.. if it wasn't for that...."
"Well, what then?"
Lars was getting more and more good humoured. "Oh," he said, with a laugh,
"I could just pick you up and stuff you down in your own long boots."
"Like to feel my arm?" said Nils.
"What's going on here?" asked the Captain, coming up. It was only six
o'clock, but he was out and about already.
"Nothing," said Lars and Nils as well.
"How's the reservoir getting on?" asked the Captain. This was to me, but
before I could answer he turned to Nils. "I shall want the boy to drive me
to the station," he said. "I'm going to Christiania."
Grindhusen and I went off to our work on the reservoir, and Lars to his
digging. But a shadow seemed to have fallen over us all.
Grindhusen himself said openly: "Pity the Captain's going away."
I thought so, too. But he was obliged to go in on business, no doubt.
There were the crops as well as the timber to be sold. But why should he
start at that hour of the day? He couldn't catch the early train in any
case.
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