Page:Christmas Fireside Stories.djvu/96

 84 A Day with the Capercailzies. back they were all gone, every one of them. There wasn't as much as a silver sixpence left ; there was only the clear water which glistened in the sun as it ran over the pebbles. Shortly afterwards they began working the copper mines in the same neighbourhood, and there was such a noise, firing and blasting, early and late, that there was no peace at any time. Late one evening when Ronnau had been down to the brook, she met a big man on a large black horse. He had a whole row of carts after him loaded with all sorts of household effects and furniture, and he had also some cows and sheep with him, I feel as if my poor head were going to pieces. I can't stand it any longer, so lam moving to my brother Tinn in Thelemarken. But I say, Ronnau,' he asked suddenly, * why did you want all my silver things that time you saw them in the brook ? If you had been satisfied with what you could have carried in your apron, you should have had that.' M Since that time," added Peter, " I have not heard of anybody who has seen anything of this kind in our neighbourhood, either because they have moved away from here or because they keep themselves at home. Such witchcraft has no power now to show itself, because the people don't believe in it any more/' "Yes, there is more truth in that than you think, my dear friend," said the captain ; " people who know more than both you and I, say the same. But for all that, you may still run the risk of coming across some of them." At the repeated requests of the captain, Peter continued ta divert us during the night with legends, tales, and stories about his sporting adventures. Now and then the captain would treat us to some of his own experiences on his hunting expeditions, which generally contained some sarcastic reference to one or another of the bears which Peter had missed, at which Peter always assumed a curious grinning smile and scratched his ear. Sometimes he would give me a sly wink with one of his eyes, which seemed to
 * ' * Good evening, Ronnau,' he said ; ' I am moving now/
 * So I see,' she answered ; ' but why are you leaving ? '
 * "Oh, they are making such a noise in the mines here now, that