midday
The Norse boy 's nature was sensitive , and peculiarly susceptible of outward influences . As he walked briskly along , casting his eager gaze now at the river which foamed below him , and anon at the distant mountain ridges capped with perennial snows , he forgot his late disappointment , or , which is the same thing , drowned it in present enjoyment . Giving vent to his delight , much as boys did a thousand years later , by violent whistling or in uproarious bursts of song , he descended to the river 's edge , with the intention of darting his salmon spear , when his eye caught sight of a woman 's skirt fluttering on one of the cliffs above . He knew that Hilda and Ada had gone up the valley together on a visit to a kinswoman , for Herfrida had spoken of expecting them back to midday meal ; guessing , therefore , that it must be them , he drew back out of sight , and clambered hastily up the bank , intending to give them a surprise . He hid himself in the bushes at a jutting point which they had to pass , and from which there was a magnificent view of the valley , the fiord , and the distant sea . He heard the voices of the two girls in animated conversation as they drew near , and distinguished the name of Glumm more than once , but , not being a gossip by nature , he thought nothing of this , and was intent only on pouncing out on them when they should reach a certain stone in the path . Truth constrains us to admit that our young friend , like many young folk of the present day , was a practical joker -- yet it must also be said that he was not a very bad one , and , to his honour be it recorded , he never practised jokes on old people !