'"Why?" they all asked.

'"Can you tell," he replied, "what will happen when this bridge is
cut away?" Then they fell athinkeen and my father said:

'"The stream will go by the old bed, and will run no longer under
the ground." "Ah, father," the capteen shouted, "you are the wise one
after all. We will have a first-rate castle under the forest in the
stream's tunnel!"

'"Exactly, my son."' It was all quite clear to our hero now. For a
full quarter of a mile did this tunnel, covered over with shallow
turf, or a treacherous stretch of moss, extend.

'Well,' continued The Lifter, 'they waited till the tunnel became
dry, and then they made a house and sleeping places underneath. The
whole length of the tunnel was tested, and wherever they intended the
roof should be strong, they propped it up; and those strong places
they used as bridges.'

'Ah; it is plain now what the chief meant about all the unfortunate
men who dropped through the swamp, and were never heard of more.'

'So he has been telleen about these. Yes; they came tumbleen down
through the holes as they crossed, and they fell so sudden that they
had no time to cry; and before they could know where they had got, we
come along and killed 'em. In the night they were dragged out and put
in the lake. I remember how tired myself and Silent Poll were with
the heavy draggen. Then it was so hard to get stones that were heavy