The smoke meant someone near--possibly a camp of Lapps. Let's go and
see.
He topped the last mound, and there was the fire just below. Two girls
jumped to their feet; there was a bright coffee-kettle on the fire, and
on the moss-covered ground close by bread and butter and sandwiches laid
out on a paper tablecloth.
Peer stopped short in surprise. The girls gazed at him for a moment, and
he at them, all three with a hesitating smile.
At last Peer lifted his hat and asked the way to Rustad saeter. It took
them some time to explain this, and then they asked him the time. He
told them exactly to the minute, and then showed them his watch so that
they might see for themselves. All this took more time. Meanwhile, they
had inspected each other, and found no reason to part company just yet.
One of the girls was tall, slender of figure, with a warm-coloured oval
face and dark brown hair. Her eyebrows were thick and met above the
nose, delightful to look at. She wore a blue serge dress, with the skirt
kilted up a little, leaving her ankles visible. The other was a blonde,
smaller of stature, and with a melancholy face, though she smiled
constantly. "Oh," she said suddenly, "have you a pocket-knife by any
chance?"
"Oh yes!" Peer was just moving off, but gladly seized the opportunity to
stay a while.
"We've a tin of sardines here, and nothing to open it with," said the
dark one.
"Let me try," said Peer. As luck would have it, he managed to cut
himself a little, and the two girls tumbled over each other to tie up
the wound.
Pages:
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119