CHAPTER VIII.
The brother and sister left the inn at sunrise the next morning. Thefifteen mile walk from Dal to the celebrated falls of the Rjukan,and back again, was a mere trifle for Joel, but it was necessary toeconomize Hulda's strength, so Joel hired foreman Lengling's kariol.This, like all kariols, had but one seat, but the worthy man was solarge that he had been obliged to have his kariol built to order, andthis being the case the vehicle was large enough to enable Huldaand Joel to sit side by side quite comfortably; and if the expectedtourist was waiting for them at Rjukanfos as they anticipated, hecould take Joel's place and the latter could either return afoot ormounted upon the step behind the kariol.
The road from Dal to the falls is very rough but indescribablycharming. It is really rather a footpath than a road. The bridgesacross the countless streams that dance merrily along to the Maan areall constructed of unhewn logs, but the Norwegian horse traverses themwith a sure step, and though the kariol has no springs, its long andslightly elastic shafts soften the jolting at least to some extent.
The day was charming, and Hulda and Joel drove along at a brisk pacethrough the flowery fields, bathed on the left by the clear waters ofthe Maan. Clumps of birches here and there shaded the sunny road, andthe dew still glittered on the blades of grass. To the right of thetorrent towered the snow-clad summit of the Gousta, which rises to analtitude of six thousand feet.
For nearly an hour, the vehicle moved on rapidly, the ascent beingcomparatively slight; but soon the valley became narrower, the gayrivulets were transformed into foaming torrents, and though theroad wound in and out it could not avoid all the inequalities of theground. Beyond came really dangerous passes, through which Joel guidedthe vehicle with no little skill; besides, with him Hulda fearednothing. When the road was very rough she clung to his arm, and thefreshness of the morning air brought a glow to the pretty face whichhad been unusually pale for some time.
But it was necessary for them to ascend to still greater heights,for the valley here contracted into merely a narrow channel for thepassage of the river, a channel inclosed on either side by massivewalls of rock. Over the neighboring fields were scattered a fewdilapidated farm-houses, the remains of _soeters_, which were nowabandoned, and a few shepherd's huts almost hidden from view by clumpsof birches and oaks. Soon it became impossible for them to see theriver, though they could distinctly hear it dashing along in its rockychannel, and the country assumed an indescribably wild and imposingaspect.
A drive of two hours brought them to a rough saw-mill perched uponthe edge of a water-fall at least fifteen hundred feet in height.Water-falls of this height are by no means rare in the Vesfjorddal,but the volume of water is usually small. This is not the case withthe falls of the Rjukanfos however.
On reaching the saw-mill, Joel and Hulda both alighted.
"A half hour's walk will not be too much for you, will it, littlesister?" asked Joel.
"No, brother; I am not tired, and a little exercise will do me good."
"It will be a good deal instead of a little, for you will have somepretty hard climbing to do."
"I can cling to your arm, Joel."
It was evident that the kariol must be abandoned at this point, forit would be impossible for it to make its way through the rough paths,the narrow passes, and over the big, fantastically shaped rocks thatheralded the close proximity of the great falls.
Already, they could see in the distance a thick mist, the spray fromthe seething waters of Rjukan.
Hulda and Joel took a shady path which is well known to guides, andwhich leads to the end of the valley. A few moments afterward theyfound themselves upon a moss-covered rock almost in front of the fall.In fact there was no chance of getting any nearer to it on that side.
The brother and sister would have had considerable difficulty inmaking themselves heard if they had wished to speak; but theirthoughts were those that could be exchanged without the agency of thelips.
The volume of the Rjukan fall is enormous, its height veryconsiderable, and its roar deafening. The earth makes an abruptdescent of nine hundred feet to the bed of the Maan midway betweenLake Mjos and Lake Tinn, nine hundred feet, that is to say six timesthe height of Niagara, though the width of this last water-fall fromthe American to the Canadian shore is three miles.
The Rjukan is so grand and unique in its aspect that any descriptionfalls far short of the reality, and even a painting can not do justiceto it. There are certain wonders of nature that must be seen ifone would form any adequate conception of their beauty; and thiswater-fall, which is one of the most widely celebrated in Europe,belongs to this category.
These were the very thoughts that were passing through the mind of atourist who was at that very moment sitting perched upon a rock on theright bank of the Maan, from which spot he could command a nearer andmore extended view of the fall.
Neither Joel nor his sister had yet noticed him, though he was plainlyvisible from the rock on which they were seated.
In a few minutes the traveler rose and very imprudently ventured outupon the rocky slope that is rounded like a dome on the side next theMaan. What the adventurous tourist wished to see was evidently the twocaverns under the fall, the one to the left, which is ever filled tothe top with a mass of seething foam, and the one to the right, whichis always enshrouded in a heavy mist. Possibly he was even trying toascertain if there were not a third cavern midway down the fall toaccount for the fact that the Rjukan at intervals projects straightoutward into space a mass of water and spray, making it appear asif the waters had suddenly been scattered in a fine spray over thesurrounding fields by some terrific explosion in the rear of the fall.
And now the daring tourist was slowly but persistently making hisway over the rough and slippery ledge of rock, destitute alike ofshrubbery or grass, know as the Passe de Marie, or the Maristien.
It is more than probable, however, that he was ignorant of the legendthat has made this pass so widely know. One day Eystein endeavoredto reach his betrothed, the beautiful Marie of Vesfjorddal, by thisdangerous path. His sweetheart was holding out her arms to him fromthe other side of the gorge, when suddenly he lost his footing, fell,slipped further and further down the ledge of rock which is as smoothas glass, and disappeared forever in the seething rapids of the Maan.
Was this rash traveler about to meet a similar fate?
It seemed only too probable; and in fact he soon perceived the dangerof his position, though not until it was too late. Suddenly his footslipped, he uttered a cry, and after rolling nearly twenty feet, hefinally succeeded in securing a hold upon a projecting rock on thevery edge of the abyss.
Joel and Hulda, though they had not yet caught sight of him, heard hiscry.
"What is that?" exclaimed Joel, springing to his feet.
"A cry!" replied Hulda.
"Yes, a cry of distress."
"From what direction did it come?"
"Let us listen."
Both looked first to the right, and then to the left of the fall, butthey saw nothing, though they had certainly heard the words "Help!help!" uttered during one of the intervals between each rebound of theRjukan.
The cry was repeated.
"Joel, some one who is in danger is calling for help," cried Hulda."We must go to his aid."
"Yes, sister; and he can not be far off. But in what direction? Whereis he? I see no one."
Hulda hastily climbed a little knoll behind the mossy rock upon whichshe had been sitting.
"Joel!" she cried, suddenly.
"Do you see him?"
"There, there!"
As she spoke she pointed to the imprudent man whose body seemed tobe almost overhanging the abyss. If his foothold upon a tiny ledge ofrock failed him, or he was seized with dizziness, he was lost.
"We must save him!" said Hulda.
"Yes," replied Joel, "if we can keep our wits about us we shallperhaps be able to reach him."
Joel gave a loud shout to attract the attention of the
traveler,who immediately turned his head toward the spot from which the soundproceeded; then the worthy fellow devoted a few moments to decidinghow he could best rescue the stranger from his dangerous position.
"You are not afraid, are you, Hulda?" he asked.
"No, brother."
"You know the Maristien well, do you not?"
"I have crossed it several times."
"Then walk along the brow of the cliff, gradually getting as near thetraveler as you possibly can; then allow yourself to slide downgently toward him, and take him by the hand, so as to prevent himfrom falling any further; but do not let him try to lift himself up,because if he should be seized with vertigo he would certainly dragyou down with him, and you would both be lost."
"And you, Joel?"
"While you are traversing the brow of the cliff I will creep along theedge of it on the river-side. I shall reach him about as soon as youdo, and if you should slip I shall perhaps be able to prevent you bothfrom falling."
Then, taking advantage of another interval in the roaring of thetorrent, Joel shouted in stentorian tones:
"Don't move, sir. Wait; we will try to get to you!"
Hulda had already disappeared behind the trees that crowned the ledge,in order to ascend the Maristien from the other side of the declivity,and Joel soon caught a glimpse of the fast-receding form of the bravegirl at the turn in the path where the last trees grew.
He, in turn, at the peril of his life, had begun to creep slowlyalong the shelving edge of the ledge that surrounds the Rjukan. Whatwonderful coolness, what steadiness of foot and of hand were requiredto thus advance in safety along the edge of an abyss whose borderswere drenched with the spray of the cataract!
In a parallel direction, but at least one hundred feet above his head,Hulda was advancing obliquely in order to reach the traveler moreeasily; but the position of the latter was such that she could not seehis face, that being turned toward the cataract.
Joel, on reaching a spot directly below the unfortunate man paused,and after planting his foot firmly in a small crevice in the rock,called out:
"Hallo, sir!"
The traveler turned his head.
"Don't move, sir; don't move an inch, but hold fast!"
"I'll do that, my friend, never fear," replied the stranger in a tonethat reassured Joel. "If I hadn't a good grip, I should have gone tothe bottom of the Rjukan a quarter of an hour ago."
"My sister is also coming to help you," continued Joel. "She will takehold of your hand, but don't attempt to get upon your feet until Ireach you. Don't even move."
"No more than a rock," replied the traveler.
Hulda had already begun to descend the ledge, carefully selectingthe less slippery parts of the slope with the clear head of a truedaughter of the Telemark.
And she, too, now called out as Joel had done:
"Holdfast, sir."
"Yes; I am holding fast, and I assure you that I shall continue to doso as long as I can."
"And above all don't be afraid!" added Hulda.
"I am not afraid."
"We'll save you yet!" cried Joel.
"I hope so, indeed; for by Saint Olaf I shall never succeed in gettingout of this scrape myself."
It was evident that the tourist had lost none of his presence of mind;but his fall had probably disabled him, and all he could do now was tokeep himself upon the narrow shelf of rock that separated him from theabyss.
Meanwhile Hulda continued her descent, and in a few minutes reachedthe traveler; then, bracing her foot against a projecting point in therock, she caught hold of his hand.
The traveler involuntarily attempted to raise himself a little.
"Don't move, sir, don't move," cried Hulda. "You will be sure to dragme down with you, for I am not strong enough to keep you from falling!You must wait until my brother reaches us. When he gets between us andthe fall you can then try to get up."
"That is more easily said than done I fear."
"Are you so much hurt, sir? I hope you have broken no bones."
"No; but one leg is badly cut and scratched."
Joel was about twenty yards from them, the rounded shape of the browof the cliff having prevented him from joining them at once. He wasnow obliged to climb this rounded surface. This was, of course, themost difficult and also the most dangerous part of his task.
"Don't make the slightest movement, Hulda!" he cried. "If you shouldboth slip while I am not in a position to break your fall you wouldboth be killed."
"You need not fear that, Joel!" replied Hulda. "Think only ofyourself, and may God help you!"
Joel began to crawl slowly up the rock, dragging himself along on hisbelly like a veritable reptile. Two or three times he narrowlyescaped sliding down into the abyss below, but finally he succeeded inreaching the traveler's side.
The latter proved to be an elderly but still vigorous-lookingman, with a handsome face, animated with a very genial and kindlyexpression.
"You have been guilty of a very imprudent act, sir," remarked Joel assoon as he recovered his breath.
"Imprudent!" repeated the traveler. "Yes, and as absurd as it wasimprudent."
"You have not only risked your life, but--"
"Made you risk yours."
"Oh! that is my business," replied Joel, lightly. Then he added, inan entirely different tone: "The thing to be done now is to regain thebrow of the cliff, but the most difficult part of the task is alreadyaccomplished."
"The most difficult?"
"Yes, sir. That was to reach you. Now we have only to ascend a muchmore gradual slope.
"Still, you had better not place much dependence upon me, my boy. Ihave a leg that isn't of much use to me just now, nor will it be forsome time to come I fear."
"Try to raise yourself a little."
"I will gladly do so if you will assist me."
"Then take hold of my sister's arm. I will steady you and push youfrom below."
"Very well, my friends, I will be guided entirely by you; as you havebeen so kind as to come to my assistance, I can not do less than yieldyou implicit obedience."
Joel's plan was carried out in the most cautious manner, and thoughthe ascent was not made without considerable difficulty and danger,all three accomplished it more easily and quickly than they hadthought possible. Besides, the injury from which the traveler wassuffering was neither a sprain nor dislocation, but simply a very badabrasion of the skin; consequently, he could use his limbs to muchbetter purpose than he had supposed, and ten minutes later he foundhimself safe on the other side of the Maristien.
Once there, he would have been glad to rest awhile under the pinesthat border the upper _field_ of the Rjukanfos, but Joel persuadedhim to make one more effort. This was to reach a hut hidden among thetrees, a short distance from the rock, on which the brother and sisterhad seated themselves on first arriving at the fall. The traveleryielded to their solicitations, and supported on one side by Hulda,and on the other by Joel, he finally succeeded in reaching the door ofthe humble dwelling.
"Let us go in, sir," said Hulda. "You must want to rest a moment."
"The moment will probably be prolonged to a quarter of an hour."
"Very well, sir; but afterward you must consent to accompany us toDal."
"To Dal? Why, that is the very place I was going to!"
"Can it be that you are the tourist who was expected from the north?"asked Joel.
"Precisely."
"Had I foreseen what was going to happen, I should have gone to theother side of the Rjukanfos to meet you."
"That would have been a good idea, my brave fellow. You would havesaved me from a foolhardy act unpardonable at my age."
"Or at any age," replied Hulda.
The three entered the hut which was occupied by a family of peasants,a father and two daughters, who received their unexpected guests withgreat cordiality.
Joel was able to satisfy himself that the traveler had sustained noinjury beyond a severe abrasion of
the skin a little below the knee;but though the wound would necessitate a week's rest, the limb wasneither broken nor dislocated.
Some excellent milk, an abundance of strawberries, and a little blackbread were offered and accepted. Joel gave incontestable proofs of anexcellent appetite, and though Hulda eat almost nothing, the travelerproved a match for her brother.
"My exertions have given me a famous appetite," he remarked; "but Imust admit that my attempt to traverse the Maristien was an act of thegrossest folly. To play the part of the unfortunate Eystein when oneis old enough to be his father--and even his grandfather--is absurd inthe highest degree."
"So you know the legend?" said Hulda.
"Of course. My nurse used to sing me to sleep with it in the happydays when I still had a nurse. Yes, I know the story, my brave girl,so I am all the more to blame for my imprudence. Now, my friends, Dalseems a long way off to a cripple like myself. How do you propose toget me there?"
"Don't worry about that, sir," replied Joel. "Our kariol is waitingfor us at the end of the road, about three hundred yards from here."
"Hum! three hundred yards!"
"But downhill all the way," added Hulda.
"Oh, in that case, I shall do very well if you will kindly lend me anarm."
"Why not two, as we have four at your disposal?" responded Joel.
"We will say two then. It won't cost me any more, will it?"
"It will cost you nothing."
"Except my thanks; and that reminds me that I have not yet thankedyou."
"For what, sir?" inquired Joel.
"Merely for saving my life at the risk of your own."
"Are you quite ready to start?" inquired Hulda, rising to escape anyfurther expression of gratitude.
"Certainly, certainly. I am more than willing to be guided by thewishes of the other members of the party."
The traveler settled the modest charge made by the occupants of thecottage; then, supported by Joel and Hulda, he began the descent ofthe winding path leading to the river bank.
The descent was not effected without many exclamations of pain; butthese exclamations invariably terminated in a hearty laugh, and atlast they reached the saw-mill, where Joel immediately proceeded toharness the horse into the kariol.
Five minutes later the traveler was installed in the vehicle, withHulda beside him.
"But I must have taken your seat," he remarked to Joel.
"A seat I relinquish to you with the utmost willingness."
"But perhaps by a little crowding we might make room for you?"
"No, no, I have my legs, sir--a guide's legs. They are as good as anywheels."
Joel placed himself at the horse's head, and the little party startedfor Dal. The return trip was a gay one, at least on the part of thetraveler, who already seemed to consider himself an old friend ofthe Hansen family. Before they reached their destination they foundthemselves calling their companion M. Silvius; and that gentlemanunceremoniously called them Hulda and Joel, as if their acquaintancehad been one of long standing.
About four o'clock the little belfry of Dal became visible through thetrees, and a few minutes afterward the horse stopped in front ofthe inn. The traveler alighted from the kariol, though not withoutconsiderable difficulty. Dame Hansen hastened to the door to receivehim, and though he did not ask for the best room in the house, it wasgiven to him all the same.