Boyhood in Norway | Page 8

the enemy apparently had much. Paying no heed to the
jeers of the lumbermen, who supposed he was afraid, he drew his
troops up in line and addressed them as follows:
"Soldiers: You have on many previous occasions given me proof of
your fidelity to duty and your brave and fearless spirit. I know that I
can, now as always, trust you to shed glory upon our arms, and to
maintain our noble fame and honorable traditions.
"The enemy is before us. You have heard and seen his challenge. It
behooves us to respond gallantly. To jump and skip like rabbits is
unmilitary and unsoldierlike. I propose that each of us shall select two
large logs, tie them together, procure, if possible, a boat-hook or an oar,
and, sitting astride the logs, boldly push out into the river. If we can
advance in a tolerably even line, which I think quite possible, we can
send so deadly a charge into the ranks of our adversaries that they will
be compelled to flee. Then we will land on the east side, occupy the
heights, and rout our foe.
"Now let each man do his duty. Forward, march!"
The lumbermen, whose sympathies were with the East-Siders, found
this performance highly diverting, but Viggo allowed himself in nowise
to be disturbed by their laughter or jeers. He marched his troops down
to the river-front, commanded "Rest arms!" and repeated once more his
instructions; then, flinging off his coat and waistcoat, he seized a
boat-hook and ran some hundred yards along the bank of the stream.
The river-bed was here expanded to a wide basin, in which the logs
floated lazily down to the cataract below. Trees and underbrush, which
usually stood on dry land, were half-submerged in the yellow water,
and the current gurgled slowly about their trunks with muddy foam and
bubbles. Now and then a heap of lumber would get wedged in between
the jutting rocks above the waterfall, and then the current slackened,
only to be suddenly accelerated, when the exertions of the men had
again removed the obstruction.
It was an exciting spectacle to see these daring fellows leap from log to
log, with birch-bark shoes on their feet. They would ride on a heap of
lumber down to the very edge of the cataract, dexterously jump off at
the critical moment, and after half a dozen narrow escapes, reach the
shore, only to repeat the dangerous experiment, as soon as the next
opportunity offered itself.

It was the example of these hardy and agile lumbermen, trained from
childhood to sport with danger, which inspired Viggo and his followers
with a desire to show their mettle.
"Sergeant Henning," said the General to his ever-faithful shadow, "take
a squad of five men with you, and cut steering-poles for those for
whom boat-hooks cannot be procured. You will be the last to leave
shore. Report to me if any one fails to obey orders."
"Shall be done, General," Marcus responded, with a deferential military
salute.
"The bows, you understand, will be slung by the straps across the backs
of the men, while they steer and push with their poles."
"Certainly, General," said Marcus, with another salute.
"You may go."
"All right, General," answered Marcus, with a third salute.
And now began the battle. The East-Siders, fearing that a stratagem
was intended, when they saw the enemy moving up the stream, made
haste to follow their example, capturing on their way every stray log
that came along. They sent ineffectual showers of arrows into the water,
while the brave General Viggo, striding two big logs which he had tied
together with a piece of rope, and with a boat-hook in his hand, pushed
proudly at the head of his army into the middle of the wide basin.
Halvor Reitan was clever enough to see what it meant, and he was not
going to allow the West-Siders to gain the heights above him, and
attack him in the rear. He meant to prevent the enemy from landing, or,
still better, he would meet him half-way, and drive him back to his own
shore.
The latter, though not the wiser course, was the plan which Halvor
Reitan adopted. To have a tussle with the high-nosed Viggo in the
middle of the basin, to dislodge him from his raft--that seemed to
Halvor a delightful project. He knew that Viggo was a good swimmer,
so he feared no dangerous consequences; and even if he had, it would
not have restrained him. He was so much stronger than Viggo, and here
was his much-longed-for opportunity.
With great despatch he made himself a raft of two logs, and seating
himself astride them, with his legs in the water, put off from shore. He
shouted to his men to follow