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Page 41
At this several persons laughed; but Ljung Bj�rn was ready with a
sharp rejoinder: "I see no reason why Krister and I shouldn't be
as well qualified to preach as the schoolmaster," he said.
Thereupon Tims Halvor arose and tried to quiet them and to prevent
possible strife. "Those of us who have furnished the money to build
and run this mission should be consulted before any new preacher is
allowed to speak."
By that time Krister Larsson had become aroused and was on his feet
again. "I recall to mind that when we built this hall we were all
agreed that it should be a free-for-all meetinghouse and not a
church where only one man is allowed to preach the Word."
When Krister had spoken every one seemed to breathe freer. Only one
short hour before it had not occurred to them that they could ever
wish to hear any speaker but the schoolmaster. Now they thought it
would be a treat to hear something different. "We'd like to hear
something new and to see a fresh face behind the rostrum," somebody
muttered.
In all likelihood there would have been no further disturbance if
only Bullet Gunner had remained away that day. He, too, was a
brother-in-law of Tims Halvor and a tall, gaunt-looking fellow,
with a swarthy skin and piercing eyes. Gunner, as well as every one
else, liked the schoolmaster, but what he liked even more was a
good scrap.
"There was a lot of talk about freedom while we were building this
house," said Gunner "but I haven't heard a liberal word since the
place was first opened."
The schoolmaster grew purple. Gunner's remark was the first
evidence of any actual hostility or revolt. "Let me remind you,
Bullet Gunner, that here you have heard the true freedom preached,
as Luther taught it; but here there has been no license to preach
the kind of new-fangled ideas that spring up one day and fall to
the ground the next."
"The schoolmaster would have us think that everything new is
worthless as soon as it touches upon doctrine," Gunner replied
soothingly and half regretfully. "He approves of our using new
methods of caring for our cattle, and wants us to adopt the latest
agricultural machinery; but we are not allowed to know anything
about the new implements with which God's acres are now being
tilled."
Storm began to think that Bullet Gunner's bark was worse than his
bite. "Is it your meaning," he said, adopting a facetious tone,
"that we should preach a different doctrine here from the
Lutheran?"
"It is not a question of a new doctrine," roared Gunner, "but as to
who shall preach; and, as far as I know, Matts Ericsson is as good
a Lutheran as either the schoolmaster or the parson."
For the moment the schoolmaster had forgotten about the parson; but
now he glanced down at him. The clergyman sat quietly musing, his
chin resting upon the knob of his cane. There was a curious gleam
in his eyes, which were fixed upon Storm, never leaving him for a
second.
"After all, perhaps it would have been just as well if the parson
hadn't come to-day," thought the schoolmaster. What was then taking
place reminded Storm of something he had experienced before. It
could be just like this in school sometimes, on a bright spring
morning, when a little bird perched itself outside the schoolroom
window and warbled lustily. Then all at once the children would
tease and beg to be excused from school; they abandoned their
studies and made so much fuss and noise that it was almost
impossible to bring them to order. Something of the same sort had
come over the congregation after H�k Matts's arrival. However, the
schoolmaster meant to show the pastor and all of them that he was
man enough to quell the mutiny. "First, I will leave them alone and
let the ringleaders talk themselves hoarse," he thought, and went
and sat down on a chair behind the table on which the water bottle
stood.
Instantly there arose against him a perfect storm of protests; for
by that time every one had become inflated with the idea that they
were all of them just as good as the schoolmaster. "Why should he
alone be allowed to tell us what to believe and what not to
believe!" they shouted.
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