“Oh, you daren’t!” Silent Sven flung the challenge at him.
“Daren’t! You can’t say that word to me! Come on, all of you! I will lead you! I will show you if I dare!” He started for the door, the men preparing to follow him.
“I will go, too!” cried Olga. “You shall not burn her; I can at least see to that!”
“I would burn her,” retorted Kaisa. “I would help light the fagots! Olaf, you stay in the store.”
“Is that so?” said Olaf, with gleaming eyes. “I shall be needed, like as not. ’Tis a woman’s place to stay at home.”
“I’m not going to be cheated of this!” Kaisa turned to the old crone. “You stay,” she coaxed. “You couldn’t climb the hill, anyway. It’s a long hill.”
“I can climb the hill,” quavered the old woman. “I can climb it as well as anybody. I shall go with the others. See, everyone is going. I shall not stay behind.”
“I will give you a pound of coffee, the best in the store. I will give you two yards of cloth for an apron.”
The old woman’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Five pounds of coffee,” she wheedled, “and five yards of your best goods, or I go with the rest!”
“Five pounds! No, that I will never——”