"Ay."
"Well, I've a mowing-machine and a harrow down south, both new; I'll send them up, if you like."
"How?" asked Axel, unable to conceive such magnificence, and thinking vaguely of payment by instalments.
"I mean I'll make you a present of them," said Geissler.
"'Tis hard to believe," said Axel.
"But you'll have to help those two neighbours of yours up above, breaking new land."
"Ay, never fear for that," said Axel; he could still hardly make out what Geissler meant by it all. "So you've machines and things down south?"
"I've a deal of things to look after," said Geissler. Now, as a matter of fact, Geissler had no great deal of things to look after, but he liked to make it appear so. As for a mowing-machine and a harrow, he could buy them in any of the towns, and send up from there.
He stayed talking a long while with Axel Ström about the other settlers near; of Storborg, the trading station; of Axel's brother, newly married, who had come to Breidablik, and had started draining the moors and getting the water out. Axel complained that it was impossible to get a woman anywhere to help; he had none but an old creature, by name Oline; not much good at the best of times, but he might be thankful to have her as long as she stayed. Axel had been working day and night part of that summer. He might, perhaps, have got a woman from his own parts, from Helgeland, but that would have meant paying for her journey, besides wages. A costly business all round. Axel further told how he had taken over the inspection of the telegraph line, but rather wished he had left it alone.
"That sort of thing's only fit for Brede and his like," said Geissler.