When I felt that I had to leave home I did not sell my farm, but rented it to an honest. trustworthy family. I went to Chicago, then to New York and from there to Liverpool and London. In the masses of humanity found in these places I thought I might find something to distract my mind, but I was not very successful. Then I sailed over to Norway. I could speak a little Norwegian - or at least I thought I could until I landed in that country. But I got along very well, and liked the country. That winter I spent in Paris and Rome, but I went back to Norway early in the spring. I went up to Loner, a little village in the interior of the land. I remained at Loner a week, and had a mind to remain there forever; but that whim soon passed and I was down again to the town of Tunsberg where some of my mother's relatives lived.

Tunsberg is winter quarters for a large number of vessels engaged in the whale and seal fishing business. One day, when I was out walking rather aimlessly, I found that the ice was yet thick between the mainland and a small island. I walked on the ice to where a large number of vessels were moored all around an island. They were yet fast in the ice, but there were a number of men engaged in cutting a passage for one of the vessels out into the open sea. I learned that, as the season was advancing, it was time for the fishers to be off. They had waited in vain for the ice to break up, but now they could wait no longer. I became quite interested in this scene, and each day I went out to the ships to see what progress was being made. At last the first vessel made its way through a long watery lane and was free. Others soon followed, and as they reached the open water, I saw that sailors came from the town with the small steamers and were soon in possession of the fishing ships. Some were steamers, and some were sailing vessels. It was a rare sight when the sails were spread like a mass of clouds, to see the vessel glide over the waves out into the blue ocean.

In a week, all but one of the ships had gone. This one lingered and I lingered with it. I had become somewhat acquainted with the men on board, and had made myself quite at home on the little, well-oiled steamer. There was a sort of weird attraction about the ship for me. I say weird because how else can I describe an attraction for such an object, and such surroundings as on board that vessel.

At last ESKEN was also ready to put to sea, and I actually felt sorry in having to say goodbye to it. The ship was to get away early next morning, but I was out long before daylight hunting for the captain,

"Captain Larsen," said I, when I had found that officer, "how are you off for men?"

"Short yet," said he.

"Then take me," said I.

"Take you!" he exclaimed, as he looked closely at me from top to toe. "Are you a sailor?"

"No sir," I replied, "but if hands are short, I can help at most anything. I am not so inept."

"Have you ever been in the Arctic?"

"No, sir."

"Ever been a fisher - a common fisherman I mean?"

"No, sir; never caught anything larger than a brook trout."

"And yet you want to join this crew, and help to catch whales!" The captain swore a little, laughing as he did so,

"Where's your trunk?" he enquired. "At the hotel in Tunsberg," I replied.

"Well, go and get it. Be back in two hours; - and say, you'll have to get some clothing - "

"Fredriksen, Fredriksen," the captain shouted, at which a sailor came up to see what was wanted.

"Go with this man to town," were the instructions, "and tell him what he must get in the way of clothing, etc., for a cruise in the Arctic. He is going with us as first-mate, I suppose!"

"Fredriksen thought the Captain's last remarks to be a statement of facts until I told him different. We were back within two hours. Black smoke came in great clouds from the funnel of the ESKEN, and before noon, we left the Norwegian coast, and a week later Tromso, and headed for the fishing waters in the Arctic Ocean."

III.