A notable procession coming up to Sellanraa; Something laughable to look at, maybe, but more than that.  Three men with enormous burdens, with sacks hanging down from their shoulders, front and back.  Walking one behind the other, and calling to one another with jesting words, but heavily laden.  Little Andresen, chief clerk, is head of that procession; indeed, ’tis his procession; he has fitted out himself, and Sivert from Sellanraa, and one other, Fredrik Stroem from Breidablik, for the expedition.  A notable little man is Andresen; his shoulder is weighed down slantwise on one side, and his jacket pulled all awry at the neck, the way he goes, but he carries his burden on and on.

Storborg and the business Eleseus had left—­well, not bought it straight out on the spot, perhaps, ’tis more than Andresen could afford; better afford to wait a bit and get the whole maybe for nothing.  Andresen is no fool; he has taken over the place on lease for the meanwhile, and manages the business himself.

Gone through the stock in hand, and found a deal of unsalable truck in Eleseus’ store, even to such things as toothbrushes and embroidered table centres; ay, and stuffed birds on springs that squeaked when you pressed in the right place.

These are the things he has started out with now, going to sell them to the miners on the other side of the hills.  He knows from Aronsen’s time that miners with money in their pockets will buy anything on earth.  Only a pity he had to leave behind six rocking-horses that Eleseus had ordered on his last trip to Bergen.

The caravan turns into the yard at Sellanraa and sets down its load.  No long wait here; they drink a mug of milk, and make pretence of trying to sell their wares on the spot, then shoulder their burdens and off again.  They are not out for pretence.  Off they go, trundling southward through the forest.

They march till noon, rest for a meal and on again till evening.  Then they camp and make a fire, lie down, and sleep a while.  Sivert sleeps resting on a boulder that he calls an arm-chair.  Oh, Sivert knows what he is about; here’s the sun been warming that boulder all day, till it’s a good place to sit and sleep.  His companions are not so wise, and will not take advice; they lie down in the heather, and wake up feeling cold, and sneezing.  Then they have breakfast and start off again.

Listening now, for any sound of blasting about; they are hoping to come on the mine, and meet with folk some time that day.  The work should have got so far by now; a good way up from the water towards Sellanraa.  But never a sound of blasting anywhere.  They march till noon, meeting never a soul; but here and there they come upon holes in the ground, where men have been digging for trial.  What can this mean?  Means, no doubt, that the ore must be more than commonly rich at the farther end of the tract; they are getting out pure heavy copper, and keeping to that end all the time.