant’sartlessspeech，madeupofancientproverbsandshrewdcommon—sense，andinstinctwithacertainsunnybeneficence，impressedthemwonderfully.
Andwhen，attheirrequest，heplayedsomeofhisimprovisations，therenownedmusicianexclaimedthatherewas，indeed，agreatartistlosttotheworld.Inspiteofthepoorviolin，therewasamarvellouslytouchingqualityinthemusic;somethingnewandalluringwhichhadneverbeenheardbefore.