When he came back his eyes
were not so keen; he looked a little weary. Maybe he had been sitting
there alone and thinking of many things. He stood watching us now with one
hand to his chin. After a little he said to Nils:
"I've sold the timber now."
"Captain's got a good price for it, maybe?"
"Yes, a good price. But I've been all this time about it. You've been
quicker here."
"There are more of us here," I said. "Four of us some times."
And at that he tried to jest. "Yes," he said; "I know you're an expensive
man to have about the place!"
But there was no jest in his face; his smile was hardly a smile at all.
The weakness had gripped him now in earnest. After a little, he sat down
on a stone we had just got out, all over fresh clay as it was, and watched
us.
I took up my spade and went up, thinking of his clothes.
"Hadn't I better scrape the stone a bit clean?"
"No, it doesn't matter," he said.
But he got up all the same, and let me clean it a little.
It was then that Ragnhild came running up to us, following the line of the
trench.
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