"Then why did you come at all?"
Sivert told him about Oline and her message, how she had said that
Uncle Sivert was on the point of death.
"Point of death?" cried the old man. "Said I was on the point of death, did she? A cursed old fool!"
"Ha ha ha!" said Sivert.
The old man looked sternly at him. "Eh? Laugh at a dying man, do you, and you called after me and all!"
But Sivert was too young to put on a graveyard face for that; he had never cared much for his uncle. And now he wanted to get back home again.
"Ho, so you thought so, too?" said the old man again. "Thought I was at my last gasp, and that fetched you, did it?"
"'Twas Oline said so," answered Sivert.
His uncle was silent for a while, then spoke again: "Look you here. If you'll mend that net of mine and put it right, I'll show you something."
"H'm," said Sivert. "What is it?"