Reunion with brother Lars

"When I got there, I found that Lars had moved six miles farther on, but the family that lived there now were Danes so I could talk to them. I stayed there that night and the next morning their hired man, who also was Norwegian and who was going out to herd cattle, said if I would go with him until six o'clock, he would take me to Lars' that evening. This I did gladly, because he had a horse and buggy, so we sat in that all day. He was a lively fellow, and he knew Lars real well, so he was all for having some fun with him. He made sure that any of my baggage with my name on was well hidden.

When we got there Lars was outside. They started to talk.

'So you have a stranger with you, too, this evening, and I believe he is a newcomer.'

'Ja, that is right, and he wants to stay here overnight.'

Lars thought that would be possible, but he had to know what part of Norway he was from.

'Well, he is a Halling.'

Lars was that too. What part of Hallingdal?

'Leveld.'

Lars came a couple of steps nearer the buggy, and then I got down and said I thought it was about time to shake hands.

'Is it Tosten then?'

'Yes, that is who it is.'

Here the conversation ended. Lars was too surprised for words."

Excerpt from Tosten's autobiography, written in 1917.