"Well, and so I say, how am I to feed them when I've to run away all
times in the busy season, to work on the telegraph line?"

"Say no more about it," said the engineer. "I'll get the man down
below you, Brede Olsen; he'll be glad to take it." He turned to his
men with a brief word: "Now, lads, we'll be getting on,"

Now Oline had heard from the way Isak spoke that he was stiff-necked
and unreasonable in his mind, and she would make the most of it.

"What was that you said, Isak? Sixteen goats? There's no more than
fifteen," said she.

Isak looked at her, and Oline looked at him again, straight in the
face.

"Not sixteen goats?" said he.

"No," said she, looking helplessly towards the strangers, as if to say
how unreasonable he was.

"Ho!" said Isak softly. He drew a tuft of his beard between his teeth
and stood chewing it.

The engineer and his men went on their way.

Now, if Isak had wanted to show his displeasure with Oline and maybe
thrash her for her doings, here was his chance--a Heaven-sent chance
to do that thing. They were alone in the house; the children had gone