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In a few moments more they came in sight of the herd, and saw animals of all sizes, many of them having superb, spreading antlers. "Look," said Erik's father, pointing to the reindeer with pride, "there are over three hundred deer, all mine." "All the needs of the mountain Lapps are supplied by the reindeer," Lieutenant Ekman told the children.
"Are you willing that he should go?" "Yes, if he does not want to stay here," replied the father, who had hoped that the sight of the reindeer would make his son forget his longing to leave home. Erik nodded his head. "I want to go," he said. "Then it is settled," said Lieutenant Ekman, "and I will see that he learns a good trade."
"There is a treaty between Norway and Sweden, more than one hundred and fifty years old, which provides that Swedish Lapps can go to the coast of Norway in summer, and Norwegian Lapps can go inland to Sweden in winter," Lieutenant Ekman told the children.
"This is my own deer," Erik told Birger, showing a mark on the ear of a reindeer which had splendid great antlers. "He was given to me when I was born, to form the beginning of my herd. I have ten deer now, but I would gladly give them all to my father if he would let me go to Stockholm with you." Lieutenant Ekman turned to the father. "It shall cost him nothing," he said.
"Yes," she said at last; "I will go without the furs Mother promised to buy for me next winter." Lieutenant Ekman knew well that Gerda had set her heart on the furs, and that it would be a real sacrifice for her to give them up; but if she were willing to do so cheerfully, it meant that she was in earnest about helping her new friend.
"I am going over to Göteborg myself next month," replied Inspector Ekman, "and he can go with me. A new lightship is ready to be launched, and I shall have to inspect it and give the certificate before it is accepted by the government." "Let us go with you! Let us go, too!" begged the twins, dancing round and round their father. "But what will become of Karen?" he asked.
In the meantime the little party of four Lieutenant Ekman, with Erik and the twins were sailing across the eastern end of Lake Mälar toward the Södertelje Canal. Birger and Gerda explored the boat, making friends with some of the passengers, and then found seats with Erik on the forward deck, where they could see the wooded shore of the lake.
"Can't a poor man read his newspaper in peace, without being disturbed by all this noise?" called Herr Ekman from the next room; but when he appeared in the doorway the merry twinkle in his eyes showed that he cared little about the noise and was glad to see the children having a good time.
Then, as they all stood watching the wonderful display in the heavens, the door opened and Lieutenant Ekman came into the room. "Here is a letter for Karen from her mother," he said; "I have had it in my pocket all day." "Oh, let me see it," said Karen, and she turned and ran across the room.
"The captain says that the frost giants threw all these rocks out here when they were having a battle with old Njord, the god of the sea," she said. Then, as she caught sight of a lighthouse on a low outer ledge, "Why, Father!" she cried, "I thought we were going to stop at every lighthouse on the coast." "So we are, after we leave the Skärgård," replied Lieutenant Ekman.
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