They’re strange—people in hot countries. Ah, there comes the sun again!”

August went down to the boat and carried the wettest of the skins ashore to dry. He had confessed his sins and was once more a free man. Now he could get down to his work again.

They left the island that night in fine weather. There was no wind; they had to row. When they got out of Raftsundet, there was again a favorable wind.

2

AT THE FAIR THERE WAS MUCH NOISY COMING AND going. Many vessels and boats, large and small, lay there; and more arrived by night and by day. Crowds of people swarmed in the streets. A couple of men from Namdal had had too much to drink and were looking for a fight. Every man was his own policeman.

Edevart found it both amusing and instructive to be here; and while August was delivering his consignment of skins, Edevart wandered about looking at everything. There were stalls with wares of all kinds, for everyday use and for special occasions;masses of goods with a much greater selection than in Lofoten. And there were tightrope walkers, organ grinders, wild animals, bowling alleys, street hawkers, merry-go-rounds, gypsy fortune-tellers, coffee and lemonade stalls, the world’s fattest lady, and a calf with two heads. And here, making his usual appearance, was Papst, the venerable old Jewish watch dealer with all those mysterious pockets in his greatcoat. A remarkable man.

Edevart remained a while in the vicinity of the old Jew, not because he thought he might buy anything from him, but because the glittering pocket watches made a marvelous sight. How rich he must be to have so many watches! thought Edevart.

Old Papst had simply settled down in Norway, although it might have been more profitable for him in other places. He had traveled Nordland a whole generation, moving on from town to town, calling in at the fishing stations, turning up at the fairgrounds. He spoke excellent Norwegian, knew all the words, though his pronunciation sounded a bit foreign. All in all, Papst was well regarded everywhere; people knew the fat little man with all those watch chains across his big belly. He hailed young and old, and had gold watches for the rich and cheap silver watches for the poor. He used many different approaches when selling, depending on who the customer was.

To the young people who hung around him looking wide-eyed at his display, Papst might say: “I’ve got a good watch for you, too. Look here! Hold it in your hand.” When the youth learned the price and had rejected any idea of doing business, Papst would ask: “How much have you got?” The youth might mention a sum half or even a third of the price. At which Papst did not abandon the lad, not at all. He became friendly and sympathetic. It was as if, in this particular instance, he might even be willing to go to the length of lending the lad a little money himself to enable him to buy the watch. Indeed, it sometimes happened that Papst gave credit till the following year. “You come of good folks and you are an honest man,” he would say. “You will pay a poor old Jew!” In the face of such an enormous, such a fabulous display of confidence, the lad for his part could not hold back. And showing the kind of honesty he had little use for in daily life, he would pay the following year. Seldom, if ever, was Papst swindled.

Such was the way the old Jewish watch seller did business, conducting his itinerant affairs year in and year out with the same quiet dignity. He cheated when he could; but when caught out, he would cheerfully rectify the fraud, though sometimes, to be sure, by committing a new one.

He had a keen eye for those little upstarts who critically inspect a watch and pretend to be great experts.