The Treasure

Produced by Nicole Apostola, Charles Franks, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team. John Mark Ockerbloom provided additional information about the original edition.
The Treasure
By Selma Lagerlof
Contents
I. At Solberga Parsonage II. On the Quays III. The Messenger IV. In the Moonlight V. Haunted VI. In the Town Cellars VII. Unrest VIII. Sir Archie's Flight IX. Over the Ice X. The Roar of the Waves
Because the Foreword contains key elements about the end of the book, it is located at the end of the e-text.
One February day, as dusk was drawing on, Torarin came driving along the road which led from Kungshall up to the parish of Solberga. The road was a lonely one, altogether deserted, but this was no reason for Torarin to hold his tongue. Beside him on the sledge he had a trusty friend with whom to chat. This was a little black dog with shaggy coat, and Torarin called him Grim. He lay still most of the time, with his head sunk between his feet, and answered only by blinking to all his master said. But if his ear caught anything that displeased him, he stood up on the load, put his nose in the air, and howled worse than a wolf.
Now I must tell you, Grim, my dog, said Torarin, that I have heard great news today. They told me both at Kungshall and at Kareby that the sea was frozen. Fair, calm weather it has been this long while, as you well know, who have been out in it every day; and they say the sea is frozen fast not only in the creeks and sounds, but far out over the Cattegat. There is no fairway now for ship or boat among the islands, nothing but firm, hard ice, so that a man may drive with horse and sledge as far as Marstrand and Paternoster Skerries.
To all this the dog listened, and it seemed not to displease him. He lay still and blinked at Torarin.
We have no great store of fish left on our load, said Torarin, as though trying to talk him over. What would you say to turning aside at the next crossways and going westward where the sea lies? We shall pass by Solberga church and down to Odsmalskil, and after that I think we have but seven or eight miles to Marstrand. It would be a fine thing if we could reach home for once without calling for boat or ferry.