'You promised to take the porpoise-hunters from Middlefart with us.'
'To be sure I did, and we shall find room for them; they are fine brave fellows, these porpoise-hunters. Has Kjeld come on board?'
'Yes, pilot,' answered the young man from the first gunboat.
'A word with you, Kjeld. Come a little way on shore.'
Kjeld sprang out of the boat, the pilot went up to him, and they walked together from the beach towards the sandhills.
'You will see that Kjeld will be half-mad this evening,' said one of the seamen in the first boat. 'Jan Steffens looks as sulky and savage as can be; very likely he has found out the love affair at home in his house up yonder.'
'Poor man!' said another, 'why did he take so young a wife. He is much too old for her.'
In the meantime, after Jan and Kjeld had walked to some distance in silence side by side, Jan asked suddenly,--
'Where were you this evening, Kjeld? It was very late before you joined us.'
Kjeld stammered some almost unintelligible words, while he seemed to be framing an answer.