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 An Evening in the Squire's Kitchen. 252 he was a regular disagreeable fellow, who had lawsuits with every body. Well, he had once a case before the Court of Appeal ia Christiania, and he had to be in court at ten o'clock in the morning. He thought he had better start from home the evening before to be in time, which he did ; but when he came to the Asmyr hill his horse was stopped. There is something not quite right there aboute; many years ago some one hung himself there, and there are many who have heard music there, both on fiddles and clario nettes and flutes and other wind instruments. Yes, old Mother Bertha could tell something about that ; she has heard it and she says she never heard anything so beautiful, it was just like the grand band which was over at the bailifFs in 1814. Isn't that true, Bertha ? " asked the smith. " Yes, every word of it, my lad," said Mother Bertha, who was sitting near the hearth carding. " Well, as I told you, the horse was stopped," continued the smith, " and it would not move from the spot. For all he whipped and shouted the horse only danced round in a ring, but he couldn't get him to move either forward or backward. Hour passed after hour, but there the horse stood —and thus the whole night through. He knew some one must be holding the horse, for although he cursed and went on at an awful rate, he did not get a step farther. Towards the morning, just in the grey dawn, he got off the horse and went up to Ingebret Asmyr, and got him to bring a firebrand with him, and when he had got in the saddle again, he asked him to throw the firebrand over the horse. I should say he got a start then ; away he went at full gallop ; Peter could scarcely stick to the horse, and did not stop till he reached town ; but then the horse was burst" "I have heard of thfe before/' said old Bertha, and left off carding; "but I would never believe that Peter Sannum didn't know better than that : but since you, Kristen, say so, I suppose I must believe it." " Yes, you may," answered the smith ; " for I heard it from Ingebret Asmyr himself, who carried the firebrand and threw it over the horse for him."