“As he had to sit in the saddle when he should have been at home in his bed, he was glad it was not a rough night.  The weather was mild, the air still and the skies overcast.  Behind the clouds hung a full round moon which gave some light, although it was out of sight.  But for that faint light it would have been impossible for him to distinguish paths from fields, for that was a snowless winter, and all things had the same grayish-brown colour.

“The horse the dean rode was one he prized very highly.  He was strong and sturdy, and quite as wise as a human being.  He could find his way home from any place in the township.  The dean had observed this on several occasions, and he relied upon it with such a sense of security that he never troubled himself to think where he was going when he rode that horse.  So he came along now in the gray night, through the bewildering forest, with the reins dangling and his thoughts far away.

“He was thinking of the sermon he had to preach on the morrow, and of much else besides, and it was a long time before it occurred to him to notice how far along he was on his homeward way.  When he did glance up, he saw that the forest was as dense about him as at the beginning, and he was somewhat surprised, for he had ridden so long that he should have come to the inhabited portion of the township.

“Delsbo was about the same then as now.  The church and parsonage and all the large farms and villages were at the northern end of the township, while at the southern part there were only forests and mountains.  The dean saw that he was still in the unpopulated district and knew that he was in the southern part and must ride to the north to get home.  There were no stars, nor was there a moon to guide him; but he was a man who had the four cardinal points in his head.  He had the positive feeling that he was travelling southward, or possibly eastward.

“He intended to turn the horse at once, but hesitated.  The animal had never strayed, and it did not seem likely that he would do so now.  It was more likely that the dean was mistaken.  He had been far away in thought and had not looked at the road.  So he let the horse continue in the same direction, and again lost himself in his reverie.

“Suddenly a big branch struck him and almost swept him off the horse.  Then he realized that he must find out where he was.

“He glanced down and saw that he was riding over a soft marsh, where there was no beaten path.  The horse trotted along at a brisk pace and showed no uncertainty.  Again the dean was positive that he was going in the wrong direction, and now he did not hesitate to interfere.  He seized the reins and turned the horse about, guiding him back to the roadway.  No sooner was he there than he turned again and made straight for the woods.

“The dean was certain that he was going wrong, but because the beast was so persistent he thought that probably he was trying to find a better road, and let him go along.