Fearing lest some treachery might be meditated, he sprang up from his bed and rushed out of the house.
There, to his surprise, he saw the farmer and all his men busily at work with their pitchforks, digging and raking up the earth from a large tumulus, or grave, at some little distance from the farm.
Thorstein hurried up to the farmer, and asked him what he was doing, and why he was disturbing the grave.
“I have very good reason for doing so,” replied the man; “the man who lies buried there owes me two hundred dollars!”
“But,” said Thorstein, “no amount of digging will give you back the money he owed you! On the contrary, you are losing your own time as well as that of your men, and you will probably, in addition, get fined for disturbing the grave.”
But the farmer was obstinate. He said he did not care. Only he was quite determined that the dead man should not rest peacefully in his grave, while he owed him all that money, and that he and his men would continue to dig and stir up the ground day after day.
Then Thorstein asked him if he would be satisfied and let the man rest in his grave if some one else paid the dead man’s debt.
“Oh yes!” answered the farmer; “but I don’t see where that man is likely to come from, as he had no sons.”
Then Thorstein drew forth his purse, which contained the last of his money, and gave it to the farmer in payment of the debt. The farmer thanked him warmly, and promised not to disturb the grave any more.
So Thorstein bade his host farewell; but ere he left he asked him which road he should take, so as to reach a populous neighbourhood, where he might chance to get some work to do.