And the rest of you-- where were you?
_Bjrg._
We were sitting in the _badstofa_, sorting wool.
_Rannveig._
It felt as if some one was shaking the roof and trying to pull up the whole house.
_Indridi._
We were just about to leave our work and run home to hear how you had fared, but then I thought they would be sure to send us word (_looking askance at Sveinungi_) if anything had happened. Besides, we wanted to get enough turf cut while we were at it so that we should not have to go back another time.
_Jon._
But I must say that when I began working again, it went against me. It was like cutting into a living thing-- like skinning a live animal.
_Rannveig._
Ugh, yes.
_Jon._
And the place where we'd cut turf last year looked like an ugly scar.
(_Silence._)
_Jorunn._
Did you meet anybody when you came home from work?
_Indridi._
No.
_Jorunn._
And no outsider has been here this afternoon. They don't come when they are wanted. I ought to have sent one of you to the next farm to find out how things were there, anyway.
_Jon._
I can easily go yet, if mistress wants me to.
_Jorunn._
Oh, no, it's getting late. I hope we shall have no bad tidings from any one.
_Indridi._
I hope so, too.
_Jon._
I'm afraid the Vik farm-house has fallen. It is both old and poorly built-- nothing like ours.
(_Silence._)
_Einar._
You should have seen the hawks, Jorunn, right after the shock. They kept flying back and forth, just as they do when they're warding off a foe from their nest.
_Jorunn._
They were frightened.
_Einar._
And no wonder. Great pieces of rock came tumbling down into the creek.
The sheep out on the heath yonder huddled together in flocks, looking like old snow.
_Jon._
Then you were out hunting.
_Einar._
No, I was not hunting. I was looking at the hawks, wondering whether one could get at them by going down in a rope.
(_Silence._)
_Jorunn._
What about the boy, Sveinungi? Do you mean to let him stay with the sheep all night?
_Sveinungi._
Certainly. He can sleep to-morrow.
_Jorunn._
I was only thinking he might be afraid to be alone.
_Sveinungi._
He's no more afraid than grown people.
_Jorunn._
I saw he took both the dogs with him.