MOTHER BERTHA'S StORIES. 118 of the river, and the wolres set off at full speed with their tails straight out behind them. I rose rather annoyed ; the pain in my leg had grown more in tense ; but with the help of my gun as a stick, I dragged myself out on the river to see whereabouts I reallywas. To mygreat joy I saw a column of smoke ascending between the tops of the trees on the opposite bank, and I also discovered a roof of a cottage amid the pines. I knew the place now, it was Tuppenhaug-, a small farm held by a tenant on the estate where I lived at that time. With great difficulty I crawled up the steep incline, which might have been a couple of hundred paces in length, and had the satisfaction Jto see the light from a big fire shining through the windows. I limped towards the door, raised the latch, and entered the room, just as I was, covered all over with snovv. " Bless me, who can that be ! " cried old Mother Bertha in a great fright, and dropped a leg of dried mutton which she had on her knee. She was sitting on a small stool in front of the fire, cutting herself some slices off the mutton. " Good evening, Bertha," I said ; " don't be afraid ! You know me.Ith'nk!" •' Ah, is it the student, who is out so late ? I really was fright ened ; you looked so white, with all that snow on you, and it's so late," answered old Bertha, and rose from her seat. I told her of my mishap, and asked her to call one of the lads and sen 1 hirri up to the house for a horse and sledge. " Weli, it is, as I say, that the wolves take their revenge," she muttercd to herself. " They wouldn't believe it when they chased and ringed them last year, and Peter broke his leg ; now he knows that they take their revenge." " Some of the neighbours have been cartincr timber from the river lately," she continued, as she went over to the bed in the corner of the room, where the family lay sleeping and snoring in chorus, "so there is a good road across the fields on the snow. Refc, Little Ola, get up and go for a horse for the student ! Don't you héar, Ola ! " " Oh, yes ! " sa : d Little Ola through his nose, and began putting
