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diff --git a/36597.txt b/36597.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dd7d7da --- /dev/null +++ b/36597.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8632 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Three in Norway, by +James Arthur Lees and Walter J. Clutterbuck + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Three in Norway + by Two of Them + +Author: James Arthur Lees + Walter J. Clutterbuck + +Release Date: July 7, 2011 [EBook #36597] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE IN NORWAY *** + + + + +Produced by Louise Hope, Chris Curnow, thanks to Tor Martin +Kristiansen for the illustration images, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +book was produced from scanned images of public domain +material from the Google Print project.) + + + + + + + +[Transcriber's Note: + +This e-text comes in two forms: Unicode (UTF-8) and Latin-1. Use the +one that works best on your text reader. + + --If "oe" (only in English words) displays as a single character, + and apostrophes and quotation marks are "curly" or angled, you have + the UTF-8 version (best). If any part of this paragraph displays + as garbage, try changing your text reader's "character set" or + "file encoding". If that doesn't work, proceed to: + --In the Latin-1 version, "oe" is two letters, but Norwegian words + like "oel" have accents and "ae" is a single letter. Apostrophes and + quotation marks will be straight ("typewriter" form). + +A handful of words were printed with unusual diacritics (macron, breve). +These are individually explained at the end of the e-text. + +To reduce visual clutter, italic markings have been omitted from +currency notations such as "1s. 2d." Illustration captions have been +supplied from the List of Illustrations; they were not used in the +printed book except for the full-page plates. The title-page +illustration is "The Colony at Breakfast in Memurudalen", repeated +later in the book. + +Unless otherwise noted, all Norwegian names and words--including those +that are obviously wrong--were printed as shown. For details, see the +end of the e-text after the list of typographical errors.] + + + + + NORWAY + + + + + '_A man is at all times entitled, or even called upon by occasion, + to speak, and write, and in all fit ways utter, what he has himself + gone through, and known, and got the mastery of; and in truth, at + bottom, there is nothing else that any man has a right to write of. + For the rest, one principle, I think, in whatever farther you write, + may be enough to guide you: that of standing rigorously by the fact, + however naked it look. Fact is eternal; all fiction is very + transitory in comparison. All men are interested in any man if he + will speak the facts of his life for them; his authentic experience, + which corresponds, as face with face, to that of all other sons of + Adam._' + + THOMAS CARLYLE + + + + + [Plate: RUNNING THE RAPIDS BELOW GJENDESHEIM.] + + + + + THREE IN NORWAY + + _by_ + + _TWO OF THEM_ + + With Map and Fifty-Nine Illustrations on Wood + from Sketches by the Authors + + + [Illustration] + + + London + LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. + 1882 + + _All rights reserved_ + + + + + London: Printed By + Spottiswoode And Co., New-Street Square + And Parliament Street + + + + +CONTENTS + + PAGE + + INTRODUCTION xi + + CHAPTER + I. The Voyage 1 + II. Christiania 6 + III. By Rail and Lake 14 + IV. By Road 21 + V. The First Camp 28 + VI. Misery 39 + VII. Happiness 45 + VIII. Fly Saeter 56 + IX. Sikkildal 62 + X. Besse Saeter 72 + XI. Gjendin 82 + XII. The Camp 89 + XIII. Gjendesheim 98 + XIV. John 105 + XV. Back to Camp 115 + XVI. Trout 120 + XVII. Reindeer 127 + XVIII. Success at last 137 + XIX. Gjendeboden 146 + XX. A Formal Call 153 + XXI. Fishing 167 + XXII. Memurudalen 180 + XXIII. A Picnic 191 + XXIV. The Skipper's Return 200 + XXV. The Gjende Fly 210 + XXVI. Disaster 224 + XXVII. A Change 230 + XXVIII. Rapid Running 242 + XXIX. Rus Vand 257 + XXX. Luck 273 + XXXI. Not lost, but gone before 286 + XXXII. A Last Stalk 295 + XXXIII. Homeward Bound 303 + XXXIV. Bjoelstad 315 + XXXV. Down to Christiania 327 + XXXVI. Home again 336 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. + + _PLATES_ + PAGE + + Running the Rapids below Gjendesheim _Frontispiece_ + On the Track near Sikkildals Lake _to face_ 59 + On the Top of Glopit. Returning from Rus Lake " 172 + Baking by Night in Memurudalen " 178 + The Camp in Memurudalen " 182 + Death of the 'Stor Bock' at the Iceberg Lake, + Tyknings Hoe " 267 + Good Sport, Bad Weather. The Skipper's two + 'Stor Bocks' " 279 + Cheerful! The Huts at Rus Lake " 289 + + + _WOODCUTS IN TEXT._ + + Norwegian Arrangement of Dishes at Table 10 + Midnight Study of Stockings at Dalbakken 26 + The Start on Espedals Lake 29 + The Skipper's first Cast 30 + Our Camp on Espedals 31 + Black-throated Diver 36 + View of Bredsjoe by Night 40 + Sunset at Fly Saeter 54 + Desperate Conflict between Esau and the Mosquito 58 + Saeter Girls in a Boat on Sikkildals Lake 65 + Old Siva carrying a Canoe up the Sikkildals Pass 73 + Greenshank 77 + Ring Dotterel 78 + Scaup 80 + Our first View of Gjendin Lake 83 + Two of our Retainers: Ivar and his Pony 87 + The Skipper returns to Camp disgusted with life 93 + Throwing for a Rise 99 + The Skipper takes Miss Louise for a Cruise + at Gjendesheim 102 + The Huts at Rusvasoset 109 + John returns from fishing in Summer Costume 121 + John and Esau: 'How's that for high?' 122 + The two 'Meget Stor Bocks' (very big Bucks) + on Memurutungen 128 + Hot Soup and Northern Lights 134 + Esau and Ola return in Triumph 141 + A careful Finishing Shot 143 + The Colony at Breakfast in Memurudalen 159 + An Exciting Moment in Rus Lake Shallows 168 + Esau's Best Day among the Trout 170 + Esau stalking near Hinaakjaernhullet 188 + John diving for his knife in Rus Lake 198 + The Skipper about to astonish the Reindeer 203 + Oela performing the Funeral Rites 205 + Canoeing after Duck in a Storm 236 + Andreas: our Retriever 237 + Ola and Andreas capturing a wounded Grouse 238 + John and the Skipper upsetting in the Canoe 240 + Making a Portage by the Sjoa River 244 + A Norwegian Fire-place 246 + Jens and his Pony on their way over Bes Fjeld 252 + A Stormy Crossing at Rusvasoset 259 + Gloptind Rock, at the Western End of Rus Lake 275 + The old stone Hut near Gloptind 280 + A Night at Rusvasoset, after a Day at Haircutting 284 + Rus Lake from the Western End: + Nautgardstind in the Distance 290 + Glissading home after a blank day 293 + Rus Lake from the Eastern End: + Tyknings Hoe and Memurutind in the distance 294 + Off! A Reindeer recollecting an engagement 295 + Old Buildings in the Courtyard at Bjoelstad 316 + Barley Sheaves: A Norwegian 'Atrocity' 323 + Three at Home Again 341 + + + _MAP._ + + The Jotun Fjeld _at end of volume._ + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +HISTORY. + +'Canadian canoes are the only boats that will do' was our conclusion +after a thorough inspection of every existing species of boat, and long +consultation with 'Sambo' of Eton about a totally new variety, invented +but fortunately _not_ patented by one of our number. + +Our party consisted of three men, who shall be briefly described here. +First, 'the Skipper,' so called from his varied experience by land and +sea in all parts of the world, but especially in Norway, whither we were +now intending to go in search of trout, reindeer, and the picturesque. +The Skipper is lank and thin, looking as though he had outgrown his +strength in boyhood, and never summoned up pluck enough to recover it +again. His high cheek-bones and troubled expression give one the idea of +a man who cannot convince himself that life is a success, which is +perhaps pretty nearly the view he actually takes of existence. + +Secondly, 'Esau,' who received this name in consequence of the many +points in which his character and history resemble that of the patriarch +who first rejoiced in it: for our Esau, like his prototype, is +'a cunning hunter and man of the fjeld;' and we are sure that if he ever +had such a thing as a birthright, he would willingly have sold it for a +mess of pottage. Esau is short and joyous, and is one of those people +who never indigest anything, but always look and always are in perfect +health and spirits. It is annoying to see a man eat things that his +fellow-creatures can not without suffering for it afterwards, but Esau +invariably does this at dinner, and comes down to breakfast next morning +with a provoking colour on his cheek and a hearty appetite. His office +in this expedition was that of Paymaster; not because he possessed any +qualifications for the post, but because the Skipper had conclusively +proved that such employment was too gross and mundane for _his_ ethereal +soul, by constantly leaving the purse which contained our united worldly +wealth on any spot where he chanced to rest himself, when he and Esau +went to spy out the land two years before this. + +Lastly, 'John,' so called for no better reason than the fact that he had +been christened Charles: he had never yet visited the wilds of +Scandinavia. John is an Irishman, whose motto in life is 'dum vivimus +vivamus:' he is tall and straight, with a colossal light moustache. He +generally wears his hat slightly tilted forward over his forehead when +engaged in conversation; and the set of his clothes and whole deportment +convey an idea that he is longing to tell you the most amusing story in +the world in confidence. He is no gossip, and the anecdotes of his +countrymen, of which he has an inexhaustible supply always ready, are +merely imparted to his listeners from philanthropic motives, and because +he longs for others to share in the enjoyment which he gleans from their +mental dissection. + +The general idea of the campaign was that the Skipper and Esau should +leave England in the early part of July; fish their way up a string of +lakes into the Jotunfjeld, getting there in time for the commencement of +the reindeer season; establish a camp somewhere; and then that John, +starting a month later, should join, and the three of us sojourn in that +land until we were tired thereof. How we accomplished this meritorious +design we have tried to relate in the following pages. + + +GEOGRAPHY. + +The map of Norway, apart from Sweden, presents an outline something like +a tadpole with a crooked irregular tail. The Jotunfjeld is an extensive +range of the highest mountains which are to be found in Northern Europe: +before 1820 A.D. they were totally unexplored, and at the present time +they are still perfectly wild and desolate, their summits covered with +eternal ice and snow, and even their valleys uninhabited. That part of +the Jotunfjeld which we intended to make our goal and headquarters is +situated about the middle of the tadpole's body, and nearly equidistant +from Throndhjem and Christiania. + + +LANGUAGES. + +It is customary when writing a book on any foreign country to scatter +broadcast in your descriptions words and phrases in the language of that +country, in order to show that you really have been there. We propose to +depart from this usage in the course of this work; but if at any time +the exigencies of narrative seem to demand the use of the foreign +tongue, we have little doubt that the English language will provide an +equivalent, which shall be inserted for the benefit of the uninitiated. + + +MATHEMATICS. + +Foreigners have a curious prejudice which leads them to adopt different +systems of coinage and measurement from those in favour in England. +But shall a Briton pander to this prejudice by making any use of their +ridiculous figures? Decidedly not. What matters it to us that a +Norwegian land-mile contains seven of our miles, and a sea-mile four? we +speak only of the British mile. What care we that the Norwegian kroene is +worth about 131/2d.? Shall that prevent us from always calling it a +shilling? Never! And shall the fact that it is divided into ten 10-oere +pieces (which are little nickel coins worth about five farthings each) +restrain us from alluding to them as the 'threepenny bits' which they so +much resemble? Not while life remains. + + +EXTRA SUBJECTS. + +Some of the statements that will be found in these pages may strike the +reader as being, to say the least of it, improbable. We therefore wish +to explain that all the incidents of sport and travel are simple facts, +but that here and there is introduced some slight fiction which is too +obviously exaggerated to require any comment. + + + + +THREE IN NORWAY. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE VOYAGE. + + +_July 8._--At ten P.M. on the platform of the Hull station might have +been seen the disconsolate form of Esau, who had arrived there a few +minutes before. To him entered suddenly an express train, with that +haste which seems to be inseparable from the movements of express +trains, adorned as to the roof of one of its carriages by a Canadian +canoe. From that carriage emerged the lanky body of the Skipper, and +general joy ensued. + +Then in the hotel the Skipper related his perilous adventures; how he +had crossed London in a four-wheeler with the canoe on the quarter-deck, +and himself surrounded by rods, guns, rugs, tents, and ground-sheets in +the hold, amid the shouts of 'boat ahoy!' from the volatile populace, +and jeers from all the cabs that they met (there are many cabs in +London); how the station-master at King's Cross--may his shadow never be +less!--had personally superintended the packing of the canoe on a low +carriage which he put on to the train specially; and how the G.W. +charged four times as much as the G.N. He had seen John the day before, +and on being asked to 'wander about, and get some things with him,' the +Skipper had replied that it was quite impossible, as his time was +occupied for the whole day: but when John said, 'I wanted your advice +chiefly about flies, and a new rod that I am thinking of buying,' he +replied, 'Sir, I have nothing of the slightest importance to do; my time +is yours; name the moment, and place of meeting, and I will be there.' +Then they twain had spent a happy day; for decidedly the next best thing +to using your own rod is buying one for another man--at his expense. + +Poor Esau had no charming experiences to relate: he was a little +depressed because an intelligent tyke at Doncaster had looked into the +horse-box in which his canoe was travelling, hoping no doubt to see some +high-mettled racer, and had asked if 'yon thing were some new mak o' +a coffin.' + + +_July 9._--We walked about Hull and made a few last purchases. In the +course of our wanderings we chanced to come to a shop, in the window of +which many strawberries, large and luscious, were exposed for sale. We +immediately entered that shop without exchanging a word, and the Skipper +said to the proprietress, 'This gentleman wants to buy a quantity of +strawberries for a school feast;' while Esau remarked, as he fastened on +to the nearest and largest basket, 'My friend has been ordered to eat +strawberries by his doctor.' After this a scene ensued over which it +were best to draw a veil. + +At six o'clock we were safely aboard the good ship 'Angelo,' and saw our +baggage stowed. It consisted of three huge boxes of provisions, weighing +more than 100 lbs. each, two portmanteaus, two smaller bags, a tent, +a large waggon-sheet intended to form another tent, a bundle of rugs and +blankets, a large can containing all cooking utensils, four gun-cases, +seven rods, a bundle of axes, a spade and other necessary tools, and the +canoes with small wheels for road transport. Those wheels were the only +things in the whole outfit that turned out to be not absolutely +necessary. We did use them, but only once, and might have managed +without them. + +When the aforesaid was all on board, there did not appear to be much +room for anything else in the steamship 'Angelo;' registering 1,300 +tons; yet this vast pile was destined to travel many miles over a +desperately rough country in the two little canoes. + +We were warped out of dock about eight o'clock, and steamed down the +Humber with a west wind and a smooth sea. It was showery up to the +moment of our departure, but as Hull faded from our sight it became +fine, and with the shores of England we seemed to leave the cloud and +rain behind. + + +_July 10._--The day passed as days at sea do when the weather is all +that can be wished, and the treacherous ocean calmly sleeps. The +passengers were as sociable as any collection of English people ever +are, and we spent the time very pleasantly chatting, smoking, eating +enormously, and playing the ordinary sea games of quoits and +horse-billiards. + +The Skipper was much exercised in spirit because Esau had told him that +he believed a certain passenger to be an acquaintance of a former +voyage, named, let us say, Jones, and that he was a capital fellow. So +the Skipper went and fraternised with Jones, and presently, trusting to +the 'information received,' remarked, 'I believe your name is Jones?' +and was a little annoyed when Jones replied, 'No, it's not Jones; it's +Blueit, and I never heard the name of Jones as a surname before.' Then +the Skipper arose and remonstrated with his perfidious friend, who with +great good temper said, to make it all right, 'You see that man by the +funnel? That is a Yankee going to see the midnight sun; go and talk to +him.' Now the Skipper has been in America a good deal, and likes to talk +to the natives of those regions, so he sailed over to the funnel and +tackled the Yankee. Presently, with that admirable tact which is his +most enviable characteristic, he observed, 'I understand that you have +come all the way from America to see the midnight sun: it is a very +extraordinary phenomenon. Imagine a glorious wealth of colour glowing +over an eternal sunlit sea, and endowing with a fairy glamour a scene +which Sappho might have burned to sing; where night is not, nor sleep, +but Odin's eye looks calmly down, nor ever sinks in rest.' As he paused +for breath the Yankee saw his opportunity, and said, 'No, I was never in +America in my life. I am a Lincolnshire man, and am going over to +Arendahl to buy timber. I have seen the midnight sun some dozen times, +and I call it an infernal nuisance.' Here the Skipper hastily left, and +came over and abused Esau until he made an enemy of him for life. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +CHRISTIANIA. + + +_Sunday, July 11._--We reached Christiansand about six, and set sail +again at eight. There was what the mariners called a nice breeze with +us. Esau declared it to be a storm, and was prostrate at lunch, owing as +he said to attending church service, which was conducted under +considerable difficulties, members of the congregation occasionally +shooting out of the saloon like Zazel out of her cannon, or assuming +recumbent postures when the rubric said, 'Here all standing up.' +However, we came along at a great pace, and arrived at Christiania about +nine at night, after a first-rate passage. + +The Fjord was not looking as beautiful as usual, as there had been a +great deal of rain, and the storm clouds and mist were still hovering +about the low hills, so that no glories of the northern sunset were +visible. + +We arranged that the Skipper should go straight to the Victoria Hotel +for rooms, as we heard that the town was very full, and Esau was to +follow with the luggage. Now there was a young Englishman on board, very +talkative, extremely sociable, remarkably kind-hearted, and overflowing +with the best advice. He had gone round the whole ship entreating every +one to go to the 'Grand,' as he intended to do, because it was by far +the best hotel. + +Just as the Skipper had engaged our rooms at the 'Victoria,' in rushed +this guileless child of nature, panting from the speed at which he had +come from the quay, and the Skipper had the gratification of witnessing +his discomfiture and listening to his apologies for having lied unto us, +which of course he had done in order to get rooms for his own party at +the 'Victoria.' + +We say nothing against the 'Grand' because we know it not, but any one +who has once tried the 'Victoria' will go there again: the man who is +not at home and happy there must be a very young traveller. + +This hotel possesses a spacious courtyard, surrounded by galleries from +which bedrooms and passages open, very much like that historical +hostelry in the Borough at which Mr. Pickwick first encountered Sam +Weller. + +These galleries, and indeed most portions of the hotel, are made of +wood, and the building is not of recent date, for now no houses in +Christiania are allowed to be constructed of timber only. + +In the centre of the court is a fountain which keeps up a gentle +plashing, very pleasant to listen to on a day when the thermometer is at +90 in the shade, as it generally is about this time of year in +Christiania. All round the fountain are small tables and chairs, ready +for the little groups who will assemble at them after dinner for the cup +of coffee and glass of cognac which form an indispensable part of a +Norwegian dinner. The dinner itself is, during the summer months, always +served in a large oblong tent in the same courtyard at 2.30, and a very +pleasant meal it is, if you are not too much wedded to English habits to +be able to secure an appetite at that hour. At short intervals down the +table large blocks of ice are placed, which perform excellent service in +helping to keep the tent cool. + +Then there is another delightful resort, the smoking-room, which is +upstairs on an extension of the gallery overlooking the courtyard. It +also is covered by a sort of tent, in the roof of which divers strange +and gruesome birds and beasts disport themselves, or seem to do so: we +have reason to believe that they are stuffed, as we notice that the +flying capercailzie never seems to 'get any forrader;' the fox stealing +with cautious tread upon the timid hare, unaccountably delays his final +spring, but perhaps he is right not to hurry, for the hare does not +appear to be taking any measures for her safety, but sits calmly +nibbling the deeply dyed moss which it were vain to inform her is not +good to eat. But there are other birds which we _know_ are stuffed, for +we helped to stuff them, and these are the sparrows, which come gaily +flying in at the open side of the smoking balcony; hopping on the chairs +and tables, pecking at the crumbs on your plate, and behaving generally +in that peculiarly insolent manner which can only be acquired, even by a +sparrow, after years of study, and the most complete familiarity with +the subject. These birds are a source of endless delight to Esau, who +certainly gives them more than can be good for them; they eat twice as +much as the capercailzies, though the latter are considerably larger. +And if the sparrows are not enough entertainment, there are tanks of +gold-fish and trees of unknown species in pots; but neither of these +perform very interesting feats. + +In this room it is the custom of the ordinary traveller to have his +breakfast and supper. Breakfast is very much like a good English one, +except the coffee, which is not at all like English coffee, being +perfectly delicious; but the supper is a meal peculiar to Norway, and is +generally constructed more or less on the following principles: + +Caviare, with a fresh lemon cut up on it. + +Norwegian sardines, garnished with parsley and bay leaves. + +Cray-fish boiled in salt water. + +Prawns of appalling magnitude. + +Bologna sausage in slices. + +Chickens. + +Slices of beef, tongue, and corned beef. + +Reindeer tongue. + +Brod Lax (spelling not guaranteed), meaning raw salmon smoked and cut in +thin slices. + +Baked potatoes. + +Good butter, and rolls which no man can resist, so fresh are they, and +light, and crisp. + +Drink: 'salon oel,' which is the best Norwegian beer. + + [Illustration: Norwegian Arrangement of Dishes at Table] + +This supper does not come in in courses, but the whole of it is placed +on the table at once; not spread out all over the surface of the board +as at home, but arranged in small oval dishes all round the consumer, +and radiating within easy reach from his plate, making his watch-chain +the centre of a semicircle, and thus entirely dispensing with that +creaking-booted fidget, the waiter. Such an arrangement cannot fail to +coax the most delicate appetite. There is no coarse _piece de +resistance_; no vast joint to disgust you; but like the bee, you flit +from dish to dish, toying, now with a prawn, now with a merry-thought, +till you suddenly discover that you are unconsciously replete, and you +rise from the table feeling that it was a good supper, and that +existence is not such a struggle after all. + +Altogether the 'Victoria' is a most charming inn, either to the +wave-worn mariner wearied by the cruel buffetings of the North Sea, +or to the weather-beaten sportsman returning straight from the bleak +snow-fields of the interior of Norway. We never stayed there for more +than two days, but for that time it is an uninterrupted dream of +delight. + + +_July 12._--We had a very hard day, buying all sorts of things to make +our stores complete: jam, butter, whisky, soap, and matches, Tauchnitz +books, and several other necessaries. The butter is most important, as +the best variety that can be got up country is extremely nasty; the +worst is unutterably vile, though it is quite possible to acquire almost +a liking for the peculiarities of the better kind after starvation has +stared you in the face. We were much put out at not being able to get a +small keg of whisky, as we fear that the bottles will fare badly in the +rough travelling we shall have. + +Accounts of Christiania may be found in many excellent guide-books, with +which this simple story cannot hope to compete, so we will not attempt +to describe the town, since, though our knowledge of all the grocers' +shops is voluminous and exhaustive, we are totally ignorant of the +interior arrangements of either the churches or police stations. + +The Skipper was very anxious to get some violet ink, because he is +firmly convinced that it is the only sort fit for a gentleman to use. +'A man,' he said, 'is known by his ink;' so we went into many shops and +asked for that concoction, always in the English tongue. Then we arrived +at a shop where they did not speak our language; and here suddenly, +to the intense surprise of Esau, the Skipper broke forth into a long +harangue in Norse, concluding with an extremely neat peroration. The +shopkeeper listened with respectful admiration, and then said, 'No, +this is a stationer's shop, we do not keep it.' Then Esau gave way +to irreverent laughter, and the shopkeeper concluded that we were +attempting a practical joke, and we had to fly. The Skipper was not +angry, but very much hurt. It afterwards transpired that he had got +up the whole of that magnificent burst of eloquence out of 'Bennett's +Phrase Book,' and then it had failed for want of two or three right +words; truly very hard. + +We took our canoes to the railway station, and despatched them to +Lillehammer this afternoon; they had been a source of great interest to +all beholders since our arrival, especially to the Norwegians, who have +all a sort of natural affinity with any kind of boat, and seem very much +pleased with the combined lightness and strength of their build. As far +as we can learn they are the first of the kind that have yet been +brought to this country. + +At the station they were surrounded by a crowd of inquiring Norsemen, +all of them wondering much what the name of 'Nettie' on the bows of the +Skipper's craft could mean, and spelling it over very slowly and +carefully aloud. When we came away, one of them, evidently a linguist, +had just translated it into his own language, and was proceeding to +conjugate it as an irregular verb. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +BY RAIL AND LAKE. + + +_July 13._--We were engaged till late at night putting the finishing +touches to our packing. The last thing we did was to put our most +gorgeous apparel, and any articles not likely to be needed during our +camp life, into two portmanteaus, with strict orders to the Boots to +keep the same until our return. This morning, after an early breakfast, +on descending to the courtyard we found these portmanteaus roped down on +the roof of the omnibus which was to take all the luggage to the station +_en route_ for Lillehammer. This we rectified, and then set off to walk +to the station ourselves. + +Now Esau is possessed by an insensate craving for anchovy paste, which +he considers a necessity for camping; he said, 'It imparts a certain +tone to the stomach, and aids digestion;' and added that 'no +well-appointed dinner-table should ever be without it,' which sounds a +little like an advertisement, but which he asserted was a quotation from +the rules laid down for his diet by Dr. Andrew Clark. In Christiania +these rules are not strictly adhered to either by Esau or the +inhabitants of the place, for anchovy paste is not to be obtained there: +this we know, because we went into every shop in the town, and asked for +it without success. And in this supreme moment, when we were walking to +the station with only a few minutes before the train should start, he +insisted on diving into a wretched pokey little shop, which had escaped +our notice yesterday, and demanding 'anchovy paste' in a loud English +voice. The Skipper devoutly thanked Providence it could not be bought, +as he declared the smell of it alone was enough to put a man off his +breakfast, and that he had such a morbid longing for hair grease, that +he could not have prevented himself from putting it on his head. + +We got our baggage safely booked, and ourselves also, after a scene of +riot that was nothing like a football match, but something like +Donnybrook fair, and at last found ourselves in a compartment with five +other passengers, all of whom had a most inconsiderate amount of luggage +with them in the carriage, while we contented ourselves with four guns, +seven fishing-rods, two axes, one spade, four hundred and fifty +cartridges, two fishing-bags, and a pair of glasses. We calculated that +we saved at least one and fourpence by taking these things with us; and +although our fellow-passengers were rather profane at first they soon +settled down, and we had time to digest the fact that we were one and +fourpence to the good. It was very warm in there; outside the +thermometer was 92 deg. in the shade; but we survived it, and after that no +mere heat has any terrors for us. + +Two of our fellow-passengers were an Englishman and his wife, who had a +maid travelling with them through to Throndhjem; and when getting the +tickets the booking clerk informed them that there were no second-class +through tickets issued, 'but,' he added, 'this will do as well,' and +handed them one first and one third through ticket, which we thought an +extremely ingenious way out of the difficulty. + +A railway journey is not interesting anywhere, and less so in Norway +than other countries, as there is not even the sensation of speed to +divert your mind, and keep you excited in momentary expectation of a +smash. Uphill the pace is slow because it cannot be fast; downhill it is +slow for fear of the train running away. + +There are only two trains a day, one very early, one rather late, +but timed to arrive at its destination before dark, for there is no +travelling by night. Directly darkness comes on the train is stopped, +and the passengers turned out into an hotel, where they remain to rest +till dawn. From Christiania to Eidsvold is about a three-hour journey, +and during that time the guard came to look at our tickets 425 times. +He wanted to incite us to commit a breach of the peace, or to catch us +offending against some of his by-laws, and was always appearing at a new +place; first at one door, then the other, anon peeping at us through the +hole for the lamp, and again blinking from the next carriage, through +the ice-water vessel. But we were aware of his intention, and did +nothing to annoy him, and always showed the same tickets till they were +worn out, and then we produced strawberry jam labels, which seemed to be +quite satisfactory. + +We reached Eidsvold at twelve, and went aboard the steamer 'Skiblaedner,' +where we found the canoes already nicely placed, lashed on the +paddle-boxes. + +We had a delightful voyage up the Mjoesen, on the most beautiful of +Norwegian summer days, in the best of Norwegian steamers. The Mjoesen is +the largest Norwegian lake, about fifty-five miles long, and the +guide-books say it is 1,440 feet deep, but we had not time to measure +it, as we were busy admiring the scenery on the saloon table most of the +way. This steaming up the Mjoesen is a very pleasant way of spending a +fine day: the shores are nowhere strikingly beautiful, but always pretty +and charming; the steamer goes fast, so that there is a sensation of +getting on and not losing time. There are intervals of mild excitement +whenever we come to a village, and take up or disembark passengers; +generally speaking they come out in boats, but occasionally we come to a +larger and more important place where there is a pier, or even a +railway, and at these the excitement is greater and the crowd quite +worthy of the name. The folks all take off their hats directly we get +within sight, and continue to do so till they fade away or sink below +the horizon; and we in the steamer all do the same. But the great +attraction is undoubtedly dinner, which is uncommonly well served in the +saloon, every luxury that can be obtained being placed before us, +concluding with wild strawberries and cream of the frothiest and most +captivating appearance. + +Both on this boat and her sister the 'Kong Oscar' they take great pride +in doing things well, very much as the old mail-coaches which occupied a +parallel position in England used to do. The 'Kong Oscar' is rather the +faster boat, but we consider the captain of the 'Skiblaedner' to be +lengths ahead of his rival, being a first-rate old fellow; on the other +hand, the 'Skiblaedner' handmaidens are not comely, whereas they of the +'Kong Oscar' are renowned for their beauty, not only in Norway, but in +certain stately homes of England that we wot of. Esau lost his heart to +one of them two years ago, and still raves about her, though the only +way in which he endeavoured to win her affection was by sitting on a +paddle-box with his slouch hat tilted over his eyes, gazing at her with +mute admiration from a respectful distance, while she, alas! was totally +unconscious of his passion. He never told his love, because he could not +speak Norse. + +We arrived at Lillehammer about eight o'clock, and went to the Victoria +Hotel, from the flat roof of which, after an excellent dinner, we +enjoyed a pipe and one of the prettiest views, in a quiet homely style +of prettiness, that any one could wish to see: just at our feet the +wooden village, with its many-coloured houses and their red roofs; then +some green slopes, and 100 feet below the vast extent of the Mjoesen +lying calm and still and looking very green and deep, with the +landing-stage and deserted steamers apparently quite close below us. On +the opposite side of the lake highish hills covered with fir trees, and +to the right the river Laagen with its green waters hurrying down from +the mountains in a broad and rapid stream as far as the eye could reach. +Just across the road in front of the hotel there is a nice little stream +which turns a saw, and rejoices in a cool splashing waterfall, the +soothing sound of which refreshes us by day and night. The same torrent +can be seen higher up the mountain in a place where it makes some rather +fine falls, which only look like a long white rag fluttering amongst the +trees at this distance. This was the view we had at midnight, when it +was, apparently, no darker than immediately after sunset, and a good +deal lighter than it generally is in London at midday; the while the sky +was covered with the rich glow of colouring which can only be seen in +the Northern summer. + +There were two Englishmen with us on the roof, with whom, aided by +coffee, we roamed over the greater part of the civilised and uncivilised +world--Australia, Canada, Japan, Turkey, and Ceylon, and we all agreed +that none of them can 'go one better' than a summer night in Norway. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +BY ROAD. + + +_July 14._--We arose pretty early, wishing to get over thirty-eight +miles of ground before evening, which with the canoes would be a long +day's work; as we had the natives to contend with, who by reason of +their dreadfully lazy habits are most difficult to 'bring to the +scratch.' + +We have decided, after long experience, that nothing that you can do has +any effect in hurrying them; but that it is quite possible to make them +slower by losing your temper, or taking any vigorous measures of +acceleration. They seem to get more deliberate and aggravatingly slow as +they grow older. + +Norwegian boys are distractingly restless and full of energy, and look +as if they have had nothing to eat, which is generally the actual fact, +judging by an English standard of what constitutes food. At the age of +fifteen they become better fed, and their energy departs altogether, +and after entirely disappearing it keeps getting less every year. +A full-grown man does not seem to need much food, certainly not as much +as an Englishman, and prefers that of the worst kind, conveyed to the +mouth at the end of a knife-blade. We have never noticed any description +of food which he does not make sour, rather than eat it when sweet. +Bread, milk, cream, and cheese, jam and cabbages, for instance, are +articles which he prefers fermented or sour. He reminds one of the +cockney who complained that the country eggs had no flavour, or of the +Scotchman who, replying to the apologies of a friend in whose house he +happened to get a bad egg, said, 'Ma dear freend, ah _prefair_ 'em +rotten.' + +But his laziness and love of nasty food are almost the only bad +qualities that we have discovered in him. He is ridiculously honest,[*] +and his kindness and hospitality are beyond praise. This morning, +however, the laziness was the quality chiefly conspicuous, and though we +ordered our conveyances last night and got up early (for us), we did not +succeed in starting till twelve o'clock. + + [Footnote: Save, perhaps, on three points--fishing tackle, + strong drinks, and straps or pieces of cord, which may be + committed to memory as 'a fly, a flask, and a fastener.'] + +We first despatched the canoes and baggage packed on a kind of low +waggon, and then got into a double cariole (which is something like a +gig) ourselves, and drove gaily off along the Throndhjem road. We did +not, however, follow it far, but turning to the left down a steep hill, +we crossed the Laagen by a long and rather handsome bridge, and then up +a winding road on the further side, all looking very pretty on such a +glorious day. The road became more picturesque the further we got from +Lillehammer, every turn bringing us to some fresh combination of +mountain, pine-trees, rock, and waterfall--especially rock. There are so +many tracts of country in Norway entirely composed of rock, that, as +Esau remarked, 'probably no one will ever find a use for it all.' + +We lunched at a nice little station called 'Neisteen;' a delicious meal +off trout, strawberries and cream, and fladbrod, for which they charged +us a shilling each. + +'Fladbrod' is the staple food of the country folk in Norway; they make +it of barley-meal, rye-meal, or pea-meal, but the best and commonest is +that composed of barley-meal. It is simply meal and water baked on a +large, flat, circular iron, and is about the thickness of cardboard, of +a brownish colour, and very crisp. The taste for it is easily acquired +in the absence of other food, and with butter it becomes quite +delicious--to a _very_ hungry man. + +At Neisteen there was a little shop where the Skipper at last obtained +his violet ink, but Esau was foiled in his dastardly attempt at +retaliation with anchovy paste. + +After this our road lay along a lovely river for fishing, and we were +much tempted to stop and try a cast in it, especially as we saw natives +luring fish from their rocky haunts by the time-honoured Norwegian +method. They first settle how far they want to cast--say thirty feet. +Then cut down a thirty-foot pine tree; take the bark off it; tie a +string to the thin end and a hook to the string; stick a worm on the +hook, and go forth to the strife. When the fish bites, they strike with +great rapidity and violence, and _something_ is bound to go; generally +it is the fish, which leaves its native element at a speed which must +astonish it; describes half of a sixty-foot circle at the same rate, +and lands either in a tree or on a rock with sufficient force to break +itself. + +But we had no time to spare, especially as for this stage we had a bad, +shying, jibbing horse, and a perfect fool of a driver. + +Near the last station we passed three English people on the road, who +our driver informed us lived near there. He told us their name was +Wunkle, but the man at the next station said it was Punkum, and we could +not decide which of these two common English names it was most likely +to be. + +Kvisberg, the last station on this road, was reached at 9 P.M., but +before this the road, which had gradually got worse all the way from +Lillehammer, had faded away and disappeared: and as the road got worse, +so did the hired conveyances; so that we were gradually reduced from the +gorgeous double cariole with red cushions with which we started, and a +horse that could hardly be held in, to a springless, jolting stolkjaer +(country cart), and a pony that required much persuasion to induce him +to boil up a trot. + +Kvisberg is situated, with peculiar disregard for appropriateness of +position, on the side of an almost unclimbable hill, about a quarter of +a mile from the place where the road departs into the Hereafter. No +English horse would take a cart up such a hill, but Norwegian ponies are +like the Duke's army, and 'will go anywhere and do anything,' only you +must give them plenty of time. We mounted to the station, a wretched +little place, and being hungry ordered coffee and eggs, for which repast +we paid twopence-halfpenny each, and then at ten o'clock got a man to +carry our few small things the last six miles to Dalbakken, where we +intended to sleep the night. The walk was delightful, through a +precipitous thickly wooded gorge, at the bottom of which the river which +we had followed all day went leaping and foaming along, though it was +now reduced to a mere mountain torrent. + +About a mile from our journey's end we were overtaken by a Norwegian +student on a walking tour, who spoke a little English and walked with us +the rest of the way, as he too was bound for Dalbakken. + + [Illustration: Midnight Study of Stockings at Dalbakken] + +We reached it at midnight, and were not much gratified to find that it +was a very small poor building, and that our luggage had not arrived. We +had been hoping against hope that it might have done so, as we had not +seen it anywhere on the road. The next pleasant discovery was that four +other travellers had arrived before us and taken all the rooms. This +fact was first conveyed to our minds by seeing four pairs of socks +hanging out of the upstair windows to dry; at which sight we began to +suspect that things were going to turn out unpleasant for us; but at +last we got a room with one very small bed between us. We tossed for +this bed, and the Skipper won; so Esau passed the night on the floor, on +a sheepskin, and was very comfortable--at least he said so next morning. +The natives here were much impressed by all our habits and belongings, +but especially by our sleeping with the window open; wherefore the old +woman of the Saeter[*] below kept bouncing into the room at intervals +during the night to see us perform that heroic feat; and though it was +flattering to be made so much of, still fame has its drawbacks. + + [Footnote: A Saeter is a mountain farm, to which all the cattle + are driven during the summer, so that the lowland pastures can + be mown for hay.] + +The general appearance of the place caused us to expect nightly +visitations from other foes, not human, but to our surprise there were +none. + +Dalbakken is only three quarters of a mile from a lake called Espedals +Vand, where we propose to commence our cruise. It is beautifully +situated on a small flat bit of ground halfway up the north side of the +gorge: the hills on the south side not far away are so steep that they +could not be climbed by all the branded alpenstocks that Switzerland +ever produced. Looking to the east the gorge is very wild and grand, +covered with pine trees and steep crags, and no dwelling in sight; while +to the west, in which direction Espedals Vand lies, it is more level and +open, and slopes gradually downwards again, Dalbakken itself being the +highest point in the track. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE FIRST CAMP. + + +_July 15._--We slept well, and at eight o'clock the Skipper, always +first to wake, got up, and looking out of the window saw thence the four +bad men who had taken the rooms before us and hung their socks out of +the window, just starting on their journey, and looking as if they did +so with an easy conscience. + +Some men can carry with a light heart and gay demeanour a weight of +crime that would wreck the happiness of less hardened ruffians. + +Then he turned his gaze in the opposite direction, and oh, joy! our +luggage and boats were in sight, and arrived directly afterwards. +The man in charge said he had travelled all night with them without +sleeping, and to judge from his appearance we imagined that his +statement was correct. He had been sitting on the Skipper's bag for +thirty-eight miles, and from the state of its interior we calculated his +weight to be about twenty-two stone. He was very ill-tempered after his +mere trifle of a journey and vigil, and asked for more money on hearing +that he had three quarters of a mile further to go. This was very sad, +and we thought showed an unchristian spirit; but we sternly urged him +forward, and all ended happily on our arrival at Espedals, when we paid +him his money and a shilling extra. + + [Illustration: The Start on Espedals Lake] + +It only took us a quarter of an hour to get to the lake, and after +unpacking there and dismissing the men we put the canoes into the water, +and then put water into the canoes until they sank; while we sat on the +shore watching the trout rising all over the rippled surface of the +lake, occasionally eyeing our sunken canoes in an impatient, longing +sort of way, but never attempting to start on our great voyage. + + [Illustration: The Skipper's first Cast] + +These tactics to an inexperienced 'voyageur' might look like the acts of +an ordinary lunatic; but it should be explained that the long exposure +to the sun which the canoes had undergone had caused them to leak badly, +and they required soaking to swell up the joints, before they could be +intrusted with our valuable property and persons. Besides this we were +hungry, and thought it a good opportunity for lunch, and had to make +some previously arranged alterations in the baggage with a view to +lightening it. As long as the land journey lasted, strength was the +chief object to aim at, but now lightness was of more importance. About +one o'clock, when we had got all our things aboard and were just +starting, a strong head-wind arose. This was always our luck. We decided +to make only a short voyage. The waves were fairly big, but the canoes +weathered them bravely, though they were very low in the water, and we +had to keep the pumps going (_i.e._ mop them out with our sponges) +during the whole voyage. + + [Illustration: Our Camp on Espedals] + +We landed not more than a mile and a half from the end of the lake, and +found a very nice camping-ground about ten yards from the shore on the +south bank, with what the poets call 'a babbling brook' close to it; +pitched the tent, and had a simple dinner of bacon, eggs, and jam, the +last dinner during our trip at which trout did not find a place. Then we +sallied forth in the canoes to fish. Esau was the last to leave the +shore, and as he paddled off he noticed the Skipper's rod in the +familiar Norwegian shape of a bow, and found him struggling with two on +at the same time, both of which he landed, and found to be over 1 lb. +each. 'First blood claimed and allowed,' to quote the terse language of +the prize ring. Not a bad beginning, but we only got a few more about +the same weight. They came very short, but were remarkably game fish +when hooked, and in first-rate condition. We turned in about eleven, +when it began to rain a little, and slept with our heads under the +blankets, the mosquitoes being in countless multitudes. + + +_July 16._--It was a lovely morning, and the lake looked its best, but +it is not strikingly beautiful compared with many that we have seen. It +has high rugged hills on both sides, and pine woods down to the water's +edge, and some small islands dotted about the upper end of it; but the +lake is rather shallow, the pine trees rather stunted, and there are a +good many wooden huts and saeters on the hill-sides, which, although they +appear to be mostly uninhabited, detract from the wildness of the +scenery. + +The natives have one or two boats on the lake, and do some fishing on +their own account. To-day we saw a man engaged in the atrocious +employment of fishing with an 'otter.' + +Any natives who see our camp when rowing past come to shore to inspect +us and our belongings. They all adopt the same course of procedure. They +land, and stare, and say nothing; then they pull up their boat and make +it safe, and advancing close to the tent stare, and say nothing either +to each other or us. Then Esau says confidentially, as if it was a new +and brilliant idea (he has done exactly the same thing some scores of +times), 'We'd better be civil to these fellows; perhaps they could bring +us some eggs, and they look pretty friendly.' The natives are all the +time staring and saying nothing. Then Esau remarks in Norwegian, 'It is +fine weather to-day; have you any eggs?' To this the chief native +replies at great length in his own barbarous jargon, and Esau not having +understood a single syllable answers, 'Ja! ja! (yes), but have you any +eggs?' Then aside to the Skipper, 'Wonder what the deuce the fool was +talking about?' Soon the natives perceive that their words are wasted, +and relapse into the silent staring condition again, and after a time +and a half, or two times, they depart as they came. Sometimes they +return again with eggs in a basket, when we pay them well and give them +some fish; at other times they look upon us as dangerous lunatics, and +avoid us like the plague. + +Esau learnt this habit of asking for eggs when we were on a fishing +expedition near the south coast of Norway. On one occasion there we +arrived at a small village, with an enormous quantity of trout that we +had caught in the adjoining fjord; and found a small crowd of about +fourteen or fifteen seafaring men, idly lounging round an open space +between the cottages. He first went round and presented each of those +men with two trout solemnly, without a word, as though it were a +religious ceremony. Then he began at the first man again and said, 'Have +you eggs?' and receiving a reply in the negative, he went on to the +next, and to each one of the group asking the same weird question. + +The men, who had been chatting busily amongst themselves up to the +moment of our arrival, became silent; they did not laugh, but only +looked at one another; and one of them shyly felt in his pocket to see +if there were any eggs there whose existence he might have chanced to +forget. + +Presently, as we could get no eggs, we moved off sorrowfully but not +discouraged; and the men remained looking after us silent and uncertain. +Thus the interview ended, and we regained our boat. + +The beach here was capital for bathing, and we enjoyed a delightful tub +this morning, the more pleasant indeed because at Dalbakken we slept in +our clothes, and only had a soap-dish to wash in next morning. +Immediately after bathing we lit a fire, and the cook commenced +operations; the office of cook being held alternately by each of us for +one day. The man from Dalbakken brought us some milk, so we indulged in +coffee. When we have only 'tin milk' we drink tea; for though tin milk +will do fairly with tea, we think it wretched with coffee. After +breakfast we each took our canoe, and went fishing wherever the spirit +moved us, taking lunch with us. On a day of this sort, if the fish are +rising we have a great time, and if they won't rise, we lie on the bank +in the sun and smoke, or sketch, or kill mosquitoes, and have a great +time in that case also, so that the hours pass in a blissful round of +enjoyment, and all is peace. Having each one his own ship we are quite +independent, only taking care to return to camp about six o'clock to get +dinner ready. After that there is nearly always a rise, and we fish till +about eleven, when we generally turn in, though it is by no means dark +by that time; and on a few occasions when the fish were rising very +well, we have fished on all through the night and into the next day, +losing count of the almanack, and conducting life on the principles of +going to bed when tired, and eating when hungry, so that, like the +Snark, we might be said to-- + + Frequently breakfast at five o'clock tea, + And dine on the following day. + +There was very little wind to-day, and these fish being very shy, and +apt to come short, it was almost impossible to get them without a ripple +until evening, when large white moths began to show on the water, and +the trout became bolder; consequently we did not make great bags, though +the fish caught were very good ones. + +At night there was one of the most lovely sunsets ever seen. The sun +went down right at the other end of the lake, so that we had an +uninterrupted view, with all the glorious colours of the sky reflected +in the water; and we agreed that the effects about half-past ten this +evening formed as good a symphony in purple and orange as a man could +expect to find out of the Grosvenor Gallery. + + +_July 17._--The morning began with a dead calm, but this soon gave place +to such a wind down the lake that we were induced to strike the camp, +pack the canoes, and proceed on our voyage into the unknown. + + [Illustration: Black-throated Diver] + +We started soon after eleven, lunched near Megrunden,[*] and saw there +two black-throated divers on the lake, which Esau pursued for some time, +but of course never got near them. Some of the dives they made to avoid +his advancing canoe seemed to be about half a mile in length. Just below +Boele we caught several fish, but kept paddling on with our favourable +wind, casting every now and then in likely places, and soon came to a +rapid with a rough bridge thrown across its upper end. The rapid was +very shallow, so that we did not dare to attempt to run it with loaded +boats, and had to make a portage. Even then we got a few bumps in +running it, but arrived at the bottom all right. Now the scene changed; +we were in a smaller and narrower part of the valley; buildings had +entirely disappeared; there was nothing to be seen but gloomy pine +forests and black-looking mountains: the weather also was quickly +changing, and evidently intending to be wet and stormy; so we pushed on +rapidly, one coasting on each side of the lake till we reached its +further extremity, where Esau was nearly swamped crossing the waves, as +the wind began to blow harder every minute. Soon the rain was upon us, +while we looked for a camping-ground but found none, as the shores were +everywhere very swampy for a quarter of a mile inland. At length we came +to a second rapid, where the natives have thrown a clumsy weir across +for some unknown purpose, and here we found a fairly dry spot, made our +portage in heavy rain and wind, with a great deal of groaning, misery, +and brandy and water; pitched the tent, and after struggling for about +half an hour, got a dyspeptic fire to fizzle, and so cooked some fish +and eggs, and then had tea in the tent. After this we were a little more +comfortable, as it was very nice and dry inside; but it was midnight +before we had finished all our portage, got the canoes down into the +next lake, and made everything snug for the night, so that we were quite +exhausted, as our day had commenced at seven A.M. The mosquitoes were +more numerous here than at any place we have yet seen. + + [Footnote: The various places mentioned on the voyage are not + villages, as one might imagine from the dot that marks them on + the Ordnance map, but generally only a single one-roomed log hut, + and for the most part not inhabited or habitable.] + + +_Sunday, July 18._--It rained all night, but as Tweedledum said of his +umbrella, 'not under here,' and a ditch we made last night kept our +floor quite dry. Lighting a fire for breakfast was a toilsome business, +but at last we found some wood dry enough to burn. It continued raining +in a nice keep-at-it-all-day-if-you-like kind of manner, so we resided +in the tent, and read, and indulged in whisky and water for lunch to +counteract any ill effects of the reading--for some of it was poetry. + +Our tent was about three-quarters of a mile from the end of Bred Sjoe, +and after lunch we both went in one canoe to reconnoitre the next rapid, +which is a long one down to Olstappen Vand. We found that it is quite +impracticable for canoes; the river simply running violently down a +steep place till it perishes in the lake; about a mile of rapid with +hardly enough decently behaved water in the whole of it to hold a dozen +trout. But there _were_ a dozen, for we caught them, one wherever there +was a little turnhole. How we were to get down that river was concealed +in the unfathomable depths of the mysterious Future. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +MISERY. + + +_July 19._--It rained all night again and all day. This was dreadful, +and not at all like Norway. + +We have always made a rule that we may fish on Sunday, but not shoot. +Some people draw an even finer distinction, and say it is allowable to +shoot with a rifle, but not with a gun: this we have always thought too +subtle. Now yesterday was Sunday, and Esau having observed two divers on +the lake while the Skipper was out fishing, went and secreted himself +with a gun where he expected them to come over, hoping that they would +be alarmed by the other canoe on its return. This soon happened, and +they flew within forty yards of him. Both barrels were discharged, and +Esau returned to camp, muttering something about 'birds of that kind +having immortal bodies if they hadn't immortal souls.' The result of +Sabbath-breaking was no doubt this miserable weather. + +The camp to-day presented a most cheerless prospect. The canoes were +drawn up on land and turned bottom upwards; the kitchen stowed away +under a soaked sack; a very third-rate camp fire smouldering before the +tent, surrounded by old egg-shells, backbones of fish, bacon-rind, and +some apology for firewood; our two rods standing up against the gloomy +sky with the wind whistling through their lines, and all the scenery +blotted out with rain and mist, and scudding, never-ending clouds that +drifted down the valley, and gave very occasional glimpses of extremely +wet mountains. The cook, clad in a macintosh with a spade in his hand, +watching a pot which was trying to boil on the spluttering fire, his +trousers tucked into his socks, and his boots shining with wet, would +have given any one a pretty good idea of the meaning of the expression +'played out.' + + [Illustration: View of Bredsjoe by Night] + +The mosquitoes were bad here, and we spent much of our leisure time +making war against them. Esau's favourite way of 'clearing the road' was +to bring in a smoking log of pitch pine, close up the ventilation, and +fill the tent with smoke. It forced us to quit, but not the mosquitoes, +as they appeared to fall into a deep and tranquil sleep, from which they +awoke refreshed and ready to renew the attack just a few minutes before +the tent again became habitable for human beings. Prowling round the +tent and squashing them with our fingers was perhaps the best plan, but +we were obliged to sleep with a rug over our heads and covered up at +every point, to avoid their intrusion at night. + + +_July 20._--Still rain, and nothing but rain; it stopped for an hour or +two last night, and the lake looked uncommonly pretty among its dark +surroundings, but the downpour soon began again. + +In our desperation yesterday afternoon we arranged with a native, whom +the Skipper discovered, to bring a horse and sleigh to-day to meet us at +the next rapid, and help us down with our baggage to Olstappen. +Therefore we got up early and were down at the rapid about ten o'clock, +where we found our man waiting. The rain at this period was the worst +variety we have yet seen, and it has tried all kinds during the last +four days. We packed everything on the sleigh, covered it with our +ground sheets, and then put the wheels on our canoes, and followed down +the track. + +There is a saw-mill halfway down the river which is simply perfect. +It is perched on piles over the middle of the stream, where it dashes +through a rift in a huge black cliff, and the water goes tearing past +down a long shoot made of logs, and plunges down at the end churned into +a mass of white foam, with noise and spray that quite bewilder one. + +We got down to Olstappen at last, not without a good deal of hard work, +and paid our man 4s. 6d. On our way we met a Norwegian tourist, who was +on a walking tour with his sister, and had left her rained up, so to +speak, in a Saeter, and was strolling about in the forest to wile away +the time: he spoke a very little English, and we had a long talk with +him; as he had a fellow-feeling for us, and was quite ready to curse the +rain with us or any one else. + +The Norwegians, men and women, seem to go a good deal on walking tours, +and probably know infinitely more of their fatherland than does the +average Briton of this island, the superiority of which he seldom fails +to impress on the long-suffering foreigner. + +At midday we launched our canoes on Olstappen, which is a fine wide +lake, and not so rainy as Bredsjoe, being several hundred feet lower. +We paddled across to the mouth of the Vinstra River, a rather perilous +undertaking, for where the wind met the river there was a nasty sea on, +and we shipped some water, but got safe to land. We could not find a +decent camp till we had walked a quarter of a mile from the lake up the +river. There we found a nice sheltered place, pretty, and close to the +river, made our portage, and pitched the tent, and with tea our drooping +spirits began to revive (who is proof against a hot meal of trout and +bacon, buttered eggs, and tea?), even though our clothes and equipments +were all wet through, and we had a damp change of raiment, sleeping +rugs, and boots. But now the wind had changed, and we looked forward to +the morrow as the wearied traveller always _does_ look forward to the +morrow. + +There were many sandpipers at the mouth of this river; we caught one +young one, and had serious thoughts of taking its innocent life for our +tea, but better feelings prevailed, and we released it as an offering +for fine weather, and caught four trout instead. + + +_July 21._--Hurrah! the rain stopped during the night, and this morning +actually the sun shone out now and then. We heaped up a huge fire and +dried all our belongings, and then had nearly a whole day before us free +for fishing. + +A voyaging day is a big business. We calculate that it takes us two and +a half hours to pack up from an old camp, breakfast, and get aboard +ship; but to pitch the camp in a new place takes much longer. First you +have to find a suitable place, often a matter of great difficulty in a +country like this, where level spaces a yard square are very rare; dig a +trench; pitch the tent, and arrange everything in it; collect firewood, +and make a place for the fire; see that the boats and everything about +the tent are safe from harm should the stormy winds begin to blow; and +then cook dinner. All this cannot be done under three hours of hard +work; so that if in addition you propose getting over a considerable +amount of ground, it is sure to be a long and toilsome day. But the +following day you wake up with a glorious feeling of duty performed and +pleasure to look forward to. + +The Skipper, with a hankering after cleanliness, washed a lot of +clothes, and himself, having left the rain to perform the latter +operation for the last two or three days; but Esau, not being troubled +with any such absurd remnants of civilisation, went up the river +reconnoitring in his natural condition. He came back to dinner in a +perfectly rapturous state, having caught a remarkably nice bag of fish, +got a beautiful view of the Jotunfjeld Mountains, and found a waterfall, +which he said was the best in Norway, and therefore in the world. The +Skipper had tried the lake in the afternoon without success, so after +dinner we both went out and soon discovered the reason. Seven boats full +of natives were out with a huge flue net, which they shot in a circle, +and then beat the water enclosed till all the wretched fish were in the +net. We saw them get thirty in one haul, and besides this there was a +boat 'ottering;' and although we captured a few fish, it was obvious +that with all this netting it would be impossible for the lake to be +good. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +HAPPINESS. + + +_July 22._--This was a really fine day, such as we consider proper to +Norway; no uncertain half-and-halfness, but a day when an untiring sun +shone down from an immaculate sky; and everything looked lovely. Our +tent was on a nice bit of turf close to the Vinstra River, which is +about as broad as the Thames at Eton, but with probably twice the volume +of water, and certainly three times its rapidity; it rushed past our +door at such a pace that no boat could stem it; and as far as we could +see up the reach it came down in an equally swift torrent, so that all +day and all night there was a swilling, rushing sound very pleasant to +hear, and creating a sensation of coolness in warm weather. Esau +considered it just the _beau ideal_ of a trout stream, for any fish +hooked in it gave a lot of trouble before he was safe in the bag. It +ran into the lake about a quarter of a mile from our tent, forming a +good-sized delta at its mouth. At the further side of the delta there +were some fishermen's huts (from which emanated the seven boat-loads of +natives whom we saw yesterday netting), and thence a track leads up the +banks of the river to a lake called Slangen, two miles away. + +The inhabitants of these huts came in a boat this morning to see our +camp while we were at breakfast inside the tent. They poked their heads +in, grinning and staring, and saying nothing. Then we did the honours, +showed them our most interesting possessions--American axes, fly-books, +knives, rods, &c., with all of which they were greatly impressed; then +one picked up a bar of yellow soap that was lying on a box, and they all +'wondered much at that;' then we talked to them for a brief space, +chiefly out of 'Bennett's Phrase Book,' and considered the interview at +an end, but they _would_ not go, and remained silently staring at all +our movements. So at last we ignored their presence altogether, which we +have found the most effectual way of getting rid of a Norwegian peasant, +and they gradually departed one by one till only one was left. To this +man we gave a cup of our now cold coffee, which was not at all good, +especially when compared with the delicious coffee which is always +forthcoming even in the meanest Norwegian hut. He drank this, for they +consider it a breach of etiquette to refuse proffered food; and +immediately left, as if he remembered an engagement, having first +thanked us in a rather constrained manner. + +We were glad when our callers were gone, for we had found them +'difficult,' as the French say; but we took advantage of their arrival +to make arrangements with one of them to bring three ponies and sleighs +to the other side of the delta to-morrow morning, when we hope to renew +our journey. + +After this we both went up the river on opposite sides; for the Skipper +had become inflamed by a wish to see the waterfall which Esau discovered +yesterday. + +One of the great advantages of Norway consists in being able to leave +your tent and all other belongings quite to themselves, even when you +know that there are several people about, and shrewdly suspect that the +place where you have made your camp is a hay meadow belonging to one of +them. We had a dim idea that such was the case here, not because there +was any grass, but because there were very few stones, and a Norwegian +mows down everything for hay except the stones. The Skipper came back +with a very pretty bag of fish; he had been up to the fall, and thought +it quite deserved all Esau's commendation; and his opinion is worth more +because he has seen many of the great American falls and other stock +sights of the world. It is not marked on the Ordnance map; there is no +path to it, or near it, but you come on it suddenly by following the +river up through the pine forest, and on turning a corner see the whole +body of the Vinstra shooting over a cliff in one mad leap of perhaps a +little more than a hundred feet. Of course the height and volume of +water are insignificant compared with many falls, but the beauty of its +situation can scarcely be excelled; and to us its greatest charm is its +solitude and freedom from paths, tourists, and all the other unpleasant +attributes of show places. + +Esau following up the north bank of the river was not so successful +fishing, and after crossing the Slangen River (which joins the Vinstra +about a mile above our camp) he struck across the forest to see his +beloved fall again, and try to sketch it. He came back in a bad temper, +saying that he thought Ruysdael and Turner could make something of +it--the former to do the water, and the latter the spray, mist, +rainbows, and roar--and he wanted to write home and get them to come out +on purpose; and when the Skipper suggested that they had given up +painting, he said it was a great pity, for he had not time now to do it +himself. + +There is a corduroy bridge over the Slangen River, close to its junction +with the Vinstra, and over this bridge we shall go to-morrow: we had +intended to cruise up the Slangen and fish Slangen Lake, but we found +that it would be impossible to continue our journey from the further end +of it if we did so, and therefore decided to omit that part of the +programme, though we are sorry to leave out Slangen, as it is a +beautiful lake. + +We have probably been repaid for the miseries of the last week by the +beauty of our waterfall, the volume of which has doubtless been much +increased by the exceptional rain of the last few days. + +Early to bed-- + + +_July 23._--And early to rise. We breakfasted soon after seven, and then +packed everything, and crossed the mouth of the Vinstra in two Norse +boats, assisted by two or three men who had come to help our horses and +sleighs on the journey. We had terrible difficulty in getting the canoes +placed in what we considered a safe position on the sleighs, but it was +done at last, and the motley caravan started about 10.30. + +First the noble owners; then a man who had got nothing on earth to do +with the affair, then two women laughing and yelling like lunatics, then +a sleigh drawn by a large pony, and carrying two boxes, cans, guns, and +canoe; next some boys urging the large pony to herculean exertions; then +the organiser of the transport department, who was apparently a +professional fool, by the inordinate laughter which his every action +caused; then some more women, and a smaller pony and sleigh, with the +other canoe and all the rest of the luggage excepting one bag; lastly, +another man leading an extremely small pony and sleigh with absolutely +nothing on it, the man carrying the remaining bag for fear of tiring the +pony. This mob of loafers had arrived in boats from Svatsum, which is a +small village five miles distant at the north end of Olstappen. But they +only accompanied us for a quarter of a mile, when they all departed +except the three men, who remained to manage the ponies. + +The pace was not very great, about a mile an hour, for these little +ponies insisted on stopping to rest every hundred yards when the path +was good, and every twenty when it was bad. + +We followed the river till we crossed the Slangen bridge; after that the +path began to rise and get rapidly worse. We strolled along very +leisurely, sitting down from time to time to rest and admire the view. +The scenery was occasionally very beautiful, with the Jotun Mountains +gleaming white in the background; and the forest itself was an endless +delight, with its hoary moss-covered pine trees, and many-coloured +carpet of berry-bearing plants, and the delicious odours with which a +Norwegian forest in summer always abounds. In a fir tree here Esau came +upon a family of cole titmice, and another of creepers, all very busy +swinging themselves about, and creeping up and down the tree in search +of dinner. They appeared to take a certain amount of interest in his +proceedings, but showed no fear, and after watching them a long time he +put the point of his rod up to one of the titmice, which actually pecked +it rather angrily, but seeing that it made no impression took no further +notice, but returned to its occupation of collecting food. In the next +tree was a little spotted woodpecker which they call a 'Gertrude bird.' +The story is so prettily told in 'Forest Life in Norway and Sweden,' +that it shall be inserted here. + +'This woodpecker--or an ancestor of hers--was once a woman, and one day +she was kneading bread in her trough, under the eaves of her house, when +our Lord passed by leaning on St. Peter. She did not know it was our +Lord and His apostle, for they looked like two poor men who were +travelling past her cottage door. "Give us of your dough for the love of +God," said the Lord. "We have come far across the fjeld, and have fasted +long." + +'Gertrude pinched off a small piece for them, but on rolling it in the +trough to get it into shape, it grew, and grew, and filled up the trough +completely. "No," said she, "that is more than you want;" so she pinched +off a smaller piece and rolled it out as before, but the smaller piece +filled up the trough just as the other had done, and Gertrude put it +aside too, and pinched a smaller bit still. But the miracle was just the +same, the smaller bit filled up the trough as full as the largest sized +kneading that she had ever put into it. + +'Gertrude's heart was hardened still more; she put that aside too, +resolving as soon as the stranger left her to divide all her dough into +little bits, and to roll it out into great loaves. "I cannot give you +any to-day," said she. "Go on your journey; the Lord prosper you, but +you must not stop at my house." + +'Then the Lord Christ was angry, and her eyes were opened, and she saw +whom she had forbidden to come into the house, and she fell down on her +knees. But the Lord said, "I gave you plenty, but that hardened your +heart, so plenty was not a blessing to you. I will try you now with the +blessing of poverty; you shall from henceforth seek your food day by +day, and always between the wood and the bark" (alluding to the custom +of mixing the inner rind of the birch with their rye-meal in times of +scarcity). "But forasmuch as I see your penitence is sincere, this shall +not be for ever; as soon as your back is entirely clothed with mourning +this shall cease, for by that time you will have learnt to use your +gifts rightly." + +'Gertrude flew from the presence of the Lord, for she was already a +bird, but her feathers were even now blackened from her mourning, and +from that time forward she and her descendants have all the year round +sought their food between the wood and the bark; but the feathers of +their back and wings get more mottled with black as they grow older, and +when the white is quite covered the Lord takes them for His own again. + +'No Norwegian will ever hurt a Gertrude bird, for she is always under +the Lord's protection, though He is punishing her for the time.' + +Whether this is the true reason or not, the fact remains that the bird +is never harmed by any one, and is as tame as possible. + +We continued climbing slowly up the hill till about one o'clock, when we +came out above the forest on an open plateau covered with rocks, grass, +and low scrub: this was the Fjeld. At Finboele Saeter we stopped to +refresh on milk. The road--which had gradually dwindled from a decent +path to a sleigh track, then a footpath, a cow-path, and a goat-path, +just sufficient to swear by, or at--now lost itself altogether. The men +had been complaining that it was a 'dole vei' (bad road) soon after the +start, now they said it was 'schlamm'--a very expressive word; and Esau +agreed with them, and said it was 'damm schlamm,' which does not sound +like proper Norsk; but it was such heart-rending work to see our beloved +canoes bumping and jolting along, every moment in imminent danger of +getting staved in, that to indulge in a few such Norwegian idioms was +only human; and we decided to walk on and spare ourselves the agony of +the sight: so, taking the bearings of 'Fly Saeter'--which was our +destination for the evening--we rambled on across the fjeld--a splendid +walk, with some of the most beautiful mountains in Norway all round us. + +We got on very well with the assistance of an Ordnance map and compass, +till we came to the river Hinoegle, after passing Hinoegelid Saeter. The +bridge here was not in the place marked on the map, so that after +crossing it we had some trouble in finding Fly Saeter, and might perhaps +have perished miserably like the Babes in the wood, had we not +opportunely met a mediaeval fisherman in a red night-cap, looking like +one of the demons in 'Rip van Winkle,' who was going thither and +conducted us. We arrived at seven o'clock, and appeased our hunger with +the usual meal of trout and coffee, and _such_ cream! + + [Illustration: Sunset at Fly Saeter] + +The saeter was a long low house, with three little rooms and only two +windows. Its legitimate tenants were a very nice man and his equally +nice wife and three children; but there were some occasional visitors +here to-night in the shape of ourselves, our three men, the mediaeval +angler, and another traveller, twelve altogether to be apportioned among +four beds; and to make matters worse, the rooms were continually invaded +by sheep, pigs, and goats, of which there were a large stock. + +The Norwegians are so uniformly kind to all their animals, that their +tameness is really troublesome; they insist on going where they like, +and following one about begging for food like dogs, causing the Skipper +to exclaim,-- + +'Ite domum saturae, venit Hesperus, ite capellae;' which he translated-- + +Out of the house in the evening! Get out, ye goats of the saeter! + +We slept in the cheese-room very comfortably, one on the floor, the +other on a good hay bed, and were warm for the first time for several +nights, as we have not had sufficient blankets in the tent. Where the +other ten people slept we did not inquire, but hoped they were happy. +Our men and sleighs did not arrive till 10 P.M., at which time a most +glorious sunset was going on, so that we could not attend to them at +once. The sky, at first blue and yellow, gradually deepened into purple +and orange, and finally the most brilliant red and almost black clouds, +the hills all the time glowing with exquisite tints. After it was +concluded we turned to the men, and were much delighted to find that +nothing was smashed so far: the men had been very careful, and took +eleven hours to perform a journey of ten miles. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +FLY SAETER. + + +_July 24._--The morning was again beautifully fine, and the coffee at +the saeter was passing delicious, even for this country, where coffee is +always good. No doubt the chief reason of this is that it is never +roasted and ground till just when it is wanted, not only at the hotels, +but at the smallest saeters. The grinding of coffee and the frying of +trout are grateful sounds to the wearied traveller, and if the walk +across the fjeld has failed to give him an appetite, he has still the +chance of obtaining one from the fragrant aroma of the roasting berry. + +This saeter is in a most beautiful situation, perched on a little flat +bit of ground on the mountain side, and looking down on a +wide-stretching sea of grey undulating hills, with lakes lying among +them dotted about near and far, and all the lower ground covered with +the everlasting pine forest. To the south can be seen the river Hinoegle, +which runs out of the Heimdal Lakes, threading its way with gleams of +white through the dark green and grey of the forest and fjeld. To the +north far below in the valley is Aakre Vand, a beautiful irregularly +shaped lake dotted with fir-clad islands; while beyond, high up, there +can be just distinguished Aakre Saeter, and frowning over it the dark +mass of Aakre Kampen, a mountain of considerable height. Aakre Vand is a +lake that we had intended to fish after Slangen Vand, but as there +seemed to be no possibility of getting our property from one to the +other we gave up the notion. According to all accounts it is a good lake +for fish, and its shores are untainted by the habitations of man. + +We started about 9.30, having paid 5s. 6d. for the board and lodging of +ourselves and our numerous retinue, including the price of a sack-full +of hay for our beds, as this was the last place at which we expected we +could get any. + +After watching for a short time our valuables jolting, plunging, and +splashing over the uneven ground, covered with rocks, junipers, and +occasional logs and brooks, the wear and tear on our heart-strings +became too severe, and we decided to walk on to Sikkildals Saeter, about +four miles, and leave the baggage to its fate under the guidance of our +three charioteers. It took us till eleven o'clock to get within half a +mile of the saeter, and there we sat down and watched the track intently +for two hours: then two hours more--and we began to lose patience; then +another hour--and we began to lose hope also. Something must have +happened; either a canoe was smashed, or washed away crossing a stream, +or one of the sleighs was upset and broken, or they were bogged, or the +man carrying the bag had fainted, or his pony become unmanageable and +dashed through a shop window; or, most dreadful thought, the men had got +at our whisky and become hopelessly drunk. + + [Illustration: Desperate Conflict between Esau and the Mosquito] + +Another hour passed, and our small remaining stock of good temper went: +we were very hungry, and all our food was on the sleighs, and the +mosquitoes seemed to be even more hungry than we were. Hope deferred, +with nothing but mosquitoes to distract one's thoughts, maketh the heart +very sick indeed: and these were most annoyingly large mosquitoes; the +finest brand that we have yet inspected, and with more strength of +character than the ordinary kind. We were so much annoyed with the world +in general, and each other, that we were obliged to separate, and Esau +retired for a short time to attempt a sketch. He came back very angry, +because just at the critical moment a mosquito had knocked his hat off, +and he had had a desperate and perspiring conflict with it under a +tropical sun; but eventually the brute was vanquished and its head cut +off, which he said he would have stuffed, to hang up in his ancestral +halls. He certainly bore on his face the marks of the struggle, so that +there seemed to be no reason to doubt the story. + + [Plate: ON THE TRACK NEAR SIKKILDALS LAKE.] + +Our state of despondency waxed worse and worse; we had not the slightest +confidence in our head driver; he was undoubtedly the Svatsum village +fool, for he talked all day, and the other men went into roars of +laughter at whatever he said, though the Skipper said _he_ couldn't see +anything funny in most of his remarks; but possibly the Skipper was +jealous because this man made better Norsk jokes than his own. Besides +this, the fact that neither of us understood the language, detracted +from the merits of the jests. + +Years rolled away, and at six o'clock something came slowly into sight. +'Out with the glass!' (the spy-glass). 'Yes, by George! it is the men +and sleighs at last. Out with the other glass!' and we finish the 'wee +drappie' that we were saving to the last extremity. They soon arrived at +Sikkildal Saeter with us, and we found that nothing had gone wrong, but +the men had been _very_ careful, and so had taken nine hours to make a +journey of four miles. The track certainly would be a disgrace to a +Metropolitan Vestry, and they managed well to arrive with everything +uninjured. We consider the village fool to be a most painstaking and +praiseworthy idiot. + +At Sikkildal Saeter we got some food and called at a small house close to +it, where a Mr. B., a Norwegian barrister, was staying for the summer. +He is the owner of the Sikkildal Lakes, and we wanted permission to camp +on his land and fish in his lakes. He understood English as well as all +the upper classes in Norway do; and was very civil, giving us the +permission most willingly. + +We have heard from a good many people that the wealthier Norwegians do +not like the English, and will not do anything to oblige them; but in +all our wanderings we have met with nothing but the greatest kindness +and hospitality from all classes. Several people have gone out of their +way to voluntarily offer fishing and shooting, and in no instance has +the slightest incivility been shown. Certainly Norway will compare with +England very much to advantage in this respect, though of course we do +not mean to say that similar conduct would be possible in England. + +At about seven in the evening we got all our cargo shipped again and +started up the lower Sikkildals lake--having first paid our charioteers +3_l._ for the trip from Olstappen, three men, horses and sleighs, +sixteen miles over the rockiest, brookiest, and juniperiest country in +this world; and offered them whisky and water all round, including two +men from the saeter who came to our assistance when the smallest pony, +not being accustomed to the deceitfulness and treacherous wiles of this +life, got up to its neck in a bog close to the lake, and the man with +the bag followed it. However, they were extricated with no damage done, +as our provisions were all securely soldered up in tins. Curious to +relate, our three men did not like whisky, but just sipped for +'manners,' and only the two old men from the saeter would drink it; but +these two old men liked it very much, and drank all they could get--that +is to say, their own glasses full, and the other fellows' glasses full, +and just a drop after that, and then just a taste to top up with. Then +we shook hands all round, and feeling in charity with all men, sailed +joyously away up the lake. + +It was a real Norwegian night, with the warmth and light of the departed +sun still lingering on the mountain tops, and a midnight twilight +glowing in the valleys. We had a beautiful full moon to help us on our +way, so we went right to the upper end of the first lake, and found a +camping-ground halfway between the two lakes, which are about a hundred +yards apart. The portage took us some time, but we were full of energy +from the cool night air, so refreshing after the long hot summer day. We +dug out a nice level place for the tent, and got everything settled and +ourselves in bed about midnight. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +SIKKILDAL. + + +_Sunday, July 25._--We arose soon after seven; not because it is our +nature to get up at that time, still less because we think it our duty +to do so; but because the sun made the tent so intolerably hot that +there was no pleasure to be derived from staying in bed any longer. +Naturally after this we were very cross, which the Skipper says all +really pious people are on Sunday morning; and he abused Esau +shamefully, because the latter wanted the eggs buttered and the Skipper +wanted them fried. Esau laid down the axiom that 'no gentleman ever eats +fried eggs,' in a peculiarly offensive manner, and proceeded further to +make ill-natured remarks with reference to violet ink; and the Skipper +retorted with the observation, 'Wish you'd brought that anchovy paste.' +Esau: 'Why?' Skipper: 'Because it's just the stuff to grease your boots +with in a place like this; smells strongish, and keeps the mosquitoes at +a distance.' Altogether we made ourselves as disagreeable as possible to +each other--just as we do in our happy homes on the Sabbath morn in +England. Fortunately Sunday only comes once a week. + +Breakfast over, the Skipper devoted himself to the occupation of +greasing his boots and shaving, which he seems to do at the same time, +so that one brush may be used for both the soap and the grease; while +Esau did some washing. + +We had some trouble in getting good firewood, for Sikkildals Vand is +more than three thousand feet above sea level, and consequently we were +above the region of pine forests, and had only the stunted birch and +juniper from which to obtain our supply. We divide the altitudes rather +differently from the system adopted by other great explorers. The lowest +belt is that of pine forests and strawberries, then comes the zone of +stunted birches, above that only juniper and bitter willow are found; +and the highest belt of vegetation contains only rocks, +reindeer-flowers, and moss, and then eternal snow. + +Now birch trees do not make good firewood, for when they die they appear +to get water-logged, and never burn well. The juniper is the most +invaluable of all trees, for it will burn quite green; but at Sikkildals +Vand it is very scarce, and so it took us quite a long time to collect +enough dry wood to last our stay out, but it was done at last. We +carried one canoe across the spit of land between the two lakes, and in +it the Skipper went forth to get fish for the larder, while Esau took +the other canoe down the lower lake to get some milk from Sikkildals +Saeter. + +The scenery here is very fine. The lakes are narrow, and highish +mountains rise on each side: those on the south side had snow upon them, +though this would disappear before the end of the summer, as we are not +yet in the regions of perpetual snow; on the north side there is a very +remarkable mountain called Sikkildals Horn, with a perfectly +impracticable front of overhanging rock, very high and rugged. There was +a constant rumbling and booming proceeding from it, as rocks from time +to time broke off and came crashing down; but our tent--though seemingly +under this cliff--was well out of their reach. At the further end of the +upper lake we could see an apparently impassable mountain ridge. Beyond +this, about four miles further according to the maps, was Besse Saeter, +a farm, or ranch, only one day's journey from our final resting-place. +How we were to cross that mountain with our canoes and baggage, was a +matter only to be determined by prophets and other beings of a higher +order of intelligence than ours. Our friend Mr. B. thought it was almost +impossible; the Skipper boldly asserted that it _was_ impossible, and +requested to be allowed to die here; while Esau, with the sanguine +joyousness begotten of total ignorance, said of course it could be +managed. We determined to move to the end of the lake the next day, and +try the pass on the one following--barring earthquakes. + +Esau had a most interesting voyage. His fishing was not very successful +at first, and he paddled steadily on towards the Saeter, overtaking a +boat quite full of girls, dressed in the very picturesque native costume +which the people in these primitive regions still adhere to, especially +on Sundays. The girls about here are rather pretty than otherwise, and +these were a particularly good selection, and of course all in their +cleanest and smartest clothes for Sunday. They _would_ stop to watch him +fishing, till he got quite shy, and gave up throwing till they rowed on. + + [Illustration: Saeter Girls in a Boat on Sikkildals Lake] + +Soon he came to a brood of pochards under the leadership of the old +duck, and spent half an hour trying to capture one by rapid paddling, in +which endeavour he was nearly but not quite successful. There were a +good many teal and pochards on the lower lake, and plenty of sandpipers +on the shores of the upper one. + +At last he reached the Saeter, and found there all the girls of the boat, +and at least another boat-load and five or six strangers--quite a crowd: +possibly they had been having a church service, but probably not, as +they all seemed in the best of tempers, and were most amiable. + +He got the milk, and coming back tried a few casts, and found that the +fish were rising properly; the result was nineteen good trout in about +an hour and a half. We had not been catching many fish lately; so after +his return to camp we concluded that this was the hour and we were the +men to revel in a fiendish glut of capture. So there was a regular +stampede in that camp, and after dinner we _all_ went out armed to the +teeth with rods and fly-books, and clothed in landing nets and Freke +bags, with our teeth firmly set and a bloodthirsty look in our eyes, +intending to struggle with the great trout in his native element or +perish in the attempt. . . . + +About ten o'clock that night there might have been seen toiling wearily +back to camp under a cloudy sky and with a chilly blast a-blowing, two +forlorn youths, 'sans' fish, 'sans' hope, but still armed to the teeth +with the weapons of the chase. + +However, we had now tried both lakes, and got some knowledge of their +capabilities. The upper one is, we think, the better of the two, but +more difficult to catch fish in. The Skipper got some in it to-day, and +they were larger fish than those of the lower lake, and a different +sort, more like the silvery trout of the Jotunfjeld, whereas the others +are the ordinary brown or yellow trout. + +This afternoon Mr. B. and his wife with a friend came up in a boat to +see our camp, at which they seemed much pleased. We took them short +cruises in the canoes, showed them our various arrangements, and +endeavoured to be agreeable. + +The friend was the manager of the government stud for this district, and +spoke English fairly. He told us that the government provides a certain +number of good stallions, which are turned out on the fjeld and run with +the peasants' mares, and that they take great trouble to provide the +best that can be got, so as to improve the breed. He considered that +there are very decidedly good results. + + +_July 26._--A beautiful fishing morning, just beginning to blow up for +rain. The Skipper fished his way down to the Saeter for more provisions, +and had first-rate sport, catching twenty-two beautiful fish, mostly +over a pound. He had such an exciting time of it that lunch was +forgotten till three o'clock, a fact which spoke volumes for the +excellence of the sport, for we generally acquire a very keen appetite +every three or four hours so long as the sun is performing his daily +duty (of standing still while we circulate feebly round ourselves). He +came back to the tent, presenting rather a distended appearance, having +stuffed most of his pockets full of potatoes, and a packet of salt in +his hat; and while with his right hand he folded to his bosom a bottle +of cream, and another of milk, in his left he grasped a rod, a landing +net and paddle, and the rest of him was hung with fish. The Skipper +objects to making two journeys where only one is necessary. + +Esau thinks that 'flesh-meat' is a necessary of life, so he took his gun +up the upper lake, and returned with the noble spoil of five sandpipers +which he had shot out of the canoe by creeping along the edge of the +lake, a most entertaining pastime. + +There is an old ruined fisherman's hut at our end of the lake, and this +had apparently been taken as a habitation by a family of stoats, which +Esau espied at their gambols on his return. Cartridges are precious +here, but the instinct of destruction of a stoat was too much for him, +and having chirped till two of them stood close together and a third +just behind, he fired into the crowd and mortally injured the lot. Poor +little things! It is rather a shame to kill them, for there is so little +game that they cannot do much harm, probably feeding chiefly on mice and +lemmings, which are very numerous; and they always look uncommonly +pretty playing about the rocks. No more graceful animal exists than a +stoat. + +After dinner had been cooked and despatched we went forth to fish again, +and had some good sport; but presently lowering clouds settled down over +the surface of the deep, mosquitoes gathered round us in swarms, and a +few spots of rain drove us home to the snug retreat of the tent, where +hidden away under the warmth of our bedding we smoked in thoughtful +silence, and gloated over the day's doings and our larder stocked with +fishes. + + +_July 27._--The day commenced with showers, and as there are no +inhabitants here to whom we can give the surplus fish, we did not like +to catch any more--for it is against our principles to waste food +wilfully, woeful want being too near and probable a state to be trifled +with--consequently we determined to move on, but first to bake some +bread. + +This, in a temporary camp, is done by putting the kneaded dough into a +tin pot made on purpose without solder; this pot is then placed in a +hole in the ground in which we have previously kept a good fire for +about half an hour; before putting the pot in, all the embers and ashes +are cleared out, and then raked back on to the top of the tin and all +round it, and a small fire is kept going on the top. If well managed +this bakes excellent bread in about twenty minutes, but of course it +requires considerable experience and care to turn out really +satisfactory bread. When we get to our permanent camp we shall make a +proper oven. + +To-day, when we had baked successfully, packed up our things, and were +taking advantage of a break between the showers to start, we were hailed +from the bank, and saw there old Peter Tronhuus, the tenant of Besse +Saeter (whither we are going) and father of Jens Tronhuus, our former +hunter, who is now getting what we require in the shape of food, ponies, +and men, and whom we expect to meet at Besse Saeter. Peter had a great +deal to tell us about all our affairs, which seem to be prospering under +Jens' auspices. He talks English very badly, so the interview lasted +some time, and then we pushed off and paddled straight away to the +extreme end of the lake, where we found an inferior place to pitch the +tent, very damp and unwholesome in appearance, sadly in need of sanitary +inspection, but no doubt good enough for one night. We fished with fly +and minnow all the way, but took nothing, there being a good deal of +thunder round about; but Esau shot some more sandpipers. + +Our tent is pitched at the commencement of an extremely vague track, +which we believe to go over our mountain pass to Sjoedals Vand +(pronounced Shoodals), and to-morrow we hope to follow its wanderings, +if two men and horses--with whom we have made an arrangement to +transport us--turn up. These two men and horses are the sole inhabitants +of this very thinly populated district, so that we are at their mercy, +and if they do not come we must inevitably die of starvation after we +have eaten all our provisions and candles. + +Late in the evening Herr B---- and a scientific friend who had just come +to stay with him, came down the mountain to our tent. They had been for +a short walking tour to Lake Gjendin--our future goal--where it seems +that a tourist's hut of a superior sort has lately been built, and at +this hut several kinds of food are kept, such as tinned meats and beer. +B---- and his friend have therefore been there shopping. The news of +this hut is rather unpleasant to us, for Gjendin was chosen chiefly for +its wildness and remoteness from civilisation, and now we are haunted +with the idea that there may be tourists, and consequently no fish or +reindeer. On the other hand, it has been erected so short a time that it +can hardly have affected the country round about yet, and it will +certainly be convenient for us from a commissariat point of view. + +We were just beginning supper when they arrived, but they would not +stop, for which we were secretly glad, as there was only enough soup for +two; so we had a whisky 'skaal' (health-drinking) instead, and they went +on their way full of beans and benevolence, as Mr. Jorrocks hath it. + +We 'whisky' every one who turns up at camp, and as a rule they like it. +We are not much of drunkards ourselves, so we can afford to give it to +other people. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +BESSE SAETER. + + +_July 28._--Our two men arrived while we were at breakfast this morning, +and brought two sleighs in the boat with them; these they deposited on +the shore, and then one of them departed into some secret haunt of his +own in search of a horse. The last we saw of him was a wee dot +struggling up over the mountain crest; and we began to feel what a +hopeless sort of task was before us. + +When we had finished our breakfast there were certain remnants of food, +and these we offered to the other man, because he seemed to want +something to do. We left him in the tent with a frying-pan containing +two trout fried in butter, and a tin pot nearly full of soup. Some time +afterwards we looked in, and saw him eating greedily off his +knife-blade, and after a further interval we noticed that he had +finished; then we examined the culinary utensils out of which he had +been feeding, and found he had left the trout untouched, but the butter +they were fried in he had utterly consumed off the blade of his knife, +and also all the soup through the same medium. But there was not more +than a gallon and a half of the latter, so we did not grudge it. + + [Illustration: Old Siva carrying a Canoe up the Sikkildals Pass] + +Apparently he was like a giant refreshed after his meal, and seizing one +canoe he carried it up to the top of the mountain, and then came back +for the other and did the same with it; after this he returned again and +borrowed our axe, saying he wanted to make the path better for the +sleigh. He disappeared among the stunted birches, and we heard him +chopping and slowly getting further up the track for about an hour. We +naturally supposed that he was clearing away trees that obstructed the +path, but when we came to traverse that path ourselves, soon afterwards, +we discovered that he had only been filling up holes in the road by +felling trees across it. Now a road that can be improved by this process +is in a very bad state and this one was decidedly improved. + +Just before we started an English tourist came down the mountain and +arranged with Siva (one of our men) to go down the lake in his boat. +He was the first of our fellow-countrymen whom we have seen since +Lillehammer, and proved to be the only one we met all through our trip +in the mountains. + +After some time we perceived three dots wending their way down the path +again, and presently they arrived, proving to be our other man and two +extremely shaggy ponies; and after the complicated Norwegian harness had +been put on we began the ascent. The path was as bad as bad could be for +a short distance, but when the level was reached it became much better +than we had had hitherto; it was only the first climb up from the lake +that presented any difficulty. The canoes could only have been +transported as they were, on a man's back. + +It continued showery, but we had a very pleasant walk, and launched our +canoes on Sjoedals Vand at about three o'clock. A short paddle across the +lake, not more than three quarters of a mile, and we were at Besse +Saeter. + +Sjoedals Vand is a long straggling lake, very much exposed to the wind, +and not in any way beautiful except for its wildness, as its shores are +almost treeless and rather flat. Its most remarkable characteristic is +the colour of its water, which is a light greenish blue, like a +starling's egg, and stands out in striking contrast against the yellow +shore and dark mountain heights which surround it. + +Besse Saeter is only three miles from Gjendin Vand--the haven where we +would be; and the snow-capped mountains, which have been gradually +getting nearer all the way from Olstappen, are now magnificently +towering above us on three sides. + +The Saeter is a hut, built as they all are, entirely of wood, and only +inhabited during the summer months. The hut in which we are living is +not strictly speaking a saeter at all, but has been built for the +convenience of travellers, and the Tronhuus family are entrusted with +the duty of taking care of those who come hither while wandering about +this, the wildest and grandest part of Norway. The real saeter is a +larger building about a quarter of a mile from this hut, and higher up +the mountain. And further away still there is yet another building, or +collection of buildings, also called Besse Saeter. + +Our hut has three rooms, two of which--a bedroom and eating-room--are +occupied at present solely by us: in the other room dwell two girls, +apparently guests of the Tronhuus. Peter Tronhuus himself and his +numerous family live in a one-roomed hut just opposite this. At present +the family appears to consist of two men, five women, and two children, +relationship to each other unknown. + +Peter and his son Jens--who was with us on a former expedition--are both +away at present; the latter engaged in procuring various articles for +us, such as potatoes, men, ponies, and dogs, about which we wrote to him +from England; and he is expected back to-morrow. + +In spite of the crowd of people living here, everything is beautifully +clean and tidy, and our eating-room looks very nice, with its floor +always covered with fresh juniper sprays, and a cheerful fire burning in +that most charming of fireplaces, the primitive Norwegian corner-hearth, +which is being rapidly superseded everywhere by horrid tall, black, iron +stoves, that look like coffins set up on end, and smell like flat-irons +and rosin when they are lighted. + +We shall have to make this place our home until Jens turns up; and we +are not at all sorry to do so, for they take the greatest trouble to +make us comfortable, and the trout, fladbrod, and coffee are simply +perfection. Besides, we are only a short day's journey from Memurudalen, +where we intend to camp, and there is nothing to be gained by getting +there before August 1, the opening day of the reindeer season. + +After supper we sallied out, the Skipper with rod, Esau with gun, to see +what we could catch. Esau landed on the marsh at the head of the lake, +to try and circumvent some duck he had descried; in this he failed, but +shot a greenshank, of which there were several flying about. + +The Skipper fished the river without success. Sjoedals Vand is a fine +lake, but not much good for fishing, because of the great amount of +netting that is carried on in the summer by the dwellers in the Saeter; +nevertheless there are good fish in it, as we have seen many of two and +three pounds weight, that they have caught in the nets. + + [Illustration: Greenshank] + + +_July 29._--A friend of ours began the opening chapter of his virgin +novel with the words 'It was a thoroughly cussed morning towards the +latter end of July.' The same applied exactly to this morning: but the +arrival of Jens encouraged us; and Esau walked outside to look at the +sky; where, thrusting his hands in his pockets and lodging an eye-glass +in his eye, he focussed the heavens generally, with a cruel, inquisitive +stare; and shaking his head knowingly, indulged in a prophecy concerning +the weather--'that the wind now being in the west, there would be +continuous sunshine for three weeks at least.' Then he walked in again, +and we all shivered over the fire. + +Jens arrived at breakfast-time, and after greetings had been exchanged, +reported all his achievements on our behalf. He had secured for us a +stalker, one Oela, a hewer of wood and drawer of water, by name Ivar (his +last office seems likely to be a sinecure, but we can work him double at +the first-mentioned employment), a horse, and a sack of potatoes; all of +which will arrive at Memurudalen in time for August 1. We hoped for a +dog for Ryper, but he had not been able to get one. + + [Illustration: Ring Dotterel] + +Esau is always bemoaning the law which prohibits him bringing dogs from +England; it is suspected that he has a large collection of useless +animals there, that he wishes to import into Norway and sell to the +guileless and unreflecting native. Unassisted by any of the canine +tribe, however, we have now accumulated what we call 'a good larder of +bird-meat;' for certain wild fowl were observed to-day to secrete +themselves in the marsh at the head of the lake, whither we followed +them with all our dread artillery, and we now have a lot of teal, +greenshanks, sandpipers, and a ring dotterel stowed away and engaged in +preparing themselves by decomposition for our consumption. Some of these +birds are almost unknown to the table of the ordinary Briton; but if he +will consider that our daily food depends entirely on what we shoot or +catch, we hope, as the writers of books say, 'the kind reader will +excuse' the sandpipers and dotterel. + +We were wet through on the marsh, and not at all sorry to return to a +comfortable fire in a warm room, instead of the streaming sides of a +cold and cheerless tent. Shooting as we did above our knees in water, +the rain did not make any appreciable difference in our great wetness. +After the point of saturation is past, we have discovered that the human +frame is as impervious to moisture (external) as a macintosh. + +This summer so far has been remarkably wet and cold for Norway, but we +have now the inexpressible consolation of knowing that they are in worse +case at home; for we have received our first batch of letters and papers +from England, which have been a fortnight _en route_. + + +_July 30._--Prophets are without honour in these parts; they are also +without truth, honesty, or any good quality or proper feeling. This day +is worse than usual, and the good people here have been going about with +blanched cheeks, whispering with bated breath of a great flood which +occurred in the time of one Noah. We spent all the morning trying to +teach the cows, goats, and poultry to walk two and two in case of any +emergency arising, and the Skipper--who was engaged in building what he +called a Nark--was repeatedly coming into the Saeter to ask how many +yards there were in a cubit. However, at lunch-time the land was still +visible, so we sallied forth into the marsh again, and secured some more +teal; and then Esau went off in his canoe after some scaup ducks on the +lake; and brought home two, after following them--according to his +after-dinner account of the struggle--for about six hours, while they +swam, and flew, and dived; and he paddled, and swore, and shot. They +appear to have roamed over the whole extent of this vast lake, seeking +safety from his unerring barrels. And he now points to a little hill, +far below the distant horizon, beneath which he affirms that he brought +the last victim to bay and slew him. He was absent on the expedition an +hour and a quarter; a canoe will go about five miles an hour; and the +lake is seven miles long. But we did not come out here to do arithmetic. + + [Illustration: Scaup] + +We settled not to go to Gjendin ourselves to-day, as the weather was so +very unfavourable, but we packed and despatched some of our luggage this +evening, and purpose following it to-morrow. + +Before doing this we had a long interview with Jens Tronhuus, with the +main object of settling all accounts. Now a long interview between three +men who cannot speak two words of each other's languages is a somewhat +intricate business, and would be decidedly amusing to beholders. How we +got through it is beyond the wit of man, but nevertheless the fact +remains that everything is beautifully arranged; we thoroughly +understand each other; both sides are satisfied; and we concluded +everything without the aid of that potent mediator, Whisky, the Great +and Good. + +Besse Saeter grows upon one: the people are all so simple and kind, and +cook our food so well, that we shall be quite sorry to leave, even +though trout and reindeer are in prospect. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +GJENDIN. + + +_July 31._--The morning appeared rather fine, so we packed the rest of +our baggage, and climbed the track which leads over the shoulder of the +mountain between Sjoedals Vand and Gjendin (pronounced 'yendin'). It is +rather steep, but nothing approaching the villany of the tracks near +Sikkildals Saeter, so the transit did not take long, and we got to +Gjendesheim about twelve o'clock. + +Gjendesheim is a very good two-storied wooden building, with a large +dining-room, and about eight tiny cupboards of bedrooms; it has been +erected just where the Sjoa River runs out at the eastern extremity of +the lake, for the benefit of travellers, who can get food and lodging of +a sort there, and generally boats to take them up the lake. Ragnild--the +woman who presides over it--is very nice, kind, and attentive, and talks +English well. Her latter qualification hardly gets fair play, as not +many English people come here; and indeed the Norwegians who visit the +lake are not very numerous. From the book we can only see two English +names before us this year; and yet Gjendin is perhaps the most +beautiful, certainly the wildest and grandest lake in Norway, and is +well worth a visit from any tourist who has time at his disposal. + + [Illustration: Our first View of Gjendin Lake] + +It is eleven miles long; very deep; very blue, and on all sides rising +sheer out of the water for from 1,000 to 4,000 feet are vast black +mountains with snow-clad summits; for it lies in the very heart of the +highest mountains in Norway. It may not unfairly be likened to an +unfrequented and awfully desolate Lake of Lucerne. + +At 3,200 feet altitude it is of course above the fir trees, and only in +a few sunny nooks along its sides can even stunted birches, juniper, and +willow earn a precarious living. It is at these places alone that there +is any exit from the lake; for along the greater part of its length +there is no level place large enough to pitch a tent; no vegetation +except berries and moss; and no possibility of scaling the frowning +cliffs by which it is surrounded. But there is a great fascination in +such a scene; and although its first appearance is almost repellent, +every moment of gazing seems to increase its beauty and awe-inspiring +grandeur. + +At lunch here a great event happened; we had Salon oel (bottled beer), +and immediately bought the whole remaining stock, consisting of six +bottles. These we degraded by packing with the inferior baggage in the +canoes, and commenced the final stage of our journey, or +voyage--whichever is the right term. + +About two miles from Gjendesheim, on the south shore, we came to a +waterfall which runs out of a small lake lying a short distance away up +in the valley. At the mouth of this fall was a small neat hut in which a +Christiania professor had just taken up his abode for a few days' +stalking; we stopped a few minutes to talk to him, and then paddled on, +trying a few casts now and then until we came to Memurudalen--our +intended camp. + +It is about halfway up the lake on the north shore, and is a very pretty +little valley, profusely supplied with edible berries, surrounded by +thick birch covert, and with more grass than we ever expected to find at +this altitude; but it is by far the most favourably situated bit of the +Gjendin shores, as it is sheltered from the cold winds and gets the sun +all day. + +We found a remarkably nice level bit of grass, screened by a rocky bank, +and with what the Skipper called 'a brattling brooklet' in front, about +two hundred yards from the lake. There we pitched the tent and made +everything comfortable, but of course we shall not decide whether to +stay here or not until we have tested its capabilities as reindeer +ground. + +Beyond the purling streamlet, and about thirty yards from our front +door, the Memurua River goes tearing down, the colour of dirty soap-suds +from the mud which is ground into it by the mighty Memuru Glacier, +whence it springs. This glacier is about three miles from us up the +valley, but not in sight from our tent; in fact, the hills are so steep +that we are quite shut in, and can see very little except the +snow-fjelds and peaks just opposite to us across the lake. These peaks +spring from the highest plateau in Norway, which has an altitude of +about 6,000 feet, and both the plateau and peaks are almost inaccessible +to the hunter, as it is a day's work to climb them, and any one doing so +would probably have to pass the night on the top. This is annoying, for +it is a capital place for deer. + +An ancient hunter, some years ago, spent a long time in conveying with +incredible exertions to the top of the central peak, materials out of +which he constructed a windmill; then he descended and never went near +the place again, and his windmill scared all the deer away from that +table-land, so that they frequented places where a man could get to +them; and the cunning hunter was rewarded by many 'stor bocks' (big +bucks). But now the windmill has been destroyed by time and weather, and +we fear that the deer again roam there unmolested and unscared. + +_Sunday, August 1._--It is our custom to rise on this day singing, +'Come, rouse ye, then, my merry, merry men, for it is our opening day,' +but on this occasion it would not have been appropriate. We were not at +all merry, because it was Sunday, and raining; we were frozen in the +night, our men and potatoes have not come, and altogether we could see +nothing to be merry about, especially as the opening day having fallen +on a Sunday, we did not feel justified in going out to pursue. + +So we devoted ourselves to the pleasures of the table. Last night we had +dotterel and sandpipers for dinner, this morning greenshanks, which are +very good birds indeed. There was also a large brew of a meritorious +composition known as Skoggaggany soup; the name is a little difficult to +pronounce, but the soup does not taste anything like it; it is merely +the Norwegian for a scaup duck. In England people have been known to +call scaups unfit for food, but here, under the perfectly awful +appetites that we have developed, the Skoggaggany soup has very little +chance. + +After trying unsuccessfully to catch fish, we walked up the valley after +lunch to look for a hut which is marked on the Ordnance map, and to see +if there were any better camping-ground than the place we chose +yesterday. We saw some beautiful reindeer ground, but could not find the +hut or a camp. + + [Illustration: Two of our Retainers: Ivar and his Pony] + +On our return we perceived two men loafing about the tent, who we +naturally concluded were thieves and murderers, and the Skipper hurried +on to do battle with them to the death for the possession of our +greatest treasure, the Salon oel. But on his arrival the robbers did not +fly, but stood and stared with their hands in their pockets; so he +lifted his hat and said, 'Oela?' (for of course he might have been a Dook +in disguise); and one of them replied, 'Ja;' and cordiality being thus +established, produced the sack of potatoes and the cook, like a +conjuring trick, from somewhere behind him, out of his hat or coat +tails. + +Then we went into all kinds of details with him about his and Ivar's +wages, which he did not understand, and he replied at great length in +Norsk, which we did not understand, and so the interview concluded to +the gratification of all concerned. Oela is a big good-looking man, +rather too much of a gentleman, we fear: but Ivar is without doubt a +perfect ass, and will never be able to do anything in the way of +cookery, except perhaps boil a potato, and even in that enterprise we +consider it would be six to four on the potato. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +THE CAMP. + + +_August 2._--The Skipper won the toss (he always does, chiefly because +the device on Norwegian coins is 'sorter indifferent like,' and when +Esau has called heads or tails, he looks at it carefully, and gravely +declares it to be the opposite), and was away eight hours wandering +about the mountains without seeing a living creature except two +buzzards, and hardly any 'spoor.' He returned to camp very tired and +rather cross, to find a delicious meal nearly ready cooked by Esau, for +the man whom we ironically call the cook has gone to fetch his horse, +for which we are to pay 1s. 2d. a day as long as we have it. The cook's +wages are to be 2s. 4d. a day, and those of the stalker 3s. 6d. We +consider the latter cheap at that rate. He is a very tall man; very big, +very heavy, and very bearded, and we hire the whole of him for the +trifling sum above stated. + +Besides cooking the dinner, Esau had been employed in rigging up the +waggon-sheet as a continuation of the sleeping tent by planting an +upright pole securely in the ground in front of the door, and connecting +its top with the old tent by a birch tree ridge pole: it thus makes a +very convenient place for all our large stores, and gives us much more +room in the tent. We had expected the men to sleep in it, but they +prefer living in a wretched little stone dog-kennel, which looks as if +fleas would swarm in it, and has been built by drovers, or some other +dirty people, for their lodging when they chance to come here: it is +about 200 yards from our tent, and, as the men prefer it, it is very +convenient for us. + +The ground that the Skipper tried to-day seemed a first-rate reindeer +fjeld; this means an uneven tract of mountain country, too high for +vegetation, except occasional reindeer flowers and patches of gentian, +but not high enough to be entirely covered with perpetual snow: this +fjeld--where it is not snow--is made of rocks large and small, from the +size of a haystack to that of road metal, some of them firm, but mostly +loose, jagged, and sharp; the winter snow and frost leave them in this +condition by continually splitting and re-splitting them: they are dark +grey in colour, and at a distance look almost black. + +What the reindeer can find attractive in such a place, possibly some one +can tell; we cannot. There is apparently nothing for any beasts of the +field to eat up there; but if you do happen to find deer before they see +you, they are certain to be feeding, and Esau thinks they are eating the +rocks; but the Skipper says it cannot be so, and inclines more to the +theory that they feed on their 'young,' like tame rabbits, or possibly +on their own blood, like the pelican of the wilderness. As for the +reindeer flower, which is supposed to be their staff of life, it +averages about half a stalk to the square acre, but possibly it is +possessed of many highly nutritious qualities, and a little of it goes a +long way. Anyhow, they thrive on their food, whatever it may be; they +are always very fat, and uncommonly good to eat when you chance to slay +one. + +After dinner we tried all this portion of the lake for fish without +success, and coming back received the awful intelligence from Oela that +there are no fish in any parts of Gjendin except the extreme ends, and +the waterfall where Professor N---- is living. This is a dreadful blow +to us, for we always count upon fishing as our main employment, and fish +as our staple food; and if we cannot get any here we shall have to +leave. At present we have some which we brought with us from Sjoedals, +but when they are exhausted there will be a mutiny in this camp unless +sport of some kind presents itself. + + +_August 3._--A curious accident happened to-day; there was no rain. We +have in vain tried to account for this phenomenon, and can only fall +back on the somewhat unsatisfactory theory that it is all used up. Esau +went after deer on the Rus Vand side, and came back very tired to dinner +without having seen any, but reported fresh tracks; he was full of the +glorious view that the fine day had given him. He had been close above +the Memuru Glacier, which is a very large one, and stretching beyond it +as far as the eye can reach is a sea of snow mountains, most of them +peak-shaped, but some domes or irregular precipices with immense +glaciers lying between them, and here and there the greenish-blue waters +of a lake distantly gleaming in the sunlight. + +It is curious to note how the north and east sides of every peak are +torn and ragged, with huge masses of rock riven from them by the action +of the weather, while on the south and west they are comparatively +regular. + +The Skipper spent the day in camp, completing the erection of the +outside tent. Our abode is now sumptuous in the extreme, as the new wing +holds all the lumber which formerly blocked up our bedroom. There was +some discussion as to whether we should call it the 'Criterion Annexe,' +until we remembered that there are always policemen about that +celebrated building, and this decided us not to do so. + + +_August 4._--The Skipper went on to Bes Hoe stalking. This is a high +mountain 7,400 feet above sea level. It is close to us, between Gjendin +and Rus Vand, and is one of the dome-shaped species. + +The Norwegians call their mountains either 'Tind,' which means a cone, +or 'Hoe,' a round top; 'Piggen,' a peak rather more jagged than a Tind; +'Horn,' apparently one steep side and one more gradual; and 'Kampen,' +apparently a rough hill with nothing striking about its shape. Most of +the mountains round here are Tinden, the finest being Memurutind, +Skagastolstind, and Glitretind, the last over 8,000 feet, only surpassed +in height by Galdopiggen, which, though in sight of us, is beyond our +reach. + + [Illustration: The Skipper returns to Camp disgusted with life] + +From Bes Hoe the Skipper got a good view between the storms of Gjendin +lying encircled by its enormous steep black banks of snow-capped +mountains, the whole of its eleven miles of length being visible at +once. Its colour is a creamy greenish blue, caused by the snow-water +which comes straight into the lake by scores of torrents, which collect +it from the various glaciers. The Skipper, who is always bubbling over +with poetic similes, said it looked like a cupful of very blue milk in a +crease of brown paper; but, beautiful as this idea is, who can take any +pleasure in scenery without a little, ever so little, sport to flavour +it withal? Certainly not the Skipper; so he came back from his long +tramp disgusted with life, and longing to find that Esau had played the +fool in his absence, so that he might be able to pick a quarrel with +him. Unfortunately Esau was provokingly amiable, and had been performing +acts of virtue, such as making soup, improving the tent, and swearing at +the cook the whole day, so that the seething volcano of the Skipper's +temper had to content itself without an eruption. We did manage to get +up an approach to a row about the Memuru Glacier, which the Skipper had +visited to-day: he described its beauty and the extraordinary blue of +the ice, where the large crevasses near its lower end gave glimpses of +its real formation--for of course it is covered thickly with snow except +just where it begins to break up. Then he went on to say how curious it +was to think that this huge mass, covering square miles of ground, is +always moving onwards, and that no more powerful agent exists for +altering the arrangement of the earth's crust than that cold, placid +field of ice. Esau said it did _not_ move. He watched it for half an +hour yesterday and it never stirred, and he even pushed it with his +stick without the smallest effect. + +It is impossible to argue with a man of that kind. + +Tyndall and Geikie being disposed of, we had a discussion in the tent +over the map, with the result that we determined to leave the camp for +four days in charge of Ivar; and we and Oela would go to Gjendesheim, and +live there, and drink beer, and catch fish until the 8th, when we +calculated that John ought to arrive; and we hope by that time some +reindeer will have sought safety from other guns by flying to the +sheltering embrace of our fjeld. + +We always do our baking just before bedtime, when the men have gone to +their hutch, and in a permanent camp it soon gets reduced to a +certainty. We prefer milk to water for mixing with the flour, as it +makes the bread crisper and shorter, and it does not matter how sour the +milk is. This is most providential, as we have generally plenty of sour +milk. We send twice a week to Besse Saeter, distant about eight miles, +and the long journey does not agree with the milk, so that it is +generally turned before it arrives here. + +Another important article of food is soup, of which we have several +varieties. When made of scaup duck, it is--as already mentioned--called +Skoggaggany soup; but our present brew is 'gipsy soup,' which is made +from potatoes, fishes chopped into small lumps, a square of 'Kopf's +compressed vegetables'--a most invaluable article--and all the bones +from the birds that we happen to be using. We never empty the pot, but +keep adding water and bones as fast as we consume it, and it simmers by +the fire all day. But when times are very bad, and we have no meat, and +are living on fish, our soup is then called 'prairie soup,' and is +composed of every scrap that we can collect--fish-bones; bacon; +potatoes; milk; dandelion, and sorrel; bread, and biscuits: and whenever +it develops any unusual flavour, we look suspiciously round to see if +that boot-lace or candle-end is missing, or if any of the tent-pegs have +been newly whittled. It is always very good, and we call it 'prairie' +because of the dandelion, which is a prairie flower. + +There is yet one more kind, known as 'Argonaut soup,' the recipe of +which was introduced from America by the Skipper; but our resources have +never yet been so low that we could not make something better than this. + +_Recipe for Argonaut Soup._ + +Take a pail of water and wash it clean. Then boil it till it is brown on +both sides. Pour in one bean. When the bean begins to worry, prepare it +to simmer. If the soup will not simmer it is too rich, and you must pour +in more water. Dry the water with a towel before you put it in. The +drier the water, the sooner it will brown. Serve hot. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +GJENDESHEIM. + + +_August 5._--Such a lovely morning at last that we were quite tempted to +stay, but nobly stuck to our resolve, heaped everything we possessed +except rods, guns, and a change of raiment, into the inner tent, and +covered them with a ground-sheet; then packed the selected weapons into +the canoes, and sailed from these inhospitable shores. + +Not far from camp we saw some fish rising under a cliff, and though it +was a dead calm, and the sun as bright as sun could be, we stopped to +try for them. + +Esau soon tired of casting, and mentioning that 'if _he_ could not catch +those fish no one could,' paddled off to make a formal call on the +Professor, and ask if he had got any deer. + +The Skipper persevered, and was rewarded with two fish weighing about +three pounds, and the most perfect fish for shape and condition that we +have ever seen. This was an important event for us, for it entirely +demolished Oela's theory of the non-existence of fish here, and gave us +new hope for the future, especially as the weather has been so bad all +the time until now, that we should hardly have caught any even if they +swarmed. + + [Illustration: Throwing for a Rise] + +The Skipper is devoted to the sport of 'throwing for a rise,' which he +thinks the perfection of fishing. It can hardly be pursued with success +anywhere but in Norway, for only there do fish seem to rise greedily +after a constant succession of fine, hot, sunny days, with never a drop +of rain or cat's-paw of wind. + +The great charm to him is the extreme delicacy required. You _must_ put +on your thinnest cast, your smallest fly, and throw your lightest; and +unless you throw a very long line you have not a chance for the beggar. +Then, if he comes at you, you can see him through the calm clear water, +and watch the whole performance. You get a rather better chance where +two fish are rising close together, as there is some jealousy and +competition between them, and each of them is likely to rush at your fly +without sufficient meditation, lest the other one may get it first. + +The Skipper has studied fish from a moral point of view, and says that +they are very much like men: and he invariably turns his knowledge of +their habits to good account. Throwing for a rise--in a lake like this, +where the fish run large--on a calm bright day is decidedly his forte; +his motto in fishing being 'far and fine.' Whereas Esau shines more in a +rapid stream than elsewhere. + +The latter had a great time with the Professor, who he said was a +capital fellow, and gave him whisky which they drank 'to better sport;' +and they both agreed that there were no reindeer to be found in the +district at present, and the Professor said he was going further north +if matters did not mend speedily. + +After the fishing and visiting were concluded, we hoisted sails of +primitive construction, formed of a rug and a landing net, which, with a +fair wind, soon brought us to Gjendesheim. + +We think this wind is the chief cause of our misfortune. When we were in +these parts before, the wind was always against us whenever we +journeyed; and in that year we had first-rate sport, both in shooting +and fishing. But this time the wind has always been with us, and we pay +for the luxury by getting no shooting and not much fishing. 'No +mahtterr--a time will come.' + +After food the Skipper with Oela went over to Leirungen--a small lake +about three quarters of a mile distant. Oela carried his canoe, and did +not like the job. It gives us considerable satisfaction to make Oela do +any work, he is so abominably lazy. + +It seemed that the tide of luck was already changing, as both he and +Esau--who was throwing a fly on the river nearer home--brought in a few +nice fish. + +Just before bedtime there arrived at the rest-house three Norwegian +tourists of the sterner sex, and a young lady the daughter of one of +them. The father was a barrister, and the other two were the Lord Chief +Justice of what they imagine to be Common Pleas, and a very thin, +dried-up student of theology. They all talked English, and the young +lady seemed anxious to practise the language. + + +_August 6._--After a gay breakfast Esau went his way to fish, while the +Skipper--ever devoted to the fair sex--offered Miss Louise a cruise in +his canoe. + +The sun shone brightly as they moved over the quiet waters, and the fish +were too lazy to rise, but lay idly thoughtful at the bottom of the +lake. The Skipper was very polite to his charming companion, as she sat +in a state of blissful comfort amongst the rugs which he had placed for +her in the bows of the boat; and no sound was heard but the gentle plash +of the paddle in the water, and in the distance the Saeter girl calling +home the grazing cows. + + [Illustration: The Skipper takes Miss Louise for a Cruise at + Gjendesheim] + +But presently a cloud gathered over the mountain tops, and thunder was +heard rolling among the distant hills; a gentle breeze stirred the +surface of the water, and every lazy fish woke up to seek his food. The +Skipper longed to go and fetch his rod. He hinted at this, and at last +became impatient; but, by Jove! Miss Louise would not go. There she sat +and prattled on, charming, pleased with herself, and utterly unmindful +of the rising fish and the fretting Skipper. Time kept passing on, till +at length her father brought relief by appearing on the shore to call +her in to dinner; but then the Skipper had to get his food too, and when +he had bolted the humble but indigestible crust and cheese, and rushed +out again to seize his rod, he found it too late, as the lake was now +dark with clouds, and the fish had left off rising. + +Soon after lunch it began to rain like a waterfall, and Esau arrived +with a lot of fish--spoils from the Leirungen Ocean, and the result of +Spartan indifference to the attractions of woman. There is a shining +moral in this tale. + +He also brought a romance about a rainbow, which had been so close to +him that the two ends met at his feet. The rain hereabouts is very +thick. + +The evening proved too wet to fish, and this indefatigable young lady +captured Esau, and after exhausting all the ordinary topics of +conversation, began to show him every kind of puzzle that the mind of +man ever conceived, puzzles with coins and puzzles with string; and she +puzzled him with matches, and paper, and corks, till the poor young man +became perfectly dazzled, and only longed for bedtime to put an end to +his misery. Then she asked him riddles, first English and then French. +The Skipper, apparently deeply interested in a book at the further end +of the room, overheard Esau's answer to the first French riddle; it was +'Je le donne en haut.' + +Presently, when they went up to bed, the Skipper said, 'I didn't quite +follow your answer to that first riddle of hers. You said, "Je le donne +en haut."' 'Oh! ah!' answered Esau. 'That's idiomatic French, and means +a good deal that you don't understand; I always use it to gals, +especially when they're pretty.' The Skipper coughed, and turned into +his bedroom without saying 'good night.' + +We have always been told that the Norwegian aristocracy particularly +dislike the English sportsman in Norway. We think, therefore, that our +fair friend cannot have been of very noble lineage. But she was very +nice and rather pretty. + +She left early next morning, and Esau said he was glad she was gone, as +the Skipper was getting entangled with her. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +JOHN. + + +_August 7._--We began another day by catching a beautiful bag of fish, +and about midday were just starting to shoot our way over to Besse +Saeter, when a man came in sight stumbling down the mountain track +towards the rest-house. He was red and sunburnt, with a beard of about +three days' growth. He was coatless, collarless, and apparently +exhausted. On his nearer approach we saw he was an Englishman, and +presently when a few yards from us we recognised--John! Not the smart +young beau we have always seen him in London; no longer the devotee to +society and his club, but an almost unrecognizable John, so sunburnt and +hot and hungry. Formal greetings were exchanged: 'Dr. Livingstone, +I presume?' 'Mr. Stanley, I believe?' and we rushed into each other's +embrace. + +Then we besought him to refresh himself on fladbrod, milk, and coffee; +which he did, largely. After this he became calm enough to give us a +brief summary of his adventures since he left England. + +He had done the journey from Christiania in very quick time, and had +left all his luggage twenty miles behind at Hind Saeter, which is the +nearest place to us to which wheeled vehicles can get. From thence he +had started at five o'clock this morning. How he found the way is a +marvel, but by great good fortune he met a man when he was about three +miles out of the track, who put him right; otherwise he would probably +never have arrived anywhere. + +He has brought additional stores for the camp, as arranged before we +left England, and we had left a note in Christiania asking him to call +at the shop in Vaage, and try to get a small stove for the tent, or at +any rate find out the price of one. Vaage is our nearest village, about +fifty miles distant. + +When John arrived there, seeing the shop as he drove past, he descended +from his cariole and entered. The shop was full of people buying all the +necessaries of life; for in these villages there is only one shop, which +is a general store for everything. John was a little confused at his +first experience of a Norwegian shop, but at last pulled himself +together, and seeing a stove standing in the middle of the room, +intended for heating the place, he walked up to it, and stroking it +gently with his hand, looked round at the people generally and remarked, +'Hvor meget' (How much)? Dead silence not unmingled with awe followed +this observation; for those simple rustics thought there was a maniac +among them. This perplexed John, and as everybody was staring at him, +and he began to find himself in a remarkably tight place, he concluded +to make another remark, so asked in Norsk, 'Have you any whisky?' The +storekeeper having no licence looked horrified, and said, 'Nei.' So John +pursued his advantage by inquiring, 'Have you any aquavit?' 'Nei' was +again the answer, and an ominous whisper of 'landsmand' (the policeman) +was plainly audible. John thought he had asked enough about stoves to +quiet his conscience, and guessed it was time to quit that shop. So +rapidly regaining his cariole, he vanished before any of the crowd had +made up their minds what to do. + +We kept to our plan of going to Besse Saeter, starting as soon as John +had finished his lunch, and got several teal and a greenshank on the +way. On one little bit of water we spied three teal near the bank, and +having both together made a most skilful stalk, got them all. + +Arriving at Besse Saeter we found one of the two rooms occupied by two +Swedish ladies, who were travelling about by themselves for the sake of +their health. One of them spoke English well, and told us they had been +up several of the high mountains round, and intended to wander about all +the summer. + +We three had to be content with the other room, and two beds; odd man +out for the whole one. Those who only had half a bed reported it rather +a crowd in the morning. + +_Sunday, August 8._--Our object in coming to Besse Saeter was to break +the journey to a place called Rus Vand, where a Norwegian owns a lake +and hut: it is distant about two hours' walk from Besse Saeter, and we +had a letter of introduction to Mr. Thomas, the owner, which we were +anxious to deliver, so as to obtain leave to fish in the lake, the +western end of which comes to within walking distance of our camp in +Memurudalen; and the fishing is remarkably good. + +Therefore this morning we started to clamber up the steep mountain side +that has to be crossed between Besse Saeter and Rus Vand, and skirting +the shores of Bes Vand--which lies on a small plateau at the summit--we +soon found ourselves scrambling down over the loose stones, and through +the willow scrub that covers the uneven slopes approaching the east end +of the lake. + +From our side of the river--when we reached its banks, while a boat was +crossing to fetch us--we saw several men, and a couple of +English-looking setters, a pointer, and a target fixed up about 200 +yards from the huts, so that the place presented a very sporting +appearance. + +Mr. Thomas received us very kindly, and at once gave us permission to +fish in his lake. Both he and his wife spoke English perfectly, as did +another lady staying with them, and as most emphatically did _not_ +another sportsman also living there. + +These two ladies and two gentlemen were all living in a little +two-roomed hut, each room being about nine feet square, and the doorway +about five feet high and two wide; the gentlemen's bedroom being also +the kitchen. How the ladies managed to turn themselves out in such +faultless apparel was a mystery, but it was done, for we saw it. + + [Illustration: The Huts at Rusvasoset] + +It is a very plucky thing for ladies to come up here and live for a +month, even now when there is a wheel-road (of a sort) to within fifteen +miles, but the same thing was done by English ladies ten years ago, when +there was no road nearer than forty miles. Are their names not written +in the chronicles which adorn the walls of the hut, and carved on the +profile fishes which decorate the floor? + +In the other hut--which is little more than a boat--there are living +Jens Tronhuus, our old stalker; 'Siva,' the man who carried our canoes +up the mountain at Sikkildal, and another native, also the dogs; besides +bottles and churns, grindstones, pack-saddles, saws, axes, and all the +other heterogeneous articles which accumulate in a place of this kind. +It looked full. + +We found the party just sitting down to breakfast after a rather +unsettled night, as they had been roused about half-past two in the +morning by some one hammering at the door, and found it was a young +Norwegian, named, let us say, Coutts, who was making a walking tour, and +was more or less lost. They succoured him with coffee and other +refreshments and sent him on his way with Jens to guide him. Coutts's +intention was to struggle on to Besse Saeter, but we had seen nothing of +him there. + +We stayed some time at the huts, talking and looking at all the +memorable objects that were there under our _regime_ (as we had occupied +these huts and had the fishing to ourselves two years previously). There +was Esau's celebrated 'biggest trout whatever was seen,' carved on the +floor; the Skipper's favourite cast, and the ice safe that we cunningly +devised and constructed in the lower hut. The Thomas's are in even worse +case than we, for like us they have seen no deer, and they have so many +more mouths to feed. However, they have any quantity of fish, for +Rusvasoset is as good a place as the Sjoa at Gjendesheim, which is +saying a great deal. + +About one we commenced the homeward journey. Two of Jens' sisters had +come with us, nominally to see their brother, but really--John +asserted--for the purpose of flirting with _him_. He was extremely +polite to one of them--though of course he could not speak to her--and +would insist on carrying her shawl and other impediments; and he +confided to us afterwards that 'women were generally a good deal taken +by that sort of mute homage.' She was a dear little girl, and we called +her the 'Saeter darlen;' which we believe to be the only Norwegian pun we +ever attempted.[*] + + [Footnote: John said this pun might be elucidated with advantage + to the British public, as he did not believe any one could + possibly see it. Who cares? Down it goes, and we can assure any + one who likes to wrestle with it that it is something very good + indeed.] + +The walk home to Gjendesheim is a long one, and although it was Sunday +Esau insisted on making a detour over the marsh with his gun, as he said +he had lost his knife there yesterday and wanted to look for it. He +arrived late at Gjendesheim with a satisfied air on his face; without +his trusty steel, but with his pockets thrust full of too trustful teal, +that had adventured themselves within his reach. + +At Gjendesheim we found the young Norwegian who had roused up the +Thomas's at Rus Vand, and perceived that he was not without some +peculiarities of character. Although the weather was as wet and cold as +weather could be, he was attired in a suit of white duck clothes like an +English mechanic; even his hat was of white duck, and Esau declared +afterwards that his boots were made of the same material; that he had a +cigar-case and cigars of it, and ordered white ducks for his dinner. The +appearance of his head caused us to be very anxious about any little +articles of value that we had about us, for it looked as if it had been +shaved all over about two days previously to our making his +acquaintance. He looked very strong, tough, and active, and no doubt was +so, for he had just performed a most extraordinary walking feat. He is +going over all the Jotun Mountains by himself, and yesterday morning he +started from a place an unknown number of miles away at 6 A.M. He walked +all day and all night, till it got dark, at which time he was somewhere +near Glitretind, in a country he had never seen, with only a vague +notion of where he wanted to get to and a pocket compass to do it with. +The country about there is perfectly awful to walk over even by day; but +he kept at it through the dark, following a torrent up till he crossed +the watershed, and following another torrent down till he got to Rus +Vand, and staggered into the hut there at 2.30 A.M. almost fainting, for +he had had nothing to eat all day: true, he might have got fladbrod at +the saeters during the day, but he said he did not care for fladbrod: +certainly, he had plenty of chocolate in his knapsack, but he was tired +of chocolate. At Rus Vand he got some coffee, as Thomas told us; and +then he walked over the mountain with Jens to Besse Saeter, intending to +sleep there: but we were snoring at our ease in all the beds of Besse +Saeter, and he hated sleeping on floors, so he walked on again to +Gjendesheim, arriving there at half-past five this morning. + +Then he produced his knapsack, which he said weighed twenty-five lbs.: +it seemed to be chiefly filled with packets of most delicious chocolate, +some of which he gave us. + +We thought him a first-rate fellow, but certainly a little peculiar. +He has been all over the world, and is great at natural history, having +stuffed many birds in foreign countries for the museum at Christiania. + +The Skipper had the next room to his, and told us that at bedtime he +washed himself all over, cleaned his teeth, and brushed his hair: he +then stayed in bed till eleven o'clock next morning, when he rose and +went through the whole performance again. Now we did not mind him +washing, or brushing his teeth; we even respect him for doing it; but +brushing his hair was a simple insult to common sense, and a wicked +waste of time; for not a bristle on his head--whether hair, moustache, +or beard--was more than an eighth of an inch long, and all of it was +much stiffer than any hair-brush yet made. It was suggested that perhaps +he was only combing his hair-brush with his head; and with this +explanation we had to rest content. + +We luxuriated on meat to-night, for they have actually caught and killed +a sheep. + +We fish with considerable success now at every odd moment of the day, as +the canoes are moored to the shore, not six yards from the house; and it +takes no time to get into them and push out into the deep lake, or hover +about the brink of the long rapids where the lake begins to be a river. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +BACK TO CAMP. + + +_August 9._--The morning was again very wet, but we are men of great +decision and firmness; what our friends call 'obstinate' if they are +civil, and 'pig-headed' when they want to be disagreeable, as friends +usually do. + +Therefore we started for the camp after lunch: that is to say, the +Skipper and Esau started, as John remained to await the arrival of his +baggage, for which Ivar had been despatched. At present his wardrobe is +not very extensive, and he will perhaps be more comfortably fixed after +the arrival of his valise. He has one coat, one flannel shirt without +collar, one pair of trousers, socks, and boots, one pipe, one cap; one +fishing rod, line, and fly-book; one watch-chain, and a newspaper of +July 23. + +About two miles from Gjendesheim on the north side of the lake there is +an apparently perpendicular cliff, half a mile long and over 1,000 feet +high: this is called the Beseggen, and at the top of it lies Bes Vand, +so close to the edge of the cliff that it seems impossible to believe +that the lake is 1,000 feet above Gjendin, with nothing but a narrow +strip of rock to hold it within its bounds, and yet the books say it is +so, and we always believe anything we find in a book. The cliff looks +perfectly unscaleable, but we believe it has been descended twice by an +Englishman who used to live here, and once by a Norwegian youth. + +Bes Vand is so high that fish will not live in it; the professional +liars of these parts say it freezes solid every winter, and kills any +that have been put into it. It is a little difficult to believe this +statement, as it is a large and deep lake; but John says that a man who +will believe a guide-book can believe anything; so we all do our best to +swallow it (the statement, not the lake; we have hardly enough whisky to +make the latter palatable). + +Gjendin is liable like all mountain lakes to be suddenly visited by +squalls, so that we generally like to paddle pretty near the side, but +on this voyage it was not safe to do so; for under the influence of the +rain, which was coming down as if it had never done so before, stones +and boulders were rattling and crashing down the sides of the lake, and +plunging into it, in a most alarming manner; and as far as we could see, +the steep black rocks were thickly streaked with white lines, denoting +torrents rushing down in places where ordinarily none were to be seen. + +Just as we were passing the Beseggen, a dull boom like that of a distant +cannon was heard, and looking up we could see far above our heads a huge +spout of muddy water shoot out from the cliff, carrying with it masses +of stone and _debris_ of all sorts; evidently some bank had given way +under the increased pressure of this enormous rainfall. We thought for +one brief moment that it might be Bes Vand let loose on us, for even in +fine weather it can always be seen leaking through fissures in the rock, +so narrow is the division between the two lakes; but we did not stop to +ascertain where it came from. + +It soon became necessary to land and empty the canoes, by reason of the +heavy rain, the bottom boards being completely under water, though we +had only been afloat for half an hour. + +Just before we got to Memurudalen the sun came out; Esau had a chase +after a black-throated diver that came up from a dive quite close to his +canoe, and then we both fell to fishing and got several good fish. This +is just our luck: we had left camp for the last few days on purpose to +get fish for food; we had caught many and salted them, and brought back +40 lbs. weight with us in a large tin can, and then, behold! we caught +fresh fish in a place where we were assured by Oela that there were none, +not even salted ones. + +We found the camp looking uncommonly pretty and comfortable, and all our +things perfectly dry and nice. The sun shone, and blue sky appeared, so +that hope, contentment, and joy reigned supreme, for we knew that it +could not rain any more now for at least a month, from the way it +stopped quite with a jerk as the supply ceased. + +John spent his day at Gjendesheim in eating, drinking, and fishing, +especially the two former amusements. Truly that is a glorious country +where a man can over-eat himself three times a day, and never have +indigestion!! + + +_August 10._--Esau stalked with the usual result, 'Ingen dyr, ingen +fresk spoer, ingen gammle spoer,' as the Norsk jaeger would remark; which +means 'no deer, no fresh tracks, no old tracks;' and he returned to camp +to find the Skipper had erected a flagstaff on the little mound beside +our tent, and from this staff now floats proudly 'the flag that braved +a thousand years &c.,' which we brought with us for this purpose: +a smaller one always adorns the ridge of the tent. We do not know +exactly the use of this flag; we say it is hoisted to annoy the +Norwegians, but this reason will not bear criticism, for that is the +last thing we should think of doing, and it certainly never seems to +have that effect on any one who has yet seen it. But we think that no +gentleman's residence is complete without a red ensign, therefore on +high days and holidays that rag will flaunt itself in the breeze; and +every day will now be a holiday, for the fine weather has begun at last. + +The Skipper had made all sorts of improvements in our domestic +arrangements, and after tea we completed the alterations in the bedroom +which were necessary before John arrived. This he did in a boat with +Ivar about nine o'clock, pretty well tired with his row against a head +wind. He was received with much kindness by the barbarous islanders, but +it took us until late at night to get everything comfortably and +conveniently placed under canvas; for John made no slight addition to +our already ponderous stores, in the shape of two more boxes containing +tea, coffee, candles, sugar, jam, and at last Esau's long-desired +anchovy paste. + +We placed the three beds side by side in the inner tent, John being in +the middle for the sake of greater warmth, for the nights are very cold. +Among the things that we obtained through Jens were two sheepskin rugs, +invaluable for protection against cold. Till we got them we were more or +less wretched every night, but since they came our sleep has been +perfectly luxurious. John has only two ordinary Scotch rugs, and feels +the cold a good deal, so we, from our impervious sheepskins, give him +any coats, shirts, or trousers that we do not want. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +TROUT. + + +_August 11._--Last night at sunset we 'could not see a cloud, because no +cloud was in the sky;' the distant mountains looked as black as coal, +and the heavens were yellow-ochre colour; whereupon Oela committed +himself to the statement that the fine weather would now be a permanent +institution. Consequently our life has once more resumed its proper +phase of perpetual picnic, and we roam about without coats or +waistcoats, or any other garments that seem superfluous unto us; and to +John all garments except a landing-net and boots appear to be +unnecessary incumbrances. Reversing the natural order of things, we put +on all our available clothes when we go to bed, and peel for the day +when we get up. + +It is difficult to believe that only two days ago we were shivering with +cold, wrapped in gloom and india-rubber clothing, and wet through all +day, when now the horizon is dancing with heat, the lake is perfectly +calm, with the high snow mountains mirrored in its blue depths, and we +are delighting in every little bit of shade, having pawned our +macintoshes and thrown the tickets into the glacier torrent. + + [Illustration: John returns from fishing in Summer Costume] + +That same stream has been a source of great annoyance to John during the +night. He wants to have it turned off, because its roaring kept him +awake, and he was going first thing after breakfast to see the turncock +about it; but, of course, it is hopeless. The municipal arrangements +here are much the same as in London, and that official cannot be found +when wanted; so he will have to content himself with damming it. + +The hot sun has brought out flies in great profusion; the fish are +rising freely, and man goeth forth to his labour rejoicing, and cometh +home with a heavy bag and a light fly-book, for the fish here seem to be +all good-sized; and as we have to use the finest tackle and smallest +flies, the odds are rather in favour of the finny prey. + + [Illustration: John and Esau: 'How's that for high?'] + +We all went fishing, and made a very pretty catch among us, the Skipper +securing the greatest weight, and Esau the largest fish, weight 31/2 lbs. +The Skipper also made some interesting notes on the moral and physical +characteristics of these Gjendin trout. He said there seemed to be three +methods of feeding in vogue among them. Some were moving in a large +circle about two hundred yards in diameter, and rising at very short +intervals as they went--these never came within ten yards of the shore. +Then there were some that were travelling along about a yard from the +shore, and these seemed to be rising even more frequently than the +others, as there were more flies close to the rocks than out in +mid-ocean; and there were a few cunning old beggars that had got a +comfortable hole under a rock which they did not like to leave, and only +rose at longer intervals, as especially tasty morsels floated by. + +All the fish, to whichever class of risers they might belong, often took +the moving artificial fly in preference to real dead ones that were +lying on the surface of the water close by: from which we opine that +they resemble us to the extent of liking fresh food better than stale; +for our flies had no attractive tinsel to commend them to the notice of +an epicurean trout, being the best imitations we can manage of the +predominant fly, which is a small dark-coloured winged ant, with a +little reddish orange about the long black body. + +These flies have but a brief and disastrous existence. They only flew +for the first time this morning, most of them had died by noon--for the +lake was strewn with their corpses--and the survivors were all worried +and consumed by fish before nightfall. Luckily there are plenty more +where they came from, and the process can be repeated on new flies +tomorrow. + +It is very interesting to catch a fish off these rocks on a perfectly +calm day like this; for in the clear water you can see the whole of the +struggle, from the moment the fish rises till he is lying panting and +exhausted in the net. How beautiful a big fish looks when he first comes +ashore! How brightly he shines in the sunlight, and how sleek is his +portly person! + +Even if you cannot see your fish rise and take the fly, you can soon +tell by his behaviour whereabouts the needle will come if you succeed in +getting him on to the weighing hook. A large fish very seldom rises with +any dash or swagger, but just a smothered ripple; perhaps a glimpse of +his nose as he sucks in the fly; and he moves as if he were a nobody: +then when he feels the hook, there is none of that dash and wriggle that +you find in a small fish, but generally a rush like a rocket towards the +middle of the lake, making you tremble for the safety of your reel line, +and after that a stately diving and calm, dignified resistance for five +or ten minutes till he has to give in. Sometimes, though not so often, +the rocket business will be repeated more than once, and a fish that +does this deserves to escape, and often gets his deserts. There is +something very fine about the proud bearing of a big trout in +difficulties; for here in the lake he has not the same chance as his +relations in the running water at Gjendesheim. + +The largest fish seemed to be those feeding in a circle, and it was one +of these that Esau caught, which he said was the father of all fish. He +lost another much larger--no doubt the grandfather of all fish. He said +it weighed five pounds. It is an extraordinary piscatorial fact that the +largest fish always do get away. + +In the afternoon Esau commenced excavating the long-promised oven from +the face of the little hill against which our tent is pitched. It stands +about a hundred yards from our hall door, and is constructed chiefly of +large stones and mud--clay not being obtainable--with a flue cut in the +hill-side: a single stone acts as the floor of the oven, under which the +wood furnace is kindled, and a sod of turf, from time to time renewed, +does duty as a door. + +Dinner at seven. + +John wishes that the _menu_ should be occasionally inserted for the +benefit of gastronomic readers:-- + + _Vins._ _Potage._ _Legumes._ + Tea. Prairie. Potatoes, + Beer. Fried and Boiled. + _Poisson._ + Fried Trout. + + _Entrees._ + Sardines. + + _Gibier._ + Teal. Greenshank. + + _Entremets._ + Compote of Rice and Wimberries. + Jam. Marmalade. + Whisky. + +After this Esau finished the oven, and accomplished a bake of bread +therein, which proved so successful that on returning from fishing at +about ten at night, we all turned our attention to the production of the +staff of life, nor desisted from our labours till eleven o'clock, by +which time there was a goodly show of rolls and loaves spread out, and +we went to bed feeling that we had spent a glorious day. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +REINDEER. + + +_August 12._--We wonder whether our friends in Scotland and Yorkshire +have such a day as this: if they have, it is rough on the grouse. + +There is not a breath the bottle-green wave to curl, and the sun shines +as if Odin had redeemed his other eye. + +The Skipper and Oela went forth to pursue, and walked over an enormous +distance into the previously unknown region of Memurutungen. Up on the +mountains life on a day of this kind is bliss; there is more air there +than in the valley, and it is delightful to be far away from the busy +world--consisting of your two pals and Ivar--below; surrounded by the +snowy peaks and sky, with not a living thing save perhaps an eagle in +sight. + + [Illustration: The two 'Meget Stor Bocks' (very big Bucks) on + Memurutungen] + +In the middle of the day they came on fresh deer tracks, at which of +course their flagging interest revived; and presently they descried on a +snow fjeld about a mile away, two deer 'scooting' over the opposite +mountain side. These they followed, and made a long detour to get the +right side of the breath of wind that occasionally made itself felt up +there, for the reindeer has probably the most acute scent of all the +deer tribe. In the midst of this detour they suddenly came in sight of +two other bucks, about 300 yards away, much finer animals than the first +two; in fact, they had the best heads the Skipper ever saw. But luck was +against him; they were wrong for the wind, and a puff came just at the +moment, which carried the unwelcome intelligence to those deer that +their hated enemy was upon them, and they departed round a corner at a +rapid trot, and were no more seen. Then Oela looked at the Skipper with a +sorrowful shake of the head, and said, 'Meget store bocks!' (very big +bucks), and the Skipper replied with a still more portentous shake, +'Meget, meget.' So they were left with their mouths wide open, +muttering, 'Meget, meget store bocks.' And after following the tracks +some time without seeing anything more of the deer, they gave up the +chase and returned to camp, getting home in a very exhausted state about +6.30. + +During dinner old Peter Tronhuus arrived in camp with a packet of +letters and papers, and a fore-quarter of venison from Rus Vand. Mr. +Thomas had been like ourselves reindeer-less until yesterday, when he +found a large herd, and was lucky enough to get two out of them. + +Peter also told us that two friends of Thomas's who had been staying +with him were walking over the mountain to see our camp, and would then +go to Gjendesheim with him in the boat in which he had come. + +Presently these two men arrived extremely hot, and looking as if they +would like beer; so we appeased them with one of our few remaining +bottles, and after showing them all the sights of the camp took them out +on the lake in the canoes. One of them spoke a little English, the other +only French and Norwegian. The latter asked the Skipper, in the Gallic +tongue, 'if we had entrapped many fish?' and 'if we had not fear to +venture on the lake in such small boats?' and informed him that 'there +were many savage ducks about this year.' The other one, regardless of +his own life and safety, and also of Esau's--in whose canoe he was +sitting--_would_ keep throwing up his arms and exclaiming, 'It gives us +moch playsure to make a travel in the Canadian cano.' But we think they +were proud and thankful when the experiment was over, and they were safe +in Peter's boat. These strangers displayed unwonted courage, for the +ordinary native has a wholesome dread of our frail craft. The hardy +Norseman's house of yore was doubtless on the foaming wave, but that was +before the days of Canadian canoes. + +At dinner John informed the company that his bath in the lake yesterday +was the third of a series the first of which took place in Montenegro, +the second in Algiers, and now this in Norway. He calls this a humble +tribute to the geniality of the English summer, and thinks that he may +be termed 'a polyglot ablutionist.' Some of the sojourners in this camp +say it may be so, but it does not speak highly for John's love of water +when undiluted with whisky. + +Subsequently we found that the bath which he swaggered about only +occurred because he fell off a rock into the lake, and so dabbled about +afterwards while his clothes were drying, which does not take long in +this weather. This also accounts for the condition in which he returned +to camp, 'sans bags, sans shirt, sans everything,'--barring his boots. + +Late at night Esau, who was up last, put his head into the tent to +remark that there was a first-rate comet on view, but he was received +with such execrations from the other two lazy people in bed that he +thought it prudent to say no more about it, and not to look at it any +more himself. + + +_August 13._--We spent the morning making a meat safe. This meat safe +consists of a hole in the ground, neatly flagged with flat stones, and +walled with the same, and furnished at the top with a wooden frame, into +which fits a lid with hooks underneath it for birds. The whole is +covered with a piece of muslin to keep off the villanous bluebottles. +The muslin was brought to make into mosquito nets inside the tent, but +in this happy spot the 'skeeter' is unknown, the sand-fly very rare, and +the great green-eyed Moege--which bites a lump out of your leg and then +flies to the nearest tree to eat it--is conspicuous by its absence. + +We have always been very careful not to prepare in any way for game +before it is killed, but this usually successful plan has been a failure +this year, so now we are desperate, and have made a safe which will hold +a reindeer, and probably with a little more bad luck shall even go out +stalking with ropes in our pockets ready to tie up the animal when +killed. We caught Oela a week ago carving a piece of stick into the +double-ended thing that butchers put between the legs of sheep to keep +them apart (name unknown), but we promptly seized it, and made it into +the handle of a frying-pan. But who can escape his destiny? We hoped +that we had averted misfortune, but the deed was done, and no doubt it +was owing to this that the Skipper failed to get a shot at the 'store +bocks.' + +When John and Esau had finished the safe and succeeded in catching +enough nice fish for the requirements of the camp, they were seized with +the desire of making a good bath. We have no first-rate bathing-place +near the camp, as the glacier-river has made the lake too shallow round +its mouth, and it is some distance to where the shore becomes bold and +rocky. + +They selected a nice little stream on the hill just above the tent, and +toiled like navvies there for about four hours under a blazing sun, +excavating and paving with flat stones, making a most palatial bath in +the bed of the stream; when behold! just as it was completed, to use the +graphic language of one of the constructors, 'May I be dodderned, and +doggoned, and dingblamed by Pike, if the blooming stream didn't cease to +run!' It did just supply about a pint of water before it quite stopped, +into which Esau's watch flew as he flung on his coat with some slight, +and perhaps excusable, show of temper. A pint of water is not enough for +a man to bathe in, but it is quite sufficient to saturate a watch, +especially if a stone obligingly smashes the glass and makes a hole in +its face obliterating the vii. viii. and ix. at the time of its +immersion. However, he dug the mud out of the works, filled them with +Rangoon oil, and is under the impression that that watch can be made to +go again, and that a new face and glass and silver case will make it +look all right. He is of a sanguine disposition. + +They returned to camp saying that it would be all right as soon as the +first rain came, but they reckoned without their host; the stream came +from a little snowdrift on the mountain, and next time that Esau went up +there he found that the heat of the last few days had melted it all +away; hence its sudden stop. It never ran again. Perchance some future +traveller will find the bath ages hence, and rejoice in its luxurious +arrangements. In anticipation of this John wrote the following beautiful +lines on the most prominent rock:-- + + 'Stranger, pause and shed a tear: + There used to be a streamlet here; + But seeing Esau strip to lave + His sordid body 'neath its wave, + All filled with shame and blushing red, + The streamlet left its gravel bed; + Its only wish from him to flee, + It ran away and went to sea.' + +The Skipper returned rather late with some very good fish from our old +lake Rus Vand, and dinner was consequently at the extremely fashionable +hour of 8.30. + + MENU. + + _Poisson._ + Truite a la Norvege. + + _Gibier._ + Teal en matelote de Bacon. + Pommes de terre sauted in a frying-pan. + + _Potage._ + Skoggaggany. + +Potage is frequently eaten last, for it keeps hot longer than the other +dishes, and as we always feed in the open air in fine weather, they cool +more quickly than in civilisation. + + [Illustration: Hot Soup and Northern Lights] + +About nine o'clock a splendid display of northern lights was produced +for our benefit, and we stayed up till twelve o'clock baking bread and +gazing at the ever-changing beauties of this glorious sight. In the +course of conversation it transpired that the same thing happened last +night in a milder form, and it was this that Esau had announced as a +comet. To-night he was immensely delighted with the show, because he +says it will bring good luck; quoting 'Aurora bright, dear harbinger of +dawn.' He said this was Shakespeare, and if Shakespeare called Aurora a +'deer harbinger,' that ought to be enough for us. The other two agreed, +but did not believe Shakespeare ever wrote that, or anything like it. +'What play was it in?' 'Play!' said Esau, with the utmost contempt, 'you +awful duffers, it's in the sonnets; I dare say you never read all of +them.' This was unanswerable, for of course no one ever did read all the +sonnets. But in revenge John composed some poetry about Esau, after the +manner of Walt Whitman, he said. + +If Walt Whitman ever wrote anything like this, he ought to be made to +read it. We give a few lines:-- + + ''Twas he who culled the bluest berry sweet, + And with his jodelling made the heights reply + To airs that oft have graced the music hall: + Anon when work or sport was put aside, + The fragrant omelette he would deftly roll; + No better man to fry the curling trout, + None with more appetite to make it scarce. + When tired nature seeks repose in bed, + To lie when others rise and calmly rest, + He most surpassed the seven Sleepers' selves. + This is the sort of rubbish men can write + Who to inanity devote their minds; + But nought save great experience will suffice + To do the trick; no amateur can hope + To vie with those who've studied it from youth.' + +And so on for pages. + +On examining the diaries which we all keep, the following remarks on the +aurora were found:-- + +NO. 1.--BY THE SKIPPER. + +'The heavens were illuminated by most brilliant northern lights, which +flickered in a great arch over the starry sky.' + +NO. 2.--BY ESAU. + +'A most glorious display of northern lights, huge bands of light across +the sky; waving, flickering, and disappearing, then suddenly shining out +again more brilliantly than before, while all the time straight +streamers of light were shooting upwards from the horizon.' + +NO. 3.--BY JOHN. + +'The glow of a remarkably fine aurora borealis, whose silvery shimmering +shafts flickered incessantly all over the heavens in the most fantastic +shapes.' + +It will be observed that we all agree in the flickering, consequently +you may bet it _did_ flicker. But for this fortunate fact it would be +hard to recognise the three descriptions as identical, and yet this is +the way history is written. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +SUCCESS AT LAST. + + +_August 14._--This was a most eventful day in our quiet life, and one +fraught with episode. For the first time there was a breeze, so the +Skipper went out fishing, and John to practise canoeing in a wind, which +is an art requiring considerable dexterity in these Canadian canoes. +They are beautiful sea boats, and beat the 'Rob Roy' hollow for any +purposes where room for baggage is required. In our two, which are only +small, we have transported between 800 and 900 lbs.; but their worst +feature is decidedly exhibited in a wind, for the broad flat bottom and +absence of keel cause them to drift very fast, and make it difficult to +keep them straight. It can only be done by paddling from amidships +instead of from the stern. + +Esau went out stalking, full of hope from the aurora and the favourable +wind. + +The Skipper was lucky and caught some very good fish, and then returning +to camp constructed a most lovely wimberry tart. He had just finished +the enclosure of the same in the oven, and was proceeding to remove the +flour and ashes and other debris from his hands, while John reclined at +his ease under an awning with our latest 'Field'--three weeks old--when +they heard a hail overhead, and behold a swarm of visitors from Rus +Vand! Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, Miss A----, and their friend F----, who is +the most celebrated deerstalker in the country. He is reported to never +miss a shot, and occasionally shoots flying ryper with a rifle. + +They tumultuously demanded lunch, and the Skipper with John had a pretty +busy time of it for about twenty minutes, and the wimberry tart had to +be left to its fate in the sultry climate of the oven. Our larder just +now is not well supplied with anything except fish; so that the utmost +exertions could only produce a meal which to people who have had +reindeer for several days must have seemed poor indeed. Fried trout, +Skoggaggany soup, tea, beer, bread, biscuits, and marmalade, was the +bill of fare, for there was no time to do anything in the 'gibier' line, +birds taking some time to pluck and clean. However, to our guests there +were some points of this meal decidedly worthy of attention, viz. the +beer, marmalade, and bread: they have none of these at Rus Vand, as +their attempts at bread have hitherto been failures, while ours has been +very first-rate ever since the oven was built, and was much appreciated. + +We have been informed that the proper thing in these days, when writing +a book, is to recommend some condiment or patent medicine to the notice +of the confiding public. As there is no chance of our meeting any Arab +sheiks in Memurudalen, we have to fall back on this episode of the +bread, and seize the opportunity to sing to the world the praises of +'Yeatman's Yeast Powder,' by far the best that we have tried, and +invaluable on an expedition of this kind for bread, pastry, and +pancakes. Now let old Yeatman send his hundred guineas, care of Esau, +and we will see that they are devoted to a proper use. + +To return to our guests. We made an awning on what we call the +lawn--size six feet by fourteen feet--out of two rugs and some birch +poles, and lunched under that, as the sun was cruelly hot. There was a +good deal of the ordinary picnic about the meal, as we have only four +plates, cups, knives, &c., and had to eat fish out of the frying-pan, +and drink beer out of a jam pot, and a condensed-milk tin with the top +cut off and the sharp edge turned down. But all these drawbacks were met +in the true picnic spirit, which 'de minimis non curat' so long as there +is something to eat. Our two last bottles of beer were sacrificed, and +it went to our hearts to have to pour away our beloved Skoggaggany soup +when the cups were wanted for tea, for our visitors did not 'go for' the +soup with the same alacrity that distinguishes us. Possibly it occurred +to them that the middle of a blazing hot August day was not the most +suitable time for highly seasoned, substantial, nearly boiling liquid to +be poured down their throats. + +Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and Miss A---- all spoke English well, but their +friend young F---- could neither speak it nor understand it: however, he +wished to be genial and polite, and replied 'Oh yase, tank you,' +whenever any remark was made to him. In consequence of this amiable +trait, John, who thought he could talk our language as well as the +others, supplied him with beer, whisky and water, tea, soup, and +marmalade all at the same time, to each of which articles when offered +he had replied 'Oh yase, tank you.' This made a sad run on our limited +supply of crockery. + +Lunch ended, the Skipper volunteered as usual to take the party one by +one for a cruise in his canoe. This with the ordinary English lady would +be a matter of considerable risk, but all Norwegians--ladies as well as +men--are accustomed to boats, and very nearly all of them can swim. But +the trip was quite dangerous enough, for both the ladies insisted on +kneeling in the right position and paddling themselves, and there was a +good sea on, with a distant threatening storm. While Mrs. Thomas was +pursuing her adventurous career, her husband danced on the bank after +the manner of a hen with ducklings crying, 'Come back! come back! you go +too far out!' but we grieve to record that she did not care a little +bit, and was so delighted with the canoe that the Skipper had some +difficulty in persuading her to return. May she live long to paddle that +canoe, for it now belongs to her. + +About four o'clock the call came to an end, and our friends departed +over the mountain to Rus Vand, at the west end of which they expected to +meet their boat. Before going they made us promise to go and see them +next Tuesday, and will send a boat to convey us down the lake. + + [Illustration: Esau and Ola return in Triumph] + +Soon after six Esau came into camp in an offensively jaunty manner, +followed by Oela with the heads and skins, and what the lawyers call the +appurts, to wit, the heart, kidneys, feet, and liver of two reindeer +bucks. Then was there great rejoicing in that little colony, and dinner +was served and disposed of with light hearts, even the neglected +wimberry tart being a complete success, for owing to its gigantic size, +its long baking in a cooling oven had not been too much for it, and it +was finished to the last crumb of paste and spoonful of juice. + +Our custom is, when a man returns with deer, that he shall lie on the +sheepskin of indolence if so disposed, while the other fellows prepare +dinner; and after the meal is finished and men are beginning to lean +back and fill their pipes, he is expected to relate his adventures +without interruption; after this he is never to refer to them again +unless specially requested. Now for Esau's story. + +'We went on to Memurutungen and began to find fresh tracks and signs of +deer almost directly, so were on the tiptoe of expectation all the +morning. About midday Oela found two deer on a small patch of snow, five +or six miles from camp, in a very favourable place for approaching them, +with the wind as right as it could be. We made a lovely stalk; but when +after an hour's creeping we got to the spot, we were just in time to see +them disappear, slowly feeding over the hill. We followed as fast as +possible, and soon came in sight of them again, for as the deer always +feed against the wind there is no danger of alarming them by following +on their tracks. A few minutes of breathless crawling like serpents, and +we were within 100 yards, nearer than I ever got to reindeer before. One +of them soon gave me a nice side shot, and when I fired he almost fell, +but recovered himself, and they both ran down the hill towards a little +glacier. I fired again at him and missed; and then ran as hard as I +could towards the glacier, cramming in cartridges as I ran. They were +both out of sight for a moment behind some rocks, and then the unwounded +one came into view again, and I had a nice shot at him at about 150 +yards, and was lucky enough to send a bullet just above his heart, which +killed him instantly at the edge of the glacier. + + [Illustration: A careful Finishing Shot] + +'I ran straight on, and following round the shoulder of the hill, saw +the other one standing about 100 yards away, unable to go any further. +I was in about the same state myself, so sat down, took as careful an +aim as I could, and fired a shot which finished him. How he had ever got +so far is a mystery, as the first shot only missed his heart by about an +inch. The second went in touching the hole made by the first, and killed +him at once. + +'We gralloched them, and built the meat up with stones to preserve it +from ravens, and the great bugbear of hunters, the "jarraf," as they +call it; filfras is its English name. I think it is identical with the +North American wolverine or glutton.' + +The lecturer concluded his observations amid great applause. + +Let it be understood that the running which is done in pursuit of deer +is a gymnastic performance of the utmost difficulty, for these mountains +are almost entirely composed of loose stones with sharp, clean edges. +These stones vary in size, but otherwise are all similar, and have no +more tendency to stick together and lie quiet than the lumps in a basin +of sugar. So that running over them means--for an extremely active +man--a pace of perhaps four miles an hour; for a deer about six or +seven. Consequently the deer always when disturbed try to get on to +snow, for there they can go a great, but unascertained pace--apparently +somewhere about eighty miles an hour. + +We find that after all we were quite right to make the meat-safe before +killing the deer, for we only made it to hold one, and now we have +killed two, and so are quite properly behindhand with our arrangements, +and shall be obliged to make another. + +After dinner Esau went down to the lake and tried a few casts from the +shore. He speedily hooked a fish, which he thought the biggest ever +made, and never got a sight of it for twenty minutes. He thought this a +grand top up for a truly successful day, but on landing it, it only +weighed a pound, but was hooked in the tail, hence the struggle. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +GJENDEBODEN. + + +_Sunday, August 15._--Still the same beautiful weather. We spent the +morning fishing and bathing. Esau distinguished himself by falling into +the lake off a cliff, just as he had finished dressing after a bath; +nearly swamping his canoe, full of fish, rugs, and other valuables. +There was such a sun that he merely hung his things on the rocks and +went on fishing without them until they were dry, which took a very +short time. He always had savage tendencies, and would like to live +without clothes, but we consider this is not dignified, and will not +tend to promote discipline among our retainers. The Skipper got the best +bag, as he generally does on a calm day. + +After lunch we packed our rods, fowling-pieces, and change of raiment +into the canoes, and started on a voyage of discovery up the lake, +intending to spend the night at Gjendebod--a hut at the western end +somewhat similar to Gjendesheim at the eastern, though not so large or +so well built, for the upper end of the lake does not get as many +visitors as the lower. + +The expedition commenced with a disaster, owing, no doubt, to its being +Sunday. As John and Esau in the larger canoe were crossing the glacier +stream, something caused the boat to almost swamp, but fortunately right +again with a good deal of water in it. Esau said it was John's +clumsiness; John said it was Esau's recklessness in crossing at such a +rapid place, and much recrimination ensued. They went to shore and +emptied the water out, and then continued the voyage, nothing being wet +except the rugs used to kneel on. Only the Skipper lingered on the +voyage to fish; the other two paddling against a heavy head wind +completed the journey of five miles in about an hour, and had dinner +cooked and ready by the time the Skipper made his appearance with a +beautiful basket of trout. + +Our dinner was made from the shoulder of venison sent us by Mr. Thomas. +It was utterly ruined in the cooking, for we are getting fastidious +after our own luxurious meals, and think as poorly of Gjendebod cookery +as a certain friend of ours did of English, when he complained that 'in +all the houses of the rich and great which he had ever known, he had +never seen a decent hot dinner served except when they had it cold for +lunch.' + +We found here a young Norwegian who spoke English well, and gave us some +very interesting information, chiefly about the winter life in Norway; +also a very intelligible account of the land system of the country, +which we intend to send to Mr. Gladstone for use in his next Irish Land +Bill. We think it peculiarly adapted for Ireland, because, though we all +understood it perfectly at the time, we cannot agree about any of its +main features on comparing notes afterwards. + +Presently there arrived here Coutts--our Gjendesheim acquaintance who +had made the extraordinary walk over the mountains. His hair had either +not grown since we last saw him, or else he had sand-papered it off +again. He had just achieved another remarkable feat. This was a climb to +the top of 'Stor Skagastolstind,' a mountain which has only been +ascended twice previously; first by an Englishman who spends most of his +time in doing such things, and afterwards by a Norwegian, the last time +being two years ago. Many others have tried and failed. The ordinary +traveller will find the feat of pronouncing its name fluently in the +course of conversation quite difficult enough; but it can be done by the +exercise of an iron will, and if not attempted more than once in a day, +no fatal effects need be apprehended. Once we met a very +careworn-looking man who told us he had been trying to make a pun on the +name, but we felt no pity for so foolhardy a wretch. + +The authorized procedure for those who accomplish the ascent, is to +enclose their name and some coins in a bottle, and build a little cairn +round the bottle, leaving their handkerchief with it, and bringing down +the corresponding articles left by the last man. Coutts showed us the +handkerchief and bottle which he found on the top, but the coins he must +have spent in drinks on his way home, or else did not like to trust us +with them, as he could not produce them. He had, of course, left his own +handkerchief, and John, who is short of these useful though not +indispensable articles, was seized with a great longing to risk his life +and go to the summit of that mountain for Coutts's. At least, he was +very keen about it immediately after the description of the ascent and +hiding of the treasure; but since he became calmer we almost persuaded +him not to go, as he hates walking, especially uphill walking; it takes +two days to ascend the peak, one to get down again; and the whole +performance is slightly more difficult and hazardous than the ascent of +the Matterhorn. + +It will probably be unnecessary to remark that Coutts did not for a +moment condescend to follow the path chosen by former climbers, but +having after considerable search found one at least twice as dangerous, +he chose that, as he had not time to look for a worse one. + + +_August 16._--After breakfast we found a drover, who was living in a hut +here, and impressed him to come out with us after Ryper--his function +being that of the dog. There are many of these drovers in the mountains +during the summer. They get cattle--how, we do not know; whether they +buy them, or merely drive them on commission for the owners; then they +feed them on the common lands, and drive them to some town at the end of +the summer. The huts that they live in are wretched little places. There +is one about two miles from our camp, built of rough stones against a +rock which forms two of the sides, without any door or window, and only +a hole to creep in at. No Englishman would keep his dog in such a place, +unless it were dead; but we are told that a drover lived there for a +month this year before we came, and it is considered of sufficient +importance to be marked on the Ordnance map, otherwise we should never +have seen it. + +Our drover, however, was rather a great man, living in a hut with a real +door and a window, and a live woman inside to cook for him and iron his +shirt--at least, we imagined she must be doing this, as he had not got +one on. + +Ryper shooting began by law yesterday, but our Sabbatarian proclivities +prevented us from going forth to the chase. The true reason is that we +superstitiously believe it will rain again if we shoot on Sunday, though +no one will confess that this is the feeling by which we are possessed. + +We crossed the lake in the canoes--the Skipper and Esau to shoot, John +and Herr Drover to beat. There was a narrow belt of birch trees between +the lake and the willow belt in which we hoped to find the birds, and +before we got through this, our ears were gladdened by the sound of two +shots from Esau, who had walked on to two old birds and got them both; +but, alas! disappointment was in store for us. We walked up hill and +down dale, dry ground and marshy, willow belt and birch belt, but never +saw another ryper for five hours, and then we put up one old cock who +fled away with a derisive crow before we got within sixty yards of him. +It is hopeless work hunting ryper without dogs. We found plenty of +places where they had fed or sat, or been running on wet ground; but +they hate flying unless they are compelled, and on a day of this sort +lie like stones, though we have seen them after windy weather get up +almost as wild as Yorkshire grouse. But we feel that we have done our +duty in trying to shoot ryper, and so now can go back to our fishing and +stalking with a quiet conscience. + +And if we got no more ryper we found such a quantity of 'moeltebaer,' that +there is every prospect of Esau being seriously ill for some days, which +would be a distinct gain as far as the consumption of our stores goes. +The 'moeltebaer' is a berry like a large yellow raspberry, very good +indeed to eat, with a sort of honey flavour about it. The Norwegians +think it better than the strawberry, though we hardly indorse this +opinion. It is a beautiful scarlet before it is ripe, and a dirty pale +yellow when ready to gather. It grows low down, and is difficult to +find, as it conceals itself in low, swampy, and rather dark places. + +When we returned from the pursuit of the disobliging ryper, there was a +fair breeze down the lake, so we hoisted sails and were soon back at +Memurudalen. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +A FORMAL CALL. + + +_August 17._--This was the day appointed for our visit to the Thomas's +at Rus Vand, but though we told Oela as usual to call us at 7.30, he +never came until about half-past eight. His watch is a curiosity among +bad watches; he sets it by one of ours every night, and it has always +gained or lost several hours before morning: on one occasion it actually +lost nearly a fortnight while we slept. The Skipper says it 'ain't worth +a smothered oath;' and this morning, as we specially wished to get up +early--and did get up, owing to Oela's watch, more than usually late--he +is getting lower in his valuation, and estimates it at a 'whispered +d----.' + +We have begged Oela to pawn it, or refrain from winding it up, but +without effect, and Esau lent him his--which has never moved since its +bath, and is fixed at 5.20. This was very successful for two days, as it +made Oela call us about six o'clock, and we had lots of time to go to +sleep again afterwards; but after that the discontented fellow came and +asked for one that would go faster, and of course we have nothing that +will compare with his own either at trotting or cantering. + +First thing this morning the Skipper was seen shaving his meagre chin +with no little care, and reflecting himself with considerable interest +in a slip of looking-glass that he keeps under his pillow. We all made +elaborate toilets, but the Skipper was especially beautiful by reason of +his necktie, and the least thread-bare of his two coats, which he wore +with what he considered a careless grace. + +We started up the mountain at half-past ten, and arrived on the shores +of Rus Vand very hot and tired in about two hours. There we saw a dim +speck on the distant horizon which we imagined to be the boat coming to +take us down the lake. So we began to fish till it should arrive; and it +was a considerable time before we realised the fact that the speck we +had seen was indeed the boat, but it was _going_, not coming, for the +soulless wretch who had control of it had presumed to think, and his +thoughts being of course the mere unreasoning impulses of a brutish and +degraded mind, had caused him to suppose we were not coming. This was a +terrible blow, but at last we bravely decided to walk on to the +hut--about eight miles. During the next six pages of this book we walked +and walked and walked, with hunger and thirst raging inside us, +a broiling sun over our heads, and the most frightful language +proceeding from our lips; tramping along cattle tracks, wading through +mountain torrents, and stumbling over willows and rocks, till about +half-past three in the afternoon, when turning the last corner we came +on the two huts, and our olfactory nerves were greeted by the welcome +scent of adjacent cooking food. + +Thomas was most profuse in his maledictions of the idiot who had left +the west end of the lake without waiting for us, and we had great +difficulty in persuading him not to shed his blood there and then. Thus +far the misery. + +But now a change came o'er the scene. Behold the wearied travellers +lying on the sward, in the cool shadow cast by the hut; surrounded by +iced whisky punch, brandy and water, rum and milk, and claret, and +drinking them all at once under the entreaties of our hospitable +entertainers. Anon a sumptuous feast was spread under the canopy of a +tent pitched just above the roaring waters of the Russen River where it +leaves the calm of the lake for the turmoil and trouble of a hurried +descent to busier regions. That trout, reindeer, roast ryper, and the +various smaller birds will be remembered by all of us as long as we +live. + +The Skipper confessed afterwards that all along that burning shadeless +cattle track--with its atmosphere perfectly blue with execrations--he +had thought that life was but a 'wale of tears' at the best of times; +but when after dinner cigars and black coffee were produced, he began to +believe we had had rather a pleasant walk after all. + +We left the hospitable hut about six, in the boat, Thomas himself and +Jens coming with us. Jens rowed, and we four fished all the way up the +lake, so that the water was stiff with minnows and flies. John with a +minnow caught one three-pound trout and some smaller ones, and the +Skipper and Esau several good fish with the fly, but we had no time to +really try to catch fish, but kept rowing steadily on and getting what +we could on the way. Thomas got out halfway up the lake to fish from the +bank, and John at once trampled on a spare rod which had been brought in +the boat, and reduced it to matchwood. Then to witness John's polite +protestations and apologies from the boat to Mr. Thomas on shore was +truly gratifying to us as spectators. When they were concluded we rowed +on to the end of the lake, climbed over the dreadful mountain--which was +by no means a pleasant task in the dark--and reached camp at half-past +ten--just twelve hours employed in making a formal call. Think of that, +ye gentlemen of England who grumble at having to leave a card on the +people the other side of the square. + + +_August 18._--We all stayed at home to-day, as the weather--although +still perfectly fine--was not favourable for any sort of sport with +which we are acquainted except kite-flying; and the tent was constantly +in such imminent danger of being blown from its moorings, that we feared +if we went away, we should not be able to find it when we came back. It +was great fun during breakfast to watch Ivar sailing after our goods and +chattels whenever a sudden gust of wind sent them scudding over the +ground till brought to a standstill by a juniper or a rock. Before +starting in pursuit he always opened his mouth to its utmost +width--which is enormous--and then extending his arms and legs till he +looked like a demoniac wind-mill, he swooped down on the quarry, never +failing to secure the fly-away article, dish-cloth, or towel, or +whatever it might be. + +The Skipper was the only one who attempted fishing, and he had but poor +sport, and soon returned to camp to assist in the operations there going +on. The most important of these was the construction of a new game +cellar in the ground near the old one. Esau was 'bossing' this thing, +while Oela worked. Esau, being very lazy himself, takes a fiendish +delight in getting any work out of Oela; and now his portion of the job +seemed to be standing with an axe in his hand revolving things in his +great mind while Oela undertook the labour. The Skipper and John devoted +themselves to baking, and produced an enormous quantity of bread and +biscuits; and when these were finished the united strength of the +company engaged itself on a meat pie. + +The division of labour in this enterprise is always managed thus. Esau +is butcher--an employment in which he revels, and at which he is +decidedly an adept. He cuts up reindeer in convenient slices for placing +in the pie-dish; adding thereto slices of bacon, and two or three +hard-boiled eggs, with some liver, heart, and birds if we have any to +spare. Meanwhile the Skipper concocts the dough for the crust from +flour, butter, and boiling water; and after rolling the same on the top +of one of the boxes with an empty beer-bottle, neatly lines the smaller +of the two low tins with it; fills it with the various ingredients and +plenty of pepper, salt, and some water, and then covers it with a thin +disc of paste perforated with holes, and adorned with fantastic images +of reindeer and birds. Now the pie is ready for the oven--which all this +time John has been stoking indefatigably with arm loads of wood; and +when he announces that the oven is fit the pie is borne in solemn +procession to it, and safely enclosed by the sod which acts as the oven +door, and conceals it from our gaze for a time, which varies according +to the size of the pie and heat of the oven. + +We have some difficulties to contend with in the top of our oven, for +the sods which fill in the holes thereof are liable to crumble with the +intense heat and fall down in fine dust on our food gently stewing in +its cosy nest. The only way to obviate this is to water the top of the +oven every morning as if it were a spring garden, and then the clods +never get dry enough to play their evil little games. The Skipper +compares the baking of a pie to burial by cremation (if that is not a +bull). Certainly it always comes out etherealised; a thing of beauty and +a joy for at least two days. Esau called this pie after its resurrection +'a harmony in yellow and brown quite too too utter and distinctly +precious;' and John added, 'Begorra, me jewel, it is that same, bedad.' + + [Illustration: The Colony at Breakfast in Memurudalen] + +We shall now be free to do what seems good in our eyes for several days +without the trouble of baking: altogether our stock of provisions is +enormous. This is always the way in camp life; first a week of existence +on the verge of starvation, and then a time of milk and honey and tables +overflowing with plenty. + + +_August 19._--Some of the bread that John makes is rather heavy. +Yesterday we were constrained to point this fact out to him. He +pretended not to be able to see it, and in support of his theory ate at +supper a quantity of the rolls that we had condemned. The consequence +was that about two o'clock A.M. we were roused from our peaceful +slumbers by John jumping spasmodically out of bed and rushing to the +tent door, uttering at the same time most ghastly yells. At the door he +appeared to be awake, so we said, sitting up in bed with our hair on +end,-- + +'_Now_ then, John. What's the row?' To which he answered very quietly,-- + +'Why, my line's caught on that rock over there. I wish you would stop +the boat a minute.' + +Then he went gently to bed again and continued his unbroken slumbers. + +A sleeping man is selfishly regardless of the disquiet he brings on his +fellow-creatures, and John, although he must have dreamt all sorts of +funny things, did not dream that he was disturbing our night's rest. + +The other night when we were returning from our visit to Rus Vand, John +casually seated himself on a rock at the extreme top of the mountain. It +was quite dark except for a subdued glow of light caused by the setting +moon behind the mountains on the other side of Gjendin Lake. Now the +Skipper and Esau take a good deal of interest in moons, because they are +considerably affected by the pallid luminary when at the full; +consequently they were aware that she had already passed her highest +point for that night, and would not show above the peaks until the +following evening; but John did not know this, and so when we asked his +reason for sitting down on a very sharp and cold stone 5,000 feet above +sea level, with the quicksilver right through the bottom of the +thermometer, at a time when all honest folk were in bed, he replied,-- + +'You fellows go on; I'm going to wait here and see the moon rise.' + +We never disturb a man when he feels poetical, lest it should break out +in some more dangerous form; so we left him on his 'cold grey stone,' +and made the best of our way to camp. + +When we had about half finished our soup, he came struggling and wading +in through the shrubs and swamp, and sat down to supper without making +any remarks about the scenery, neither did he touch upon the subject of +silver shafts, or shimmering sheen, or a network of frosted filigree +chaining down the ripples. He was evidently disappointed about +something, and we possessed too much delicacy of feeling to ask what was +wrong, and so the matter dropped. But at breakfast this morning the +Skipper happened to tell a story about a man he knew, who waited on the +quay for some friends who had arrived in a steamer that day. This man +had ordered a sumptuous banquet directly the steamer was signalled, then +waited three hours expecting a boat to come off every minute, but at +last perceived that a curious flag was flying on the steamer, and on +inquiry found that she was quarantined for a fortnight. Then Esau could +not resist the opportunity, and remarked,-- + +'Just like waiting for the moon to rise when she ain't due over the +mountains for twenty-four hours,' and the harmony of the meeting at once +ceased to exist. + +The Skipper went after deer, but only had a very long walk without +seeing any. We have now got the kitchen into a great state of +perfection, so that within ten minutes of his return a recherche repast +was on the table. This is rather a difficult thing to manage, as we +never know to within a couple of hours what time the hunters will +return; but it can be done by having the chops, steaks, or birds ready +in one frying-pan, the trout in the other, the potatoes partially +cooked, and the tea or coffee made: the leaves or grounds of the latter +we remove always after eight minutes' brewing, so that it does not alter +by standing. The table of course is ready laid. + +Once and only once there was a long delay, owing to a misfortune with +the water that had been boiled for the tea; but the explosion of wrath +from the famishing hunter on that occasion was so dreadful, that the +utmost endeavours have since been successfully used to prevent its +recurrence. + + MENU.--August 19. + + _Potage._ + Mulligatawny. + + _Poisson._ + Truite a la Maitre d'Hotel. + + _Entrees._ + Venison Pie. + + _Rots._ + Venison Pie. + + _Gibier._ + Venison Pie. + + _Entremets._ + Pancakes. + +Our procedure with pancakes is for every man to fry and toss his own; +the frying of the first side is easy enough, but the tossing requires +skill, for we do not allow the mean practice of helping the delicacy +over with a knife, indulged in by some weak-spirited cooks. + +John's first became a mangled heap of batter under his repeated efforts, +and was finally eaten by him in that condition; his second ascended +towards the heavens most gracefully when he tossed, and was absent for +some minutes, but unfortunately he failed to hold the pan in the right +place on its return, and it fell on the ground, where it was immediately +seized and devoured by Ivar. The third was a complete success, and so +were the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh; the eighth stuck to the pan, +and was a failure; and after that he got along all right to the +thirty-fourth, when he had another partial failure, owing to +over-confidence. This made him more careful, and all the rest were quite +perfect. When we had finished we gave the rest of the batter to the men, +who fried it all in one huge pancake, about two inches thick. + +We notice that all the diaries agree for once; the following note occurs +in all:-- + +'Pancakes for dinner to-day; the other two fellows over-ate themselves.' + +We told John this morning of his adventure with the boat and fishing +line during the night, so he ate all the new bread at lunch, thereby +laying its restless spirit long before bedtime; no doubt he and his +dinner will slumber more peacefully to-night. + +It may be remembered that we brought a lot of fish slightly salted with +us from Gjendesheim. Ever since our return here we have caught plenty of +fish every day, and as we prefer fresh food to salt, the Gjendesheim +fish which were placed in a little barrel have been neglected. Five or +six days ago we noticed an unpleasant odour, and found that it proceeded +from this barrel, the fish being in an advanced stage of decomposition, +and the men told us they were making 'raki fiske,' a thing which they +informed us in Norwegian is 'real jam.' We were very angry, and gave +orders that the whole thing should at once be thrown into the glacier +torrent. After this the affair faded from our minds, but yesterday we +again noticed a suspicion of the same smell, and this morning it was so +powerful that we began to invent theories to account for it. + +John, who is a man of great scientific attainments proved to his own +complete satisfaction, that it proceeded from the bodies of prehistoric +reindeer which had been engulfed by an avalanche ages ago and entombed +in the glacier until now, when at last their decaying corpses were being +washed down the stream. + +He said Huxley had often observed the same thing and told him about it. + +Esau's theory was that the glacier itself was decomposing. 'Look what a +long time it had been standing exposed to the air, and most likely in a +damp place; everybody knew that snow water was not good to drink, +witness the goitre of Switzerland; and why was it not good? Simply +because it was putrid, and now that the hot sun was shining upon it, no +wonder it smelt a little.' + +He concluded his remarks by inquiring who Huxley might be, and was just +setting off up the valley with a bottle of Condy's fluid to pour over +the glacier, when the Skipper, who had wandered down to the Memurua +River instead of arguing, suddenly rushed back with his fingers tightly +holding his nose, and shaking his fist at Oela, said something that began +with 'Dab,' and went on with other unknown words. + +At last we gathered from his expressions that the barrel of 'raki fiske' +had not been thrown into the torrent at all, but our villanous retainers +had secreted it near the stream, intending to have a feast as soon as it +should have become rotten enough to please their cultivated taste. Truly +a Norwegian has the nastiest notions of food. Now the 'raki fiske,' +barrel and all, is buried a yard deep, a long way from here, and life is +again pleasant, but we have little doubt that Oela and Ivar will come +back and root about and dig it up after we have left the country say a +month hence: it ought to be in perfect condition by that time. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +FISHING. + + +_August 20._--The first thing this morning we sent Oela to Gjendesheim +with some venison for the people there, who have been very kind in +sending milk, eggs, rice, onions, &c. to us. We have more meat than we +shall be able to eat if the weather continues as fine and hot as it is +at present. + +We three walked over the mountain to spend the day at Rus Vand, taking +our lunch with us. We got there about half-past ten, and the fish were +then rising well, so we separated and commenced fishing, the Skipper and +John taking the north side of the lake, Esau the south. After catching a +few fish the rise stopped, as it always does on these lakes about +midday. + + [Illustration: An Exciting Moment in Rus Lake Shallows] + +There is no doubt that on a Norwegian lake the fisherman should above +all things 'make haste while the fish rise.' It is all very well for the +ancient sportsman to remark, 'Take your time, my young friend, there are +as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it.' It is no doubt true +enough; but at this time of year they will not rise to fly for more than +about a couple of hours twice a day, and if you do not make the best of +your opportunities then, where are you? Put yourself in the place of the +fine old veteran three-pounder who has got into the habit of taking his +meals at regular hours for fear of spoiling his digestion, and has +selected the hours between 10 and 12 A.M. and 4.30 and 6.30 P.M., +because he knows from long experience that these are the most likely +times to find flies on the water. He has come in from roaming in deep +waters to the shades of the rocky coast, and has a certain appetite to +allay after his bath and morning stroll. There he waits, and thinks of +old times, and of how fat and shiny his tummy became the last hot summer +there was, when flies were plentiful, and he had not to resort to this +abominable device of catching small trout and eating mice[*] to keep him +in daily food, as he nearly always has to do now that the summers are so +wet, and he is no longer active enough to compete with his younger +relations in the struggle for existence. 'What times those were, and how +he wishes he were a year or two younger again, and not crippled with +useless length; and, by George! now he comes to look at his reflection +against that stone, he's getting quite yellow and bilious under the +belly, and----' But he can't stop to moralise, there is a luscious March +Brown of unusual solidity skating right over his pet rock, and he can't +let it pass. So up he comes and gulps it down, with a lazy flop of his +tail that leaves quite a swirl on the lake surface. 'Why, the thing's +got no flavour, and how I've hurt my jaw with it!' Poor old chap, his +day is over, and after ten minutes' struggle he has left his favourite +haunt to be occupied by another tenant, and is safe in the landing net, +a good three-pound fish, but, like most of those who have reached this +size, not quite in as good condition as he was at 21/2 lbs., and just a +shade longer than he ought to be. Don't stop to gaze at him, put him in +the bag with all speed--it is necessary to hurry up and fish on while +the rise lasts. + + [Footnote: We have found as many as three mice in the stomach of + a Rus Vand trout.] + +But all this time the hours have been slipping away, and we have +lunched, and smoked, and sketched till the rise began again soon after +four, and though there was a strong cold west wind, the change seemed to +encourage the fish to feed more greedily than usual, for trout are +terrible Radicals, and rejoice in any alteration of the existing +condition of things. + + [Illustration: Esau's Best Day among the Trout] + +Our old experience of Rus Vand taught us that one side was +sporting-looking and interesting, while the other was bleak and ugly; +but Esau, who took the ugly side, had much the best of it to-day, as the +place seemed alive with fish, and he kept catching them all the time, so +that his little ten-foot rod was continually to be seen in the form of a +hoop, from which position it reassumed the perpendicular in a way that +reflects no little credit on Mr. Farlow. + +When we met again at the end of the lake on our way home, we found that +we had twenty fish, weighing just 44 lbs., of which Esau had caught +fifteen weighing 321/2 lbs., the Skipper four of 9 lbs. weight, and John, +who was very unlucky, only a single two-and-a-half-pounder. The smallest +of the bag was a little over a pound, the largest three pounds, which +was reached by more than one; and nearly all were caught in water so +shallow that the dorsal fin of the fish was often visible in his mad +rushes hither and thither; this made it extremely difficult to prevent +the tail-fly being hung up on a rock whenever the fish was hooked on the +dropper, and not a few were lost in this manner. All were caught on two +patterns of fly, namely----No, philanthropy has limits, and no man can +expect to be told patterns of flies. Go to Norway, and the time and +trouble spent in acquiring that knowledge will be amply repaid by the +pleasure that no one could fail to derive from a visit. + +No doubt, with the usual discontentedness of man we shall regret for +ever that we did not all go to the ugly side of the lake, of which Esau +was obliged to leave the best piece untouched as he came back, from +sheer inability to carry any more fish over the rough ground. But the +ways of fish are inscrutable; we hardly ever caught any number on that +side before, and probably shall not do so again. It was just Esau's day. +Kismet. + +After weighing our catch, we cleaned them and cut off their heads to +lighten them for the journey over Glopit, and even without this extra +weight we were a good deal troubled and felt overburdened on the uphill +side, which is terribly steep and rough, only just practicable for a man +on foot. + +When we got back to camp we found that Oela had not returned from +Gjendesheim, which caused us some sorrow, as Esau wanted to go out +stalking on the morrow, and could not go alone. At least, he would be +extremely unlikely to see any deer, for the reindeer being exactly the +same colour as the mountains among which they live, it is almost +impossible to see them before they see the enemy and depart hastily. + +These native hunters are wonderful at the profession, and seem to know +by instinct when they are in the vicinity of deer, as if they could feel +their presence in the air. No doubt they really see indications that we +should never observe, for they always begin to go cautiously, crouching +and peering over rocks when deer are about, long before we amateurs are +aware from the ordinary signs of footprints, nibbled reindeer flowers, +or newly moved stones, that there is likely to be any sport. + + [Plate: ON THE TOP OF GLOPIT. RETURNING FROM RUS LAKE.] + + +_August 21._--It was cold and windy last night, so we turned into bed +early and lay in luxurious comfort while John read out choice bits, all +of which we know by heart, from the works of Mark Twain. We all think +Mark Twain the best writer for camp life that has yet been discovered, +and we have three or four of his books here. Besides these our library +of light literature consists of Shakespeare, Longfellow, Dr. Johnson's +Table-talk, and novels by Whyte Melville, Walford, and Thackeray. But +Mark and William get more work than all the rest. + +It is quite dark now during the night, and we have made a wooden +chandelier out of a curiously bent piece of birch wood, which holds two +candles and hangs down from the ridge pole by a string. In the daytime +it is hoisted up to the roof, but at night we let it down till it swings +about two feet above our heads as we lie in bed. This contrivance is +capital for reading, and also affords considerable diversion to the last +man into bed. The candles are just too high to be reached with a puff +easily from a recumbent position, and yet we persistently try to blow +them out without moving. Just as sleep is creeping over two of the +wearied sportsmen, the last man begins blowing and cussing at these +candles every night regularly. The scene is generally this. Skipper and +John just dropping off to sleep. Esau lies down, makes himself extremely +comfortable, and then--puff, whoo, whew, puff,--gasp for breath, rest a +moment. Pouf. Chandelier swings round under the impulse of the strong +wind thus created. Esau makes a brilliant flying shot at one candle, as +it circles swiftly past. Skipper: 'Thank goodness.' Pause. Esau: Poof, +whoo, whoof. John: 'Dash it all, get up and put it out.' Esau: 'Get up +yourself.' Skipper: 'Let me blow it out.' Pouf, puff, whoosh. Chandelier +swings madly round, drops grease on John's nose. John: 'Tare an 'ouns.' +Throws tobacco pouch at it, more grease all over the place, tobacco +pouch rebounds from tent into Esau's mouth. Recrimination for five +minutes. Chandelier at last stationary. Everybody at once: 'Puff, boo, +pouf, whew, ---- it, ---- it, pouf, ---- it, ---- the ---- thing -- -- +-- pouf. Thank goodness;' and we all turn over with a sigh of relief, to +repeat the performance the following night. + +Oela not having turned up, there could be no stalking, so the beautiful +morning was wasted. The Skipper got so angry about it that he said he +would go in his canoe to find the absentee, and take at the same time a +lot of our surplus fish for the people at Gjendesheim. + +Leaving the tent on its grassy sunlit lawn he walked down to the edge of +the great lake, and turning over the smaller of the two canoes, which +were lying bottom uppermost, launched her and got in with rod and +fishing bag, and pushed off into the deep. Opposite to the place where +the canoes were drawn up, and apparently only a hundred yards distant +though really more than a mile away, were the snow-capped mountain +steeps that rise almost perpendicularly from two to three thousand feet +out of the lake; and for these he made, gradually becoming a mere +twinkling speck till he faded out of sight from the tent. The lake was +as smooth as glass, only occasionally rippled as some monarch of the +deep, excited for once in his life by some specially fascinating fly, +condescended to make a rush for it instead of the gentle suck by which +he usually took his food, and the Skipper paddled leisurely along within +twenty yards of the rocks, with his rod bending over the stern, and +trailing behind a couple of flies in the hope of catching a trout +without the trouble of angling for him. + +It is very pleasant to be alone once in a way in this overcrowded world. +Not alone as it is possible to be in England, but absolutely alone, with +no living thing near except the trout, the insects, and one's image in +the water. Oh, blessed Norway! when we get back to the turmoils, +troubles, and pleasures of a London season how we shall long for you! +There is only one word to express this existence, and that is +Freedom--freedom from care, freedom from resistance, and from the +struggle for life. What a country! where civilised man can relapse as +much as seems good to him into his natural state, and retrograde a +hundred generations into his primeval condition. + +But we forget that the Skipper is coasting up towards Gjendesheim in +search of the miscreant Oela. + +He proceeded for a couple of hours, catching a few fish now and then, +but presently as midday approached, the sun became too hot to be +pleasant, the fish would not move, and the Skipper began to get +impatient and annoyed at not meeting Oela. After a while a black speck +with two flashing arms appeared rounding a promontory; this was Oela in +the boat. The Skipper was boiling with rage under the influence of +various incentives as he approached. Oela, like most Norwegians, was +calm, placid, and utterly unconscious of the flight of time and the +shortness of life. The Skipper had been primed to exploding point by his +two friends before starting, and as he had now paddled five miles from +home without meeting the adversary, he was, to put it mildly, +'indignant.' So, when he found Oela smoking serenely, and sculling along +as though his brief span were going to stretch through the unending +cycles of eternity, he gave way to the most horrible outbreak of temper +in English, which must have lasted four or five minutes, and then +telling the caitiff in Norwegian to take the fish to Gjendesheim and +return to camp by five o'clock whatever the weather might be, he turned +and left that hardy Norseman open-mouthed and bewildered, looking as +though he had seen the Stroemkarl, or had had an interview with his +mother-in-law. + +Then a great wind arose, and blew against the Skipper all the way home, +but he arrived in the most beatific frame of mind in spite of it; the +relief of the storm of temper and bad language had been so great to him, +that he was filled with a blessed joy. He said it was the most +invigorating and refreshing pastime he ever indulged in, for Oela could +not understand a word of it, and therefore no remorse could follow the +outburst, not a thoughtless expression or hasty word could go home to +his heart and there rankle, to recoil on some future occasion, but the +whole vial of pent-up wrath could be emptied on its object without fear +of retribution. + +The explosion must have been something very fine to enable the Skipper +to make light of the head-wind, for a wind on Gjendin is not to be +scoffed at in any boat, and least of all in a cockle-shell of a canoe. +The mountains are so high and steep that the lake lies as it were in a +trench, and any wind always draws straight up or down the length, and +soon gets a big sea up. All the Norwegians we have seen say it is the +height of madness to go on Gjendin at all in such boats, the sudden +squalls are so dangerous; and neither of our men can be persuaded to go +a yard in them. + +Esau and John, for want of better employment, after fishing a little, +began to bake, and had laid out a goodly show of dainty confections, two +dozen rolls, four wimberry tarts, a lot of biscuits, and a venison pie +of the ordinary size (9 inches diameter). When the Skipper returned it +was decided to make another, as we imagine the meat has a better chance +of keeping when hoarded up in pies than when left in its raw state. + +So we each took our usual share in the construction of a PIE, before +which all other pies should be as nought. + +It was made in our largest baking tin, 12 inches across, and contained +nearly a hind quarter of venison, our last six eggs, a heart, a liver, +and about 11/2 lb. of bacon. The crust was put on about nine o'clock, and +after we had all gazed at it and unanimously agreed that it was the +'boss pie,' we bore it proudly but gingerly to the oven, heated by John +seven times hotter than before, and now gaping to receive it; a great +full moon rose up from behind the mountains and seemed to smile on our +good work; the bright fire shed a red glow over the three figures +bending o'er the simmering treasure, and a more peaceful, domestic group +it would be impossible to conceive. + +About eleven John and the Skipper turned in, but outside could be seen +for some time the solitary form of Esau still crouching over the +expiring embers of the oven, and tending with a mother's care the +tempting food that he already tasted in imagination. + + [Plate: BAKING BY NIGHT IN MEMURUDALEN.] + +Most of the berries of the country are now just at their best, and +Memurudalen is a grand valley for all of them, except of course the +strawberry and raspberry, which will not grow at this altitude. But we +have 'klarkling' (the English crowberry) in great abundance; blau baer +(wimberry), the finest and best ever seen, in quantities; also 'skin +tukt,' another blue berry rather larger than a wimberry, and with a +thicker skin and wonderful bloom on it; this we think does not grow in +England. Then less numerous are a berry something between a raspberry +and a red currant, but of better flavour than either of them; and the +great and glorious 'moelte baer' (cloudberry); to say nothing of 'heste +baer,' and 'tutti baer,' and several others of unknown names. The last one +grows in England, but we have forgotten its name; they make jelly from +it here, and prize it highly for its acid taste. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +MEMURUDALEN. + + +_Sunday, August 22._--We woke up this morning with a bright sun shining +through the canvas of the tent, and making it intolerably hot inside; +and as we threw open the door of the inner compartment, the fragrant +aroma of the 'boss pie' was wafted to us on the morning air. + +We spent the morning in quiet Sunday fashion, chiefly in lying under the +shade of an awning made with rugs which we call the 'sycamine tree,' and +eating wimberries and cream. Besides this we perpetrated a great deal of +high art; every one was seized with the desire of sketching the camp, +and so we sat around on pinnacles like so many pelicans, libelling the +unfortunate place from every position whence it could be seen. + +It is looking very comfortable just now. The tent itself is pitched in +an angle of a steep little cliff which effectually protects it from cold +winds at one side and the back, and at the other side we have put up a +thick fence of birch branches to temper the storm to the sleeping-tent. +We find it very convenient to have the two compartments: the inner one +is only used for sleeping in, and always immediately after reveille is +plunged in an apparently hopeless confusion of rugs, sheepskins, +mattresses, and boots, with here and there a book or a hat protruding +(to use the Skipper's beautiful simile) like brickbats in a dust-heap. +After breakfast all the bedding is dragged out to be aired on the rocks, +and the tent generally tidied. + +But the outer tent is always a picture of order and neatness, for here +we keep our stores, boxes of flour and biscuits, cartridges, cooking +utensils, tools, whisky, and potatoes. One of the boxes was made +specially under Esau's directions to be used as a table: the top and +bottom are both hinged, and so when the box is put on its front and +these two lids opened it makes a very good large table; the lids are +held up by a batten screwed underneath them, and for greater security we +have added two legs. But at present the weather is so pleasant that we +always feed outside, a few yards from the tent and nearer to the oven. + +On the extreme left, as the penny showman says, you will observe one of +the meat safes, the other one 'thou canst not see, because it's not in +sight,' being close to the back of the tent. Also behind the tent may be +faintly seen the mustard and cress garden, always covered with a sheet +by day to save it from the heat of the sun, and with the same sheet by +night, to guard it from the cold, so that the poor thing never gets any +light, and does not flourish very exceedingly. None of the mustard seeds +have as yet grown up as big as the one in the parable, but when one does +we mean to make a lot of salad out of it, enough for all the camp. + +Above the middle of the outer tent are three things which look like +lightning conductors, but are only our rods, which are always stuck in +the ground there when not in use. At their foot under the rock is the +egg larder, neatly constructed of stones and turf, with a wooden lid; +and hanging from the cliff hard by is a very pretty and curious spider's +nest made of paper, like a miniature wasp-nest, about two inches in +diameter. + +High up in the centre is 'the meteor flag of England,' engaged in its +customary occupation of 'yet terrific burning,' there being absolutely +no Dutch Boers here. Underneath its shelter are many forked poles with +cross-bars, all made from the birch with which the valley abounds just +here, and on which clothing of some sort is always hanging out to dry; +so that the place looks like a laundry-ground, and deceives even the +ravens, which come down in swarms from the mountains in search of maids' +noses to devour. In the midst of these poles may be seen the oven, with +its flue reaching halfway up the hill, and its two openings, the lower +one for fuel, the upper for food. + + [Plate: THE CAMP IN MEMURUDALEN.] + +Right in front of the tent is the fireplace, a long trench in the +ground, faced with stones of such a size and shape that they form +apertures suitable for our numerous pans; and simmering by the fire is +the perennial soup. Nearer to the front is the wood pile, and nearer +still the board on which the cooking things are placed after washing up. +In front again of this is the little stream which supplies us with +water, now rapidly beginning to fail under the influence of the long +drought: it may be noticed that the engineers have changed its course in +several places for greater convenience in getting water, and to give +more room on the camp side. + +The foreground is a mass of juniper, wimberries, skintukt, crowberries, +and rocks, and then comes about thirty yards from the tent the Memurua +torrent, all thick and milky from the glacier, cold as Christmas, +fishless, uninteresting, not drinkable, only useful as a refrigerator +for milk, and only agreeable to look upon from a distance, but +faithfully keeping up the unceasing roar that is customary among such +torrents. This river makes the waters of the lake too cold to bathe in +and too cheerless for fish to abide in near our camp, but it does not +come into the picture, partly because it runs in a ravine, but more +because it was right behind the artist. + +The lake itself is to the extreme right, with unclimbable snow-capped +rocky mountains forming the opposite coast. + +To-day we dined at 4 P.M. in order to get an uninterrupted evening's +fishing, but the experiment was not a success and will not be repeated, +for it spoilt the dinner and we caught no fish. On returning to camp at +night rather cold, very cross, and exceedingly hungry, we agreed that +the best antidote for these dangerous symptoms would be hot soup, so +John put the pot on the fire while the Skipper and Esau were attending +to the tent and domestic duties. + +Soon the caldron was heated and brought into the tent, and the eager +crowd drew near with cups and spoons, and one lifted the lid, while +another plunged his cup into the steaming savoury mess. And then arose a +great cry of horror and desolation, and the sleeping valley rang with +the wail of men in despair, for John had put the wrong pot on the fire, +and we had been presented with boiling dirty water in which the +dinner-things had been washed up; while all the time the soup pot was +quiet, untouched and cold in the corner of the tent where it is kept. + +But three hungry men are not to be balked of a meal on which their +hearts are set by any trifle like this, so we all commenced with a will +to stoke that fire up and put that other pot on, and we got our soup and +were snugly packed in bed long before the gentle August moon had sunk to +rest behind the sheltering mountain tops. + +The Skipper, by the way, is very much exasperated with this same moon +just now. He says she is a fraud, for this morning when we got up, there +she was high in the heavens. + +'What right,' he wants to know, 'has this moon--any moon, in fact--to be +up there blinking away in the middle of the day when we have plenty of +sun to light us? forward, dissipated thing! and then probably after this +week we shall have ever so many nights without any moon at all, and all +the earth left in total darkness to take care of itself; while here we +are to-day with an absurdly round moon at one end of this comparatively +diminutive valley, and a most extravagantly blazing sun at the other.' +The whole thing is ridiculous, he says, and it must be confessed that +there is some justice in his complaint; though no doubt there could be a +good deal said on the other side. + + +_August 23._--While Esau went out after deer the other two crawled up +the mountain and over to Rus Vand to fish, and had a good day. Two of +the Skipper's fish were three pounds each, but, like most of the biggest +fish, not in that beautiful condition which the smaller ones always +show. The Skipper is sure that the old worn-out fish creep up to the +stony shallows at the western end of the lake to die in a sunny spot, +just as we men creep away in our old age to Bath, Cheltenham, Cannes, or +Algiers, to breathe our last in a warm place, thereby taking one step in +the direction of the proverbial future. + +Esau arrived in camp about half-past seven, quite exhausted, and +followed by Oela, also dead beat, and again bearing the heads and skins +of two deer, a buck and a doe. He was hailed with fervent joy and many +congratulations: it is certainly great luck to fall in with deer on two +stalking days in succession, for they are by no means numerous here this +year. Dinner was served in a marvellously short time. + + +MENU.--August 23. + + _Poisson._ + Truite a la Fried in Butter. + + _Entrees._ + Kari of Reindeer Tongue. + + _Rots._ + The Boss Pie. + + _Gibier._ + Ryper a la Spitchcock. + + _Entremets._ + Jam. Wimberry tart. Marmalade. + + _Potage._ + Could not eat any. + +Then came Esau's romance. + +'We walked up the Memurua to the great glacier, and then skirted its +south side. We found many fresh tracks, and about two o'clock, when we +were seven miles from home, Oela spied three deer chewing stones about +three quarters of a mile away. The wind was just in the right direction +to allow us to approach them, and they were in capital ground for +stalking, full of little hollows and slopes. But there was a serious +drawback: on one side was a lake, on the other an impassable precipice; +and before we could get into a place out of their sight we should be +obliged to cross a narrow strip of ground in full view of them, though +perhaps half a mile from them. We sat down and had our lunch, and waited +an hour watching for them to lie down, and at last they did so; then we +determined to risk the passage of the dangerous strip, and by crawling +like serpents and aided by luck got across without the deer seeing us. +Then we had to creep along the side of a scandalous precipice for the +next half-mile, in no danger of being seen, but with our hearts +constantly in our mouths as, despite our care, some stone was dislodged +and went clattering down the rocks, sounding to my strained ears as if +it must disturb every living thing within a mile. Very slow and +difficult was our progress, occasionally dangerous, but at last we +arrived at a spot 200 yards from the deer, which were still lying down, +and pronounced by Oela to be a buck and two does. + +'This was a very awkward place to shoot from, and I thought I could see +my way to a better one much nearer, so tried it and found it was just +possible, and after about a quarter of an hour's worming, I arrived at a +place only 100 yards from them. From this I could see both the does +well, but only the head of the buck, and so had to lie there an hour +waiting for him to get up. Both the does did so twice, offering +beautiful shots, but he would not move, and they lay down again. I dare +not whistle to make him jump up, for fear the does might possibly be in +the way at the moment. So there I lay, miserably uncomfortable, with +cramp in every muscle; and at last I tried to crawl to another stone +about five yards away, from which I thought I could see to shoot at the +buck. When I got to it and peered cautiously over, I was horrified to +see the deer some distance away, and running as hard as they could +towards a small glacier which was close to them. + + [Illustration: Esau stalking near Hinaakjaernhullet] + +'Of course I instantly lost my head, and jumping up fired at the buck +without much aim, and missed him. Then I recovered my senses and made a +careful shot at the last doe, knocking her over like a rabbit. The other +two were just then out of sight in a hollow, but they appeared directly +going up the hill on the snow at a great speed; and getting a broadside +shot at the buck I broke his shoulder; after this he went slowly, but +still kept on up the hill, and when he was about three hundred yards +away I fired two more shots, one of which hit him in the ribs, and the +other cut one of his horns off. Then he gave up trying to mount the +hill, and turned down towards the lake out of my sight. I ran as hard as +I could across the shoulder of the glacier, and saw him standing down +below me among the rocks close to the water, and sitting down I fired +another shot which killed him. + +'This is not a creditable performance in the shooting line; but my solid +bullets have a good deal to do with the matter: either of the first two +shots would have stopped him at once if fired from an express with +hollow-pointed bullets. + +'The doe is a barren one with a beautiful skin, and very fat, and the +buck is the best we have killed at present this year, a four-year-old, +what Oela calls a "litt stor bock" (little big buck), which I suppose is +the next best thing to the mythical "meget stor bock," whose footprints +we are always seeing, but who carefully absenteth himself whensoever the +jovial hunter goeth forth to pursue him. + +'We saw a great deal of fresh spoor to-day, so that we may hope the deer +are beginning to come to our part of the country: perhaps the poor +things have been very much bullied in other places. Anyhow, they won't +find any better country in Norway than where we went to-day; and the +scenery there is glorious.' + +Esau was so tired that he fell asleep once in the midst of his exciting +narrative, and as dinner was very late we all turned in almost as soon +as it was finished. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +A PICNIC. + + +_August 24._--There is a brood of ryper on the brow of the mountain +above our camp, which we always put up when we walk over Glopit armed +with rods, but never when we take a gun. There were originally eight of +them, but one has succumbed to a merlin which hunts up there; and they +are remarkably tame, so that when we put them up we throw stones at +them, and fully expect to kill them by that means, but somehow they have +escaped with their lives until now. This conduct has become unbearable, +and we have sworn 'this day that brood shall die;' so the first thing +after breakfast Esau and the Skipper toiled up the mountain with pockets +full of cartridges and guns ready for the slaughter of the innocents. +It takes just three quarters of an hour to get to the top; and after +reaching it we tramped over some millions of acres in search of that +brood, and of course it never obtruded itself on the scene. Finally the +Skipper went home in disgust, remarking that 'he wished every ryper in +Norway was at the bottom of Gjendin;' while Esau said 'he would stay up +there a month or two and find those birds if they were anywhere on our +sheet of the Ordnance map.' + +The Skipper had hardly walked 200 yards towards camp before he trod on +the old cock, who got up observing kek! kek! kekkekkek_kek_, kurrack: +kur_rack_; kurrack, krackrackackckkkkk! in an extremely indignant tone +of voice, and the rest of the family immediately followed him, +astonishing the Skipper so much that he missed the lot; and though we +marked them down quite near we could not persuade any of them to risk +their lives in flight again. + +The language used on this occasion scorched the herbage off so large a +patch of ground, that John down below thought that Glopit had suddenly +commenced a volcanic eruption. + +There are two kinds of birds known as ryper in Norway--the fjeld or +skarv ryper, which is, we think, identical with our ptarmigan; and the +dal or skog ryper, which we believe to be the same bird as the willow +grouse of North America. The former of these is not numerous anywhere, +but a few are always seen by the reindeer hunter up on the highest parts +of the mountains, among the snow and rocks. They do not attempt much +concealment, but their grey bodies and white wings are so exactly the +colour of their habitation that it is very difficult to see them, as +they sit perfectly still on the stones. If you do happen to catch sight +of one, in all probability after looking at him for a little you will +suddenly be aware that there is a small family of others all about him, +and will wonder how they escaped your notice at first. They are not very +useful for sporting purposes, as they are never found in great numbers, +are too tame to give any trouble, and not particularly good to eat. The +skog ryper is the bird which takes the place of the British grouse for +the sportsman in Norway: he lives at a lower altitude than the skarv +ryper, among the willows, wimberries, and stunted birches. In plumage he +is not unlike our grouse, but not quite so red in shade, and with a +white wing. During the summer he feeds on wimberry leaves, heather, and +occasional bits of willow, and he is then almost if not quite equal to a +grouse in flavour, but in winter, when there is nothing but willow to be +had, the flesh becomes bitter and not nice to eat: the poor birds are +then snared in great numbers, and may be seen hanging in English shops +as 'ptarmigan,' which with their then white plumage they much resemble. +After a good breeding season these skog ryper are very numerous in any +favourable place in Norway, but they are so much inclined to lie close, +that without dogs it is impossible to do much with them. Gjendin is too +steep and desolate for them, but between the east end of the lake and +Sjoedals Vand there is some first-rate country, and also a little at the +west end. + +After lunch we all manned Esau's canoe, which is the largest, because he +is the smallest man; and set off down the lake to Leirungsoe, the place +where the professor's hut is built at the edge of the waterfall which +runs out of a small lake there (not the real Leirung's Vand, which is +further to the east). + +The Skipper had noticed a remarkably fine bed of moelte baer there, which +we expected to be just about ripe now, and so we had determined to +picnic (!) there, forsooth, as if our life were not one perpetual and +perennial picnic. + +Leirungsoe is nearly four miles from our camp, and the professor's hut is +an extremely comfortable and convenient little dwelling, in a most +charming situation. Only one thing has been wanting, reindeer: he never +found any, and left his hut a fortnight ago for a place further north, +where we afterwards heard he had good sport. + +After landing, the Skipper and Esau climbed up the valley to the little +lake in search of something to shoot, while John remained to bathe and +fish at the fall. There were lots of duck on the little lake, and in the +rushy swamp at its upper end, and the Skipper put up a large brood of +ryper, which we marked into a very small patch of willow scrub +surrounded by bare ground. We walked through and through that patch, and +threw so many stones into it that we fancy we must have killed and +buried most of them, for we only persuaded four of them to fly again, +three of which we secured. Our shooting was soon over, and then we +gathered a lot of moelte baer, and returned to John, who was getting +dinner ready; and after a regal repast of kidneys, reindeer pie, and +moelte, paddled home by moonlight, arriving soon after nine. + +We beguiled the journey home by songs and accompaniments by the +following celebrated artists: Messrs. John, Skipper, and Esau. Among +other songs was an original composition by John--air, 'Bonnie Dundee'-- + + +ODE TO THE LAST POT OF MARMALADE. + + To the fishers of Gjendin the bold Skipper spoke: + 'There is one two-pound pot that as yet is unbroke;[1] + So rouse ye, my gallants, and after our tea + Let us "go for" our Keiller's[2] own Bonnie Dundee.' + + (_Chorus._) Come! up with the Smoer![3] Come! out with the Brod,[4] + We'll have one more Spise[5] that's fit for a god; + Come, whip off the paper and let it gae free, + And we'll wade into Keiller's own Bonnie Dundee. + + You may talk of your moelte[6] with sugar and milk, + Your blueberry pasties, and jam of that ilk; + They are all very well in the wilds, don't you see? + But they can't hold a candle to Bonnie Dundee. + + _Chorus as before._ + + Oh! the pies they were good, and the oven baked true, + With its door of green sod, and its sinuous flue. + Oh! the curry was toothsome as curry can be, + But where is the equal of Bonnie Dundee? + + _Chorus again, gentlemen._ + + There are ryper on Glopit[7] as fleet as the wind, + And the Stor[8] Bock roams on the Skagastolstind; + There are trout, teal, and woodcock, a sight for to see, + But what meal can be perfect without our Dundee? + + _Chorus, if you please._ + + Pandecages[9] are tasty, and omelettes are good; + Our eggs, though antique, not unsuited for food; + You can always be sure of at least one in three, + But blue mould cannot ruin our Bonnie Dundee. + + _Chorus, only more so._ + + Take[10] my soup, though 'tis luscious, my oel,[11] though 'tis rare, + My whisky, though scanty, beyond all compare; + Take my baccy, take all that is dearest to me, + But leave me one spoonful of Bonnie Dundee. + + _Chorus ad lib._ + +Esau supplied an encore verse:-- + + It has made our lot brighter, and helped us to bear + Our troubles, the rain, mist, and cold northern air; + And the Gjende fly,[12] green fly,[13] bug,[14] skeeter,[15] and flea, + We should ne'er have done Deeing them but for Dundee. + + _Chorus (of big, big D's)._ + + +NOTES ON THE ABOVE COMPOSITION. + + [Footnote 1: 'Unbroke.' This is bold poetic imagery, meaning + unopened. Breakages were unknown during our expedition, and long + experience justifies us in assuring the world that breaking the + pot, though an effectual way of getting at the marmalade, is not a + satisfactory method. It will be found much better to remove the + bladder at the top. This may be depended on.] + + [Footnote 2: Need we explain that 'Keiller's own Bonnie Dundee' + alludes to the marmalade made by that great and good man? No, + a thousand times no!] + + [Footnote 3: 'Smoer,' Norwegian butter, pronounced Smoeurr--and it + tastes like that, too.] + + [Footnote 4: 'Brod,' bread. The word does not rhyme to god, being + pronounced something like Broat, but it looks as if it rhymed.] + + [Footnote 5: 'Spise,' a meal, pronounced Speessa.] + + [Footnote 6: 'Moelte,' cloudberry, pronounced Moulta.] + + [Footnote 7: 'Glopit,' the mountain between Gjendin and Rus Vand.] + + [Footnote 8: 'Stor,' big, pronounced Stora before a consonant.] + + [Footnote 9: 'Pandecages,' pancakes.] + + [Footnote 10: 'Take.' This word is only used by poetic licence, + and must not be construed literally. When we attempted to 'take' + John's whisky on our return to camp, there was a good deal of + ill-feeling engendered, and he said that no one but himself + understood the subtleties of aesthetic metaphor.] + + [Footnote 11: 'Oel,' the ale of the country, 'rare' both in quality + and, alas! in quantity.] + + [Footnote 12: 'Gjende fly,' a fly peculiar to this lake, of which + more anon.] + + [Footnote 13: 'Green fly,' a charming creature like a large grey + blue-bottle with green eyes; it bites a portion of flesh + sufficient for its wants, and then goes away to eat it.] + + [Footnote 14: 'Bug.' Again poetic licence. 'Cimex lectularius' has + not been encountered during our stay in Norway this time; + nevertheless he is not unknown in the country, as the sojourners + in one of the Lillehammer hotels, not the Victoria, can testify.] + + [Footnote 15: 'Skeeter.' The mosquito is a mournful and + disgraceful fact; and so are the sand-fly, the stomoxys, and the + flea. Memurudalen is more free from insects than any place we have + tried.] + + +_August 25._--Still the same glorious weather, rather too glorious for +our purling rivulet, which has now dwindled away to a mere thread of +water, while even the larger stream on the hill behind the tent, which +we use for bathing, is showing a marked decrease in volume. + +The Skipper and Oela went out stalking directly after breakfast, and Esau +climbed up on to Bes Hoe to shoot ryper. John went over to Rus Vand to +fish, and had a pleasant day. He managed somehow to drop his native +'tolle kniv' into the lake, and of course immediately discovered that +that knife was the most precious thing he possessed, in fact, the only +thing he cared about in this world; though until it fell into the lake, +he had regarded it with very unenthusiastic feelings--feelings of +tolle-ration, the Skipper said. So he undressed and dived for it for a +long time, and at last was lucky enough to recover it. + +It would have been a pleasing sight to a spectator, if any could have +been present, to watch John playing at being a seal all by himself in +Rus Vand, or standing on a rock poised on one leg like a heron, with his +head sideways and keen eye piercing the cerulean wave. And it was good +to see his proud bearing as he returned to camp with the 'tolle kniv' +slung jauntily at his waist, and carrying over his shoulder the scaly +spoil snatched from the vasty deep, as we used beautifully to word it in +Latin verses--meaning the fish he had caught. + + [Illustration: John diving for his knife in Rus Lake] + +At 8 P.M. the Skipper had not returned, so we dined, and then sat +round the fire wondering what could have happened to delay him; and as +time went on and still he never came, we began to get very uneasy; +there are so many dangers by which the reindeer hunter may be +overtaken--avalanches, crevasses, fogs, snowdrifts, broken limbs, or +getting lost. We could only hope that none of these had happened to the +Skipper, and at eleven o'clock gave up any hopes of his return that +night and turned in, there being then a very decided fog a short way up +the Memurua valley. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +THE SKIPPER'S RETURN. + + +_August 26._--At breakfast-time the drover who had accompanied us to +shoot ryper at Gjendebod arrived here on his way towards lower and more +genial regions for the winter. We always feel that we are killing more +game than we really need, and here was an outlet for our superfluous +meat, so we gave him half a deer, and he went homewards rejoicing +greatly. + +We had sent Ivar up to the drover's den in Memurudalen at daybreak to +see if our missing ones had found their way to it and spent the night +there, but he now came back without having found any traces of them. +However, under the cheering influence of the morning sun we soon became +resigned to their fate, and Esau so far regained his spirits that he +crossed the glacier torrent with a gun, and penetrated the birchwood on +the other side, to what he called 'shoot the home coverts.' He presently +brought back a woodcock, which had got up about fourteen times before he +killed it, and each time he had thought it was a fresh cock, so that he +had had a regular sporting morning after it, 'seeing lots of cock get +up, shooting at two, and killing one of them,' the wood being so thick +that it was almost impossible to get even the snappiest of snap-shots at +the agile bird. + +Esau then busied himself with the construction of a rack to hold all our +guns and spare rods, cleaning rod, &c., with a shelf near the bottom for +books, and another one whereon each man might keep his little valuables, +such as pipes and watch, fly-books and reels. This contrivance was +chiefly formed of birch boughs of peculiar shape, and when finished and +placed in its proper position at the further end of the tent just behind +our pillows, it presented a truly noble appearance. + +Lunch-time passed, and still the Skipper had not returned, so we decided +that he must be defunct, and proceeded to write his epitaph, preparatory +to organising a search expedition to bring in his remains. + +Here is one touching little poem: + + He was rather tall and terribly thin, + But remarkably roomy inside; + We put up these stones to cover his bones + Near the place where we think he died. + +This is another: + + IN MEMURUHAMEREN + (Hills Round the Camp). + + Our Skipper has gone, our great head cook, + On a tour that e'en Cook won't find; + In a fissure he's surely taken his hook + Nor left any trace behind. + + With a rod or pole he would fish for perch, + Now a rod, pole, or perch of ground + Is more than he needs, and in vain we search, + For his body will ne'er be found. + + Now his angling is finished, though once every fin + Which came within reach he'd attack; + He was really so clever at reeling them in, + And his terms were to fish, 'nett catsh.' + + On a lake or pond, or even a moat, + He beamed wherever he went; + How cheerfully he would tar his boat! + How gaily would pitch his tent! + + After ryper or deer he would walk all day, + From the top of a hill to the bottom; + And we feel it unpleasantly sad to say + That the dear old Reaper's got him. + + But we think it is time that this verse were done, + Which to mournfully write we've tried + In memory o' our darlin' one, + Who in Memurudalen died. + +While we were still lingering over these beautiful and appropriate +sentiments, and deliberating as to whether they should be cut on a stone +or only on wood, the corpse suddenly walked into the tent and announced +that he wanted something to eat. We soon got over our natural +disappointment at the waste of a good epitaph, and really welcomed him +quite warmly, much more so when Oela appeared laden with the tit-bits of +a reindeer buck. Then we set food before the Skipper, and after he had +feasted he related unto us his story. + +'I left camp yesterday morning determined to beard the savage untamed +reindeer of the mountains in his lair, and soon came on very fresh +tracks, which we followed for some time, and at each step seemed to get +"hotter," as the children say, and the indications of deer being near +got more and more encouraging. However, by one o'clock we had seen +nothing, so sat down behind a little rocky eminence to have our 'spise.' +Mine was a particularly good lunch, as I had spread some gravy from the +'boss pie' on my slice of bread and butter, and this with the icy cold +snow-water was very grateful after a four hours' walk uphill under a +scorching sun. + + [Illustration: The Skipper about to astonish the Reindeer] + +'Oela also seemed to devour his food with considerable relish. So we had +been sitting there some time, happily silent, as we cannot talk each +other's tongue, and I was just preparing to move on, and putting my +knife back in its sheath, when we heard a slight snort quite close +to us. + +'Oela immediately peeped cautiously over an adjacent stone; then he +pushed my rifle into my hand and whispering the magic word "Reins," +pointed to another stone a few yards away, whither he wished me to +crawl. To unsling my cartridge-bag lest it should jingle, and creep to +that stone, was what the novelists call the work of a moment: then I +raised my head _va-a-ry_ gingerly, and saw forty yards away a single +four-year-old buck standing broadside to me with his head in the air, +sniffing suspiciously, and his whole attitude denoting uncertainty and +caution. This buck, as we found out afterwards from the spoor, had +walked up to within ten yards of us as we sat at lunch; then he must +have either heard me or smelt Oela, probably the latter, for Oela seldom +washes his hands, never his blood-stained hunting coat; and when I +encountered his gaze he had evidently just decided that this was not a +good place for reindeer to be about in. This was an excellent frame of +mind on his part, but he arrived at it a couple of seconds too late: my +rifle was levelled, and the shot hit him just above the heart. At that +distance the express bullet smashed a portion of him about as big as a +hat, so that he rolled over stone dead, and had no time for lingering +glances or last words. Half an hour more, and he was skinned, +gralloched, put in a hole and buried under a heap of stones, to remain +there until we need his flesh and send the horse to bring him home. Then +we built a little cairn to mark his resting-place for future use, and +wandered on in search of the rest of his party. + +'Very soon we came on the tracks of four other deer, one of them only a +calf, but although we followed the spoor all the afternoon we never came +up with them: probably they were near enough to hear my shot when I +fired, and at once betook themselves to remote regions. + + [Illustration: Oela performing the Funeral Rites] + +'It had got so late before we gave up the search, and we were such a +long way from home, that we determined to go to Gjendebod, at the +Western end of the lake, hoping to get a boat there and return to +Memurudalen by water. But on arriving there very tired, hot, and hungry, +we found that the men had taken their boat down the lake, and would not +return until to-day. This was a great blow, for it is quite impossible +to walk along the shores of Gjendin, except, as John says, for a +bird--and even it would have to fly all the way. Climbing up the +mountain again was out of the question, as it is a seven hours' walk +from Gjendebod to our camp, so there was nothing for it but sleeping +there--a course which was very distasteful to me, as the food is bad, +and I had no book with me, no tobacco, no hair-brush, and no +fishing-rod. + +'To-day I started for home directly after breakfast. We wished to +combine a little stalking with the walk, for we had to pass through some +first-rate deer country--all that part, Esau, where you got your first +two bucks; but of course we had not much chance of doing anything, as +the wind was with us all the way. As you know, deer almost always feed +up wind, so by walking against it you are safe from their ears and +noses, and also are likely to be warned of their presence by coming on +their tracks first. But in walking down wind all this is reversed; you +come upon the deer without any warning, and they are almost sure to +smell or hear you long before you discover them. Consequently, as we +expected, we saw nothing on our way here to-day.' + +The Skipper's buck is a very good one, the best that has been killed at +present, and there was much joy at his change of luck. But strictly +speaking his bad luck has pursued him even in this instance, for if he +had not been obliged to shoot when he did, in all probability the rest +of the herd would have appeared on the scene, for their tracks showed +that they were following the lead of this buck. Besides, there is not +the same excitement in a chance shot like this as there is when you +first find the deer, and then spend two or three hours in all kinds of +uncomfortable modes of progression in order to approach them. + +However, when we were in this country before the Skipper had all the +good luck, and Esau the bad, the former getting five deer and the latter +only two, so that the present state of affairs may be looked upon as the +working of retributive justice. When this view of the matter was +suggested by Esau to the Skipper, he said, 'Retributive justice be +blowed!' + +We celebrated the joyful reunion of loving hearts by a skaal, and so to +bed, perfectly happy after the events of the day. + + +_August 27._--We sent the men off this morning with the horse to bring +in some of the meat now lying in the mountains, while we went by canoe +to Gjendesheim to stay for a couple of days, as we cannot go stalking +again till the already slain deer are brought home; the fish in the lake +are not rising well after this long spell of fine weather, and with the +exception of Esau's 'home coverts' there is no shooting for a +fowling-piece at Memurudalen. + +Very few tourists find their way to Gjendin, but the season for them is +over, and we expected to have the place to ourselves; but how fallible +is human prescience! To our astonishment the sportsmen from Rus Vand had +already occupied the greater part of the house, having abandoned their +own hut for the same reasons which had led us to forsake our camp, and +here they were, armed to the teeth with rods and guns. + +This seemed unlucky, and although we were outwardly glad to see them, at +heart we could not help feeling how inconsiderate it was of them to come +and shoot the fjeld and fish the river just when we wanted to do all +that ourselves. No doubt they harboured precisely the same feelings +towards us. + +However, we had dinner together, and introduced the 'boss pie,' now +rapidly disappearing, to the notice of our Norwegian friends, and as the +meal advanced a feeling of genial contentment crept over us, which +seemed to influence all our senses; we began to talk over sport and +compare our experiences in various countries and in pursuit of various +animals: some of us were good listeners, others fond of talking, but all +animated by a love for the same occupation, so that when at length one +of the enemy handed round the best of cigars, even the Skipper became so +mellow and pleasant that before going to bed we arranged for a joint +shoot after ryper to-morrow; and said 'Good night,' feeling that it was +quite fortunate that we had all come to Gjendesheim on the same day. + +One of our new friends is a Russian, an engineer officer; he speaks not +the English, but we were introduced to him as a man who had shot more +bears in Europe than any one else living. He has killed forty-two, and +looks as though he had been hugged by each one of them before it finally +succumbed. Now he wants to kill a reindeer, and has been attempting the +feat to-day; apparently he will be _hors de combat_ for the rest of the +week, as he can hardly move for stiffness: he has not been accustomed to +the awful walking that stalking round Gjendin entails. + +Esau is also rather dilapidated, for he landed at Leirungsoe on his way +down the lake, and walked round the mountain to Gjendesheim, leaving +John to bring on his canoe. On his way he was obliged to wade across the +Leirungs River, a wide and rapid stream, and just in the roughest part +he trod on a loose stone and fell, cutting his knee and making a bad +dent in his gun-barrel. Of course he was wet through and a good deal +hurt, but hardly enough to account for the frightful state of his +temper, till it came out that though he had walked through miles of +beautiful ground for ryper, snipe, and duck, he had never got a shot at +anything. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +THE GJENDE FLY. + + +_August 28._--This was the hottest, most windless and cloudless day that +has yet been made. The Russian and F---- went out with Esau and the +Skipper to shoot ryper, accompanied by a pointer, which the Norwegians +call a bird-hound. A brood was soon found and rose in front of Esau, who +with his usual promptitude got a right and left; whereupon the Russian +took off his hat, and bowing profoundly, advanced and solemnly shook +hands with him, protesting that he had frequently seen marvellous +shooting, but never, never aught like this; at least, that is what we +imagined to be the translation of the neat little speech which he made +in Russian. + +A ryper is easier to kill, if possible, than the tamest young grouse +which gets up under a dog's nose on the calmest 12th of August; and Esau +thinks fame is like an eel on a night-line, easily caught, but very +difficult to hold afterwards. + +Satisfied by having witnessed this extraordinary specimen of our skill, +the Russian gave up the chase, and returned to Gjendesheim completely +exhausted by the heat; but the others went on till the afternoon, now +finding a selfish old cock, whose fate no one regretted; now a young +brood only just old enough to be shot: anon lying down to rest and eat +berries, or bathing in the Leirungs Lake, but all the time extremely +happy. + +F---- was so exceedingly polite that he would _not_ shoot unless birds +enough for all of us happened to get up at once, and one brood escaped +without a shot being fired, in consequence of our unwonted emulation of +his courtesy. + +Near Leirungs we were fortunate enough to drive three large broods into +the same bit of willow scrub, and had some very pretty shooting as the +dog set them one by one; but there was hardly any scent, and the heat +soon proved too much for our bird-hound, so we returned to Gjendesheim +with a very considerable addition to the larder. + +Then followed hours of inability to do anything except lie on our backs +with lighted pipes in our mouths, far too exhausted to smoke them; and +at last--dinner; and soon the cooler air brought relief and engendered a +return of bloodthirstiness, which impelled the gang of sportsmen to +sally forth and rake the river till it was quite rough with artificial +flies. + +This was a trying time, for by some means we have established a most +dangerously flattering reputation as fishermen, and were bound to do all +we knew to retain it. However, all turned out right; the Skipper went +into the lake and got several beauties, and Esau did the same in the +river, so that we came in with the best bags by a considerable margin, +and could now afford to catch nothing for a whole day without being +dethroned from our pedestal. + +The river, Gjendinoset as it is called, just in front of the rest-house, +is a wonderful piece of water; there are about 150 yards of rapid in +which the fish lie, then comes a fall, and below that there are nothing +at present but small fish, though the big ones will soon begin to drop +down lower for spawning. Consequently we all fish in the first 150 +yards, and to-day between 50 and 60 lbs. weight has been taken out; the +same quantity yesterday, and probably for some days before; and the +fishing will be even better a few days later, for the Gjende fly is +beginning to hatch, and as long as he lasts the fish will rise well. + +We have heard so much of this fly that we had been expecting something +rather gorgeous, a monster dragon-fly, or at least a second-rate +butterfly, or a decent imitation of a stag-beetle; and we have been +looking up gaudy Scotch and Canadian salmon flies, which we hoped might +be passable substitutes; but, alas for the vain hopes of foolish man! +the Gjende fly has come, and he is only a wretched little black beast +like a very small, unenterprising, common or garden house-fly of Great +Britain. He cannot fly decently; he is apparently devoid of sense; he +has no moral, physical, or intellectual attributes for which a human +being can learn to respect or love him; but--he _can_ CRAWL. If he +alights on the water it never occurs to him to rise again, and he allows +the trout, mad with the excitement of a fortnight's prospective +gluttony, to scoop him down their capacious throats by companies. If he +enters your mouth, which he does with a numerous retinue every time you +open it, retreat from that untenable position is the very last thing he +would think of; and with what may be a gleam of momentary intelligence +he seems desirous of still further increasing his knowledge of the rest +of your interior arrangements. + +With characteristic obstinacy, unmindful of the teachings of logic, he +invariably acts on the fallacious maxim that 'an ink-bottle cannot be so +full that there is not room for just one more Gjende fly.' The whole of +the river here at the end of the lake, and for thirty yards on each +side, is now pervaded by this noisome creature; the water looks as if it +were covered with a mixture of soot and tar, the rocks are black and +slippery with him, and the atmosphere is charged with him, so that the +landscape dimly seen through the cloud looks as if it were dancing. + +Gjendesheim itself is unfortunately not quite beyond the zone which he +infests, so that the windows look loathsome with crawling blackness; the +tablecloth is strewn with the corpses of those who have imbibed the +honeyed poison of the paraffin lamp and come to an untimely end, and the +remains of the 'boss pie' would warrant a stranger in the belief that it +had been composed of currants. + +We think Pharaoh must have been a man of extraordinary resolution, or +else inane mildness of character, otherwise he would have sacrificed +Moses long before the fourth Plague was concluded. + +Fortunately the Gjende fly has no insatiable craving for human flesh; +the Skipper, indeed, asserted that one fastened on his hand and +inflicted a wound that swelled enormously and remained swollen for +several days, but the better opinion is that the creature that +perpetrated this outrage must have been a viper, though we did not hint +this to the Skipper, because he is firmly convinced that whisky is the +only remedy for snake-bites, and that it must be taken in large +quantities. + +If any one stuck up a rod near the river, in two minutes it looked like +a black fir pole with a bunch on the top; and John, who is a man of +great entomological knowledge, spent some time in studying this +phenomenon. He reported that the flies crawled up for fun, intending to +jump off the top ring, but when they got up it was so much higher than +they expected that they were all afraid to try, and those at the bottom +and halfway up kept jeering at the top ones and calling them names, and +jostling them so much that they could not crawl down again. He also said +that the swarm in the air was so dense that he wrote his name in it with +his finger, and it remained visible for nearly a minute. + +Probably it is difficult for a man to speak the exact truth with his +mouth full of (_f_)lies. + +When it was too dark to fish we sat round the fire and heard a good deal +about the various winter sports of Norway, capercailzie stalking, bear +hunting, elk and reindeer shooting, and running on skier, the snow-shoes +of the country, which are very different from the well-known Canadian +shoes, being made of wood, from six to twelve feet long, four inches +wide in front, three behind, about an inch and a half thick where the +foot rests, thinner at each end, and turned up and pointed in front. +Every district has its own peculiar shape; about here the right shoe is +made six feet long, the left one ten or eleven feet, it being more easy +to turn if one is shorter than the other: some are made of pine, some of +birch, and occasionally oak. The men of the Thellemarken are the most +skilful runners, but it is now quite a fashionable amusement in +Christiania during the winter, just as skating is in England. + +_Sunday, August 29._--Our Norwegian friends departed for the happy +hunting-grounds of Rus Vand this morning, but before doing so they most +kindly offered us the hut there any time after this week, at the end of +which they are going south. We can hardly expect the present glorious +weather, which has now lasted for three weeks, to go on for ever; and +when the change comes, a tent will no longer be the abode of comfort and +luxury that we at present find it, so that the offer of the hut is most +opportune for us. + +We parted with great regret from people who have been so kind and +hospitable, and many were the expressions of good-will and protestations +of eternal friendship, as we shall not see them again till we pass +through Christiania on our return home. + +That return home has caused the Skipper hours of anxious thought +already: there is to be a wedding in England about the end of next +month, at which, although it is not his own, his presence is urgently +needed. He knows he ought to go, but hates to leave this blissful life +just when the best stalking is beginning; consequently he devotes much +time every day to the consideration of the subject, torn by doubts, +tortured by terrible misgivings, and harassed by indecision. + +To-day, after being more than usually disagreeable under the malign +influence of his conscience, and seeking for inspiration, first in the +room at Gjendesheim, walking up and down like Weston; then on the lake +paddling like a penny boat; and finally roosting on a rock at the top of +the fjeld with his arms folded like Napoleon, and a gruesome scowl on +his face, or at least on those portions of it which were visible through +the mask of Gjende flies, he at last concluded to commit his fate to the +decision of an unbiassed coin, if such could be obtained from any +confiding friend. + +With great difficulty he persuaded Esau to lend him one oere, value 1/100 +of a shilling, which seems on reckoning to be about half a farthing; +Esau observing as he gave it, 'It isn't that I'm stingy, old fellow, +though of course I don't expect to see it again, but it _will_ throw my +accounts out so.' N.B.--Esau's notion of keeping accounts is to put his +receipts into one pocket, _and his disbursements into another_; if he +has a vague idea to within 20_l._ or so of how the money has gone, it +will be more than any one expects; that everything he possesses will be +spent is a foregone conclusion. + +But to resume. The oere coin has no distinct head or tail, so the Skipper +named one side heads, and tossed. The thing fell on its edge, and rolled +round the table and about the room till it struck the wall, whereupon it +fell over 'heads,' and decided that the Skipper must go to the wedding. + +So he sat down and wrote a letter saying that they must not expect him, +and that he should stay out here the whole time that was originally +intended; for as soon as he had dated the letter it occurred to him that +it would be childish to allow such a weighty matter to be decided by the +whim of a half-farthing coin, which might very likely be interested in +the affair in some way, and which, as he truly said, would possibly have +turned up 'tails' if it had not happened to fall on its edge and been +interfered with by an unauthorized wall. + +Having thus acted according to his inclinations, and given his missive +to Andreas to post when he leaves Gjendesheim next week, the Skipper +became quite pleasant again, and went forth to his fishing 'ever and all +so gaily O.' + +The ponies of Norway are wonderfully docile and clever; these qualities +were well shown to-day in a black one belonging to Jens which came to +take F----'s baggage over the mountain to Rus Vand. This pony was +brought down near the door of the rest-house, and left standing there +without any fastening or any one to look after him. The things were not +ready, so he waited about two hours, occasionally wiping off the Gjende +flies with his tail when their weight became insupportable, but +otherwise never moving. The busy world (consisting of Andreas and +Ragnild) pursued their usual avocations around him, goats ran against +him, and insects climbed over him, but there he stood placid and +motionless as a wooden rocking-horse. At last the baggage was ready, and +they brought it out and piled it on his back until we feared he would +break, and then Jens turned his head in the direction of Rus Vand, and +gave him a gentle push to start him; and he went slowly off up the +mountain, choosing the best way for himself, for no one went with him; +in fact, Jens did not follow him for about half an hour, but no doubt he +was found at the right place in the end. The whole performance reminded +one of a clockwork toy, and John remarked as we stood and watched him +out of sight over the pass, 'Now, that's what I call a well-trained +pony.' + +During our stay here we had the pleasure of forming the acquaintance of +an elk-dog. This animal is taken out in a kind of harness to which a +rope is fastened, the other end of the rope being attached to the +hunter's belt; and his legitimate occupation is finding elk in a forest +by scent, and denoting their presence by his behaviour before the hunter +gets within range of the elk's eyes, ears, or nose. Mr. Thomas brought +him up here hoping to find reindeer with him in the same manner, as he +had been unable to get a Finmarker[*] broken to reindeer; but the +experiment has not been successful, for the dog has been so carefully +trained to elk, that he exhibits a large and lofty contempt for so +pusillanimous a creature as a reindeer, and will not confess that he has +discovered the existence of such a thing at all. + + [Footnote: Finmarker is the kind of dog usually employed for + finding reindeer: the name being derived from the district of + which it is a native.] + +But in addition to the fact that he finds no deer, he is a good deal of +trouble from the fastidiousness of his appetite. It appears that he is +accustomed to feed on dogs, and when he cannot get dogs he can rough it +very well for a short time on boys or any other plain fare; but up here, +where dogs are few and boys are extinct, he is having a very poor time +of it. The last place where he had a really square meal was at +Skjaeggestad, on the journey up, where he was lucky enough to get a whole +dog and some portions of boy; since then he has only had limbs snatched +off adventurous observers, and altogether seems to be pining for want of +proper nourishment. He is about the height of a colley, but with an +enormous chest and limbs, a head something like an Esquimaux, a wiry +reddish yellow coat, and a most unkindly expression of countenance. +In the absence of sufficient flesh food he appears to be developing a +liking for man-diet, so we did not remain long in his society, for which +indeed we only craved after we had perceived through a chink in the door +of his dwelling that he was moored to a beam by a kind of anchor chain. +We have often heard that there is a certain amount of danger in the +pursuit of the elk; if the hunter is always accompanied by a dog of this +kind we can easily understand it. However, he was a very interesting +animal, and if we had a National School at Memurudalen we should +certainly have tried to buy him, as there is any amount of room for +_debris_ there. What a boon he would be in some of the thickly populated +districts of England! + +In the afternoon we paddled leisurely back to our camp and found it +looking prettier than ever, but, alas! our little stream had ceased to +run. However, there is another one not more than forty yards away, so we +shall not be much troubled by its loss. + + +_August 30._--The sun still shines upon us from a cloudless sky, and +early in the morning, before any breeze springs up, the lake makes a +most beautiful picture, with its steep mountain sides and foaming +torrents so perfectly reflected in the green unruffled water. But, +lovely as it is, its beauty is rather wasted on us now, for it has been +just the same for the last three weeks, with the outlines all hard and +clearly defined, and none of the graduated effects of distance which we +get from the hazy climate at home: in this clear atmosphere the peaks +twenty miles away are as bright as those a mile or so beyond the lake. +Probably this is the reason why we so seldom see pictures of Norwegian +mountain scenery, and that the few which do appear are often condemned +as hard, cold, and unsatisfactory. + +The most prominent object in looking towards the lake from our camp is a +curious pyramidal mound, about thirty feet high, close to the water's +edge. It is so regular in shape that we have devoted many hours of +cogitation and argument to the discovery of its history. + +John (who is a man of considerable archaeological fame) maintains that it +is a funeral barrow in which some ancient Viking was buried, and he +wants us to give up our cartridges for the purpose of constructing a +mine and blasting him out: we have vainly represented to him that it +cannot be a Viking's tomb, because there is absolutely nothing to Vike +up here. + +The Skipper says it is a glacial moraine, 'any donkey can see that at a +glance;' and Esau holds to the opinion that it is an artificial mound +put up for ancient regiments of Gjendin yeomen and Memurudalen militia +to practise archery at. Possibly none of these theories give the correct +solution; but, whatever its origin, it makes a capital rifle butt for +our occasional shooting. Esau was heard to irreverently remark, as he +aimed at it with the Skipper's rifle, 'he guessed an express bullet +would rouse old Jarl Hakon out of that,' but nothing particular +followed. + +To-day the Skipper composed an Irish stew as a _piece de resistance_, +which, when it came to table, was unanimously voted the best of all the +excellent dishes on which we have feasted here. After dinner we made an +enormous fire for the sole purpose of warmth, as the nights are now very +cold, and during this fine weather after sunset a strong draught sets +down our valley towards the lake. We have ascertained that a like +draught blows down each of the other valleys running into Gjendin, +making the lake a centre. That in ours begins gently directly the sun +has set, and increases in strength until it amounts to a stiff breeze; +and as it comes direct from the vast snow fjelds, it is a disagreeably +chilly blast, which freezes that side of our bodies remote from the +fire, and leads us to envy the happy condition of a leg of mutton +attached to a roasting-jack. That, 'o nimium fortunatum!' enjoys equally +in every part the genial warmth, while man has no mechanical arrangement +by which his immortal soul can be rendered blissful through the medium +of a temperate body. + +In the morning a breeze begins to blow out of the lake into all the +valleys; illustrating on a small scale the cause of land and sea breezes +all over the world. The Skipper and John (who is a man of profound +science) have elaborated a theory explaining the exact reason of this +interesting phenomenon; but as their explanation is entirely opposed to +the teachings of Dr. Brewer and the opinions of Professor Tyndall, and +involves a rearrangement of existing notions concerning radiation and +the movements of the heavenly bodies, we think it best to exclude it +from these pages, as this is not a simply scientific work, and we have +no desire to hurt the feelings of even the above-named misguided +philosophers. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +DISASTER. + + +_August 31._--We have got quite tired of writing 'Another beautiful +day,' and in future shall bring notebooks to Norway with these words +ready printed at the top of each page. + +The Skipper paddled away to Gjendebod, to bring home the deerskin which +he had left there to dry. He returned with a splendid bag of the best +trout that ever came out of Gjendin, and that means the best in the +world; but he was in a state of great indignation because he had been +charged 5s. 6d. for beds, dinners, and breakfasts for himself and Oela +when they stayed there a few nights ago. This is the result of living in +a cheap country for two months: to the ordinary Englishman it would not +appear an exorbitant hotel bill, especially when the hotel (!) is fifty +miles from a town, and only open for two months in the year. + +Just at bedtime Esau crawled into the tent saying that he had strained +his back in lifting a stone: he was in such pain that he could hardly +stand, and was white and shivering. We undressed him and put him to bed, +and then produced the liniment from the 'medicine chest,' by which name +we dignify the cigar-box which contains our little stock of drugs. Then +John spent an hour viciously rubbing remedies into his victim's back, as +one rubs oil into a bat, so that Esau presently groaned out, 'Thanks, +John, I think that will do, I feel a great deal better now;' and +certainly he did seem to experience a kind of relief as soon as the +rubbing stopped. After this we turned in. + + +_September 1._--Esau spent a sleepless night, and this morning could not +move. Thereupon John nobly closed with him for another half-hour's +rubbing, which had a decided effect, and after giving him some +breakfast, we carried him out and made a comfortable bed for him under +the Sycamine tree, and there left him with the library and all his +belongings in easy reach. + +At midday John returned from fishing to lunch with the invalid, and we +wondered how all our friends in England were getting on with the +partridges, and almost wished we were there for a few minutes, as we +pictured to ourselves Eddie and Jack both talking sixteen to the dozen +at lunch over beefsteak pie and beer (fancy beer, John!); old Blank, +with two young dogs tied to him, perspiring over the downs; and the +Major sitting with his cigar aboard the yacht at Cowes, and thinking how +snug his birds were lying down Gorseham way, not to be disturbed till +his return next month to shoot at them, while all the time the Furzely +boys were walking them up, and making them as wild as hawks. + +After lunch, John accomplished what has long been his great desire, the +ascent of the sugar-loaf mountain across the Memurua; and after boiling +a thermometer at the topmost peak, burying a pocket handkerchief +(thoughtfully borrowed from Esau, who was too unwell to refuse him +anything), and 'carving his name on the Newgate Stone with his Tollekniv +fine tra la,' he returned in raptures about the view, and overcome with +sublime and poetical emotions, which did not subside until he had poured +forth his soul to his two friends at dinner. + +The Skipper stalked without success, though he found the tracks of a +good herd that had only just passed over the ground. Though the day was +so pleasant, he had not exactly enjoyed his walk, for he could not help +being filled with gloomy forebodings about Esau; picturing to himself +the difficulties that would arise in getting men to carry the invalid +down to Christiania in a litter, with him yelling at every step. But +behold, how untrustworthy a thing is imagination! when the Skipper +arrived in camp, he was agreeably surprised to find the object of his +solicitude sitting up and actually stirring the rice for the curry, so +marvellous had been the effect of John's lubrication; assisted by the +support to his back of a kind of splint composed of birch bark, a towel, +and two straps. + + +_September 2._--John ate new bread again for dinner yesterday, and the +Skipper was aroused in the middle of the night by a claw reaching out +from the adjoining bed, which clutched his pillow and rug and tried to +drag them away; the whole of this being accompanied by blood-curdling +groans and hideous yells. He became more peaceful after a short time, +but the Skipper is now in mortal fear lest John should again suffer from +indigestion, and again stretch out that gruesome claw, and grabbing him +by the hair, drag him forth from the tent, and with demoniac shrieks +stamp the life out of his frail body, while he makes the quiet valley +re-echo to his triumphant mocking laughter. This, the Skipper asserts, +would be only one step beyond his conduct of last night. + +The latest scientific observations have caused us to re-classify the +different altitudes thus:--First, the country of high cultivation and +wild strawberries; above that the zone of uncleared pine forests and +most of the berries; then the belt of stunted birches and black game; +higher still, that of cows and goats; and above that, the country where +reindeer flourish and snow lies all the year round. This takes us to the +summit of all things earthly, and in this zone there is hardly any +vegetation. Beyond it is the region of eagles, but in the present +incomplete state of human knowledge we have been content to explore this +highest zone by letting our spirits soar aloft without our bodies. + +Gjendin is just at the highest point of the stunted-birch belt, and when +the wind gets into the N.W. the thermometer, without waiting to reflect, +falls a great distance very hurriedly. John, having no sheepskin, +suffers a good deal from the cold at night; and the haughtiness of his +spirit is so far broken that he now sleeps in two pairs of trousers, +three shirts, and a coat, besides all his rugs. A few short weeks ago he +turned from us with an air of aristocratic nausea when we were getting +into bed clothed in a single shirt and pair of trousers, donning for his +part a linen nightshirt, an effeminacy previously unheard of in camp +life. + +These things are changed now, and it is difficult to persuade him not to +go to bed with his boots on; but it has to be prevented on account of +the new bread. + +The monotony of an uneventful day was only broken by the occasional +rubbing of Esau's back, amidst the victim's agonised appeals for mercy, +as he thinks it is rubbed away to the bone. However, the effect is +magnificent, and he can now hobble about camp and be useful to a certain +extent. + + MENU.--September 2. + + _Vins._ Truite a l'Irlandais. _Legumes._ + Onion Sauce. Salmi of Ryper. Crumpets. + Woodcock a l'Oven. + Compote of Rice and Wimberries. + +After dinner we dug a small hole in the floor of the outer tent, in +which we placed a spadeful of red-hot embers from the fire. This is a +capital device for obtaining warmth in a tent, as there is no smoke, and +the embers keep glowing for a very long time; possibly it might be +dangerous in a very close-fitting tent, but ours is airy, not to say +hurricany. + +Round this fire we sat and talked and smoked until bedtime, hoping +against hope for a few more days of sunshine; but when we turned in, the +wind was howling and moaning along the hill-side in a very ominous and +unpleasant manner. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + +A CHANGE. + + +_September 3._--'Forty below Nero' was the probable position of the +thermometer during the night. Esau declares that his back is quite well, +but it is suspected that he only does this in order to avoid the +administration of further remedies by John. + +However, we consider this such a successful cure that we here give our +recipe for strained backs to an expectant world, not as a sordid +advertisement, but from pure philanthropic motives. + +'Take the patient and place him on a grassy spot in the sun, and +lubricate with oil; rub this in for three hours with the hand; seize his +wrist and feel the pulse (if you can find it), displaying at the same +time a large gold watch; look profound; mutter inwardly. Now shift him +gently to a shaded position; and having lighted a fire to the windward, +prepare and cook thereon fourteen or fifteen pancakes, and administer +while hot (as a mixture, not a lotion). Take care that the aroma of each +cooking pancake is wafted in the direction of the patient. Carry this +principle throughout all his nourishment. Explain to him that deer +abound in the neighbouring mountains; show him quantities of +fresh-caught fish and newly killed ryper; ensure a week of fine weather, +and if this do not cure him he must be a _malade imaginaire_.' + +Notwithstanding the improvement, of course Esau was not fit to go +stalking, and this and other reasons suddenly induced us to leave +Memurudalen to-day for good, and go to Gjendesheim on our way to Rus +Vand. So we made a last gigantic pie, packed up, lunched, and then +pulled down the tent, which had been standing so long now on the same +spot, and embarked everything on board our two canoes and the +Gjendesheim boat, which had been lent to us. Then the whole fleet sailed +from these hospitable shores 'neath a stormy sky, with cold wind and +rain, and the towering heights of Memurutungen all wrapped in angry +clouds, frowning blackly above us. + +It was quite sad to leave the snug little corner where we have spent +such a happy, careless time, with all the comforts which we have added +gradually to our temporary home; and the valley looked very desolate +without the tent, the cheerful fire, and 'the meteor flag.' + +Esau's last act was to fill two brass cartridge cases with water and +hammer them firmly into each other; the air-tight boiler so formed he +put into the fire under the oven, and after waiting a short time for the +explosion, forgot all about it and went away without telling any one. +Just then John arrived at the spot to see if there were any loose +belongings lying about, and was horrified to observe the oven suddenly +elevate itself into the air and disappear among the clouds with a loud +report. His mind at once reverted to the happy life of a landlord in co. +Limerick, but he soon realised the true state of affairs, and came down +to the lake muttering something about 'tomdamfoolery,' a Norwegian word +which expresses censure of the silly custom of practical joking. + +This morning we found a merlin sitting just outside the tent door; it +had evidently been stuffing itself with scraps of offal from the camp +until it was perfectly stupid and could scarcely fly. Esau wanted to +knock it on the head at first, but more humane feelings came over him, +so he fetched his rifle and shot it for an hour or so, till at length +the bird, wearied by the constant noise, retired into the birch woods, +and we saw it no more. + +There are usually several ravens near the camp, which come down to +'carry off carrion,' but otherwise there are not many birds here: the +most common are buzzards and kestrels, which abound; two eagles, which +are generally soaring above Memurutungen; a pair of ospreys occasionally +flying about the lake; a rough-legged buzzard seen once, a few merlins, +and a small short-tailed red hawk, with whom we are not acquainted; +sometimes black-throated divers and scaups on the lake, and a few +fieldfares and redwings in the birch woods. We have found many nests of +the latter in the trees, and one of a fieldfare in a bank. + +What rare times all the birds and beasts of prey will have for the next +few days in Memurudalen! only to be equalled by the early days of the +Australian gold fever. Nuggets of inestimable value in the shape of +heads, tails, and other portions of reindeer, ryper, duck, and +trout--intermingled with other delicacies, such as potato skins, jam and +marmalade pots, and whisky bottles--will from time to time be unearthed +amidst shrieks of triumph. 'Claims' will be run up to a fabulous price, +and many a battle royal will be fought in that happy valley where we +have spent a month of peace. As we depart in mournful silence, brooding +over the days that are no more, we see in fancy the numerous bright eyes +which from lairs and eyries are watching our every move, their owners +all ready to swoop down on our _debris_ as soon as we have passed out of +sight. + +The lake was very rough, and we were quite afraid of being swamped and +losing our baggage from the magnitude of the big little waves; but +luckily the boat took our heaviest things, or we should not have been +able to venture; and so the canoes, lightly loaded and with all sail +set, rode gallantly o'er the foaming billows, and we all got safe to +Gjendesheim. The cheery fire in the room, with its bare wooden walls and +benches, made a picture which seemed the perfection of comfort after the +chilly tent and the freezing N.W. wind. + + 'It is the black north-wester + That makes brave Englishmen + Use very naughty words, and wish + Themselves at home again.' + +One of the party is always telling us that he intends to inflict on the +British public a narration of our experiences on this expedition, and +although he has not yet begun to collect materials for the work, we have +begun to invent titles for the book that is to be. One is 'England, +Canada, and Norway,' being a description of Englishmen travelling in +Norway with Canadian canoes; and we think this title might induce +schoolmasters to buy it, under the impression that it is a geographical +treatise on those countries. + +The Skipper proposed 'The Fool with the Fowling-piece, or Fishing and +Flyblows.' John's title was 'Mems. from Memurudalen, or Jottings from +the Jotunfjeld;' and Esau suggested 'Glopit, top it, and mop it,' +alluding, he said, to the state of John's forehead whenever he arrived +at the summit of that mountain; but the explanation was received with +such a chorus of 'Oh! {drop it!} {stop it!}' from the others that he +gave up the idea. + + [[The original is printed between lines: + {drop} + 'Oh, it!' + {stop} ]] + +One notion is to make the book a collection of cooking recipes for +camp life, and call it 'Grunts from a Gourmand in Gulbrandsdalen, or +Paragraphs from the Pen of a Pig;' but we think we should promote +a more active sale among respectable people if it were called +'Self-Improvement, or Lights thrown on Good Living.' + +Another idea is that it might get a sale by appearing surreptitiously +among the Christmas books for the young, and for that purpose we should +use the names of our two henchmen Anglicised. 'Oola and Eva: a Tale for +Girls,' could not fail to attract the favourable attention of parents +and guardians. + +Possibly it might create a greater sensation if it were introduced to +the world as 'Julia and Pausanias: an Idyll.' It is very difficult to +decide on a good name, but we are all agreed that the name once found, +it will be perfectly easy to write the book afterwards. + + +_September 4._--How soothing and pleasant it is, when we hear the storm +and rain shrieking and beating outside, to reflect that there is a good +solid roof over our heads, and that we shall not be roused in the night +by the cry of 'All hands turn out to slack off guy-ropes!' + +This morning the lake was so rough that we perceived that we had been +very lucky to make our voyage yesterday; we certainly could not have +attempted it to-day. The man from Gjendebod was here, and started for +the other end of the lake with Andreas in the big boat about nine +o'clock, but at two they came back dead beat and wet through, having +been obliged to desist from their attempt before they had gone two +miles, and they considered themselves lucky to have got back. + + [Illustration: Canoeing after Duck in a Storm] + +The appearance of the lake is wonderfully fine as the white-capped +breakers come rolling in, flinging the spray high up the face of the +opposing cliffs, and dashing with an angry roar against the black rocks +where they jut out into the deep part of the lake. The Skipper, +affirming that he could smell the salt in the air, began to look out +pollack-flies, while John put on a beautiful brand-new shooting coat, +and went down to the shore to pick up seaweed and dig on the sands: he +came back saying that the tide was coming in, and he thought he had seen +the smoke of a steamer in the offing. + +Close to this end of the lake a little promontory runs out, which forms +a breakwater, so that the sea just opposite the house is comparatively +calm. In this bay, directly after breakfast, we saw two scaups, and the +Skipper and Esau manned a canoe to try for them, the former to paddle, +the latter to shoot. Only one was shot at, and it managed to fly beyond +the headland before falling dead, and we dare not go after it in our +frail craft. + + [Illustration: Andreas: our Retriever] + +In the afternoon we took all the male inhabitants of this district, viz. +Oela, Ivar, and Andreas, to act as spaniels and retrievers, and went into +the fjeld above Gjendesheim for ryper. We had quite a sporting +afternoon, as we managed to find a good many broods: the strong wind had +made them so much wilder that they got up with reasonable haste and +energy, instead of waiting to be kicked and then only running away. + + [Illustration: Ola and Andreas capturing a wounded Grouse] + +We had great fun also in watching the behaviour of our men, especially +their method of capturing a wounded bird. One which was hit in the head +had dropped among some rocks, and Oela and Andreas went in pursuit; they +crawled suspiciously about, peering over the stones as if they were +stalking reindeer; then suddenly catching sight of the bird, which was +crouching down as birds hit in the head sometimes do, they advanced +cautiously upon it, each with an uplifted stick in his hand, and crept +like assassins nearer and nearer to their victim. At last they stood +within reach. Oela gave the word to strike, and strike they did, as if +they were breaking stones, and the poor old ryper lay at the feet of its +murderers a mangled, bleeding corpse. + +We shot all the afternoon with almost unvarying luck, hardly ever losing +a bird; now getting four barrels into a large brood, now picking up a +solitary old cock that had selfishly separated himself from his family, +and selected a particularly advantageous feeding-ground for his own +exclusive benefit, and at intervals having a little recreation afforded +by our men, especially the professional buffoon, Ivar. + +In one marshy bit of ground a pair of short-eared owls were incautious +enough to fly up in front of Esau, and were promptly added to the bag; +they were in beautiful plumage, which was luckily not injured by the +shot, so we were much pleased at getting them. Then we went towards the +river into the ground frequented by ducks, and got a little shooting +there, and finished the day by walking round the shoulder of the lower +fjeld about the time that the ryper were coming there to feed, and so +back to Gjendesheim. Altogether the walk was most enjoyable, and as we +returned and gazed over Gjendin, the contrasts of storm and sunshine, +tumbled clouds and rough waters, and occasional glimpses of the highest +mountains gleaming through rifts in the surrounding blackness as the +bright sunbeams lighted up their peaks of snow, formed the most striking +picture of wild and desolate grandeur that can be imagined. + +Esau's shooting is remarkably unerring, and we feel so annoyed with him +sometimes when he _won't_ miss even a palpably difficult chance, that we +were quite glad a few days ago when he took such a long shot that it +strained his gun, and the Skipper exclaimed, 'Ah, I told you you would, +I've been expecting it all along.' + + [Illustration: John and the Skipper upsetting in the Canoe] + +John had an unstrung kind of day. Starting down the river to fish soon +after breakfast, he became so engrossed in his sport that he forgot all +about lunch, and did not return till dinner-time, when he walked +abstractedly into the room where we were sitting, and pulled out his +watch; then after studying it and making calculations for a short time +he remarked slowly, 'I left here at six minutes past ten, and hanged if +it isn't ten minutes past six now; my watch must have stopped.' Then he +wandered off upstairs to his room, still ruminating over this +extraordinary occurrence to his watch; but in his absence Ragnild had +changed all his things into another cabin without telling him anything +about it, so that he found his old habitation swept and garnished, and +began to think, like Clever Alice, 'This is none of I.' However, he got +over this difficulty and came down to dinner, still looking a trifle +abstracted, but with his usual appetite. Afterwards the Skipper paddled +him across the river to fish, and when coming back, John upset the canoe +and nearly drowned them both in the presence of Esau and every native in +the district, who joined in mocking them in the Norwegian tongue from +the bank. + +Finally he informed us that during his wanderings he had composed a +short poem, 'which,' said he, 'as you have not heard it, I will now +proceed to recite.' + +So we went to bed. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + +RAPID-RUNNING. + + +_Sunday, September 5._--To-day the Skipper and Esau determined to try to +run the canoes down the river to Sjoedals Lake, where we intend to leave +them during our stay at Rus Vand. + +All things being ready, the Skipper started about eleven o'clock on his +perilous voyage, closely followed by Esau. The river is full of +impracticable falls, some of them twenty or thirty feet high, but +between these places there are splendid rapids, and the excitement of +running them is delightfully fascinating. When we came to a bad fall we +carried the canoes round, and enlisted the services of our two men to +help us in this part of the performance. Oela did not like this at all, +for carrying a canoe of 80 lbs. weight over very rough ground is hard +work, and Oela loveth the fireside and the odour of roasting coffee +better than hard work on the Sabbath. + +Presently we came to a place which the Skipper wanted to run, but which +Esau declared to be too dangerous; it was a very swift and rocky rapid, +with two extremely sudden turns, the lower of which was only a few yards +above a high fall. Esau only ran past the first turn, which was quite +nervous work enough, and then got to shore and waited on the bank for +the result of the Skipper's exploit. + +Down he came at about fifteen miles an hour, took the first turn most +successfully, and then, by some extraordinary strokes of his paddle, +which no man living but himself could have performed, and aided by a +species of miracle, he got round the second; but then an eddy caught the +canoe, and she became unmanageable, so that instead of stopping in a +little creek of quiet water as he intended, he came straight on at a +terrific speed, and ran high and dry on a ledge of rock just above the +fall, losing his paddle at the shock. Wonderful to relate, the canoe was +not a bit injured, but the paddle whirled over the abyss and disappeared +for ever; and the Skipper was pleased because he had not done the same. + +We spent five hours in this kind of amusement, and enjoyed it almost +more than anything else we have done. The constant danger of a smash or +an upset, the sensation of speed, the delight of the sudden rush to the +gliding dip over a fall, with the water roaring past a rock on each +side; the big waves below the fall, which catch the canoe and toss it +from one to another till you feel as if you must be thrown out; and the +curious appearance that the hurrying foam-flecked waters all round +present, combine to make Sunday rapid-running a very popular pursuit. + +While we were doing the last bit above Sjoedals Lake, our men, instigated +no doubt by Oela the Lazy, seized the opportunity given by a long rapid +to go home, and as we were pretty well tired out with our exertions, we +left the canoes above the lowest fall and walked back to Gjendesheim. +But we cannot recommend this river to future voyageurs; there are too +many places that cannot be run; and we hear that we are regarded as +decidedly mad for having attempted it. + + [Illustration: Making a Portage by the Sjoa River] + +Oela, our stalker, is a man whom we do not much admire. He is a big, +handsome fellow, with a light beard and moustache, and rather a weak +face; and his good qualities are extreme cleverness at almost any kind +of work--carpentry, smith's work, needlework, and saddlery, all seem to +come alike to him--and as a deer-stalker he is first-rate, and never +makes a mistake. But we fear that his profession at home is to be an +independent gentleman, and he is very lazy, and nearly always sulky. +This sulkiness annoys us more than anything else, but we also get very +angry with him for being afraid of everything. He is afraid to go in the +canoes, and nothing has ever induced him to enter either of them. He is +afraid of rowing against a wind, or going out stalking on two successive +days, lest he should tire himself; and he is afraid of washing up plates +and pans lest he should lose dignity, but it does not bore him to sit by +and watch other people perform the operation. + +The Gjende fly was a marvellous sight to-day; we thought him numerous +before, but we little knew the accumulated villany of which this noxious +creature is capable. Every fly that we saw here a week ago has now got a +large and healthy family of some hundreds, and a darkness which may be +felt broods over the river and its shores. And now that the cold weather +has set in, he begins to perceive that his short but effectual career of +annoyance draws near to its close, and the whole face of nature is +covered with torpid crawling things, that make one turn in disgust from +everything one touches. May his end come soon, for we love him not. + + [Illustration: A Norwegian Fire-place] + +We are very comfortable here at night sitting round the noble fireplace +in the corner of the room. These corner fireplaces are found in every +saeter and homestead in this part of the country, and are very +picturesque and cheery, vastly superior to the modern stove, that may be +seen standing up gaunt and inhospitable in every house in more civilised +regions. Most of them have the chimney supported by a crooked piece of +birch wood coming down from the roof and hooked underneath the +projecting angle of stonework, but in some there is instead an upright +iron bar from the hearth. Generally speaking, they are placed quite +against the wall in the corner, but we have seen several with a space +behind large enough to walk through, and one which even had a bed +behind it. + + +_September 6._--The sea on Gjendin has organised something remarkably +like a ground swell under the influence of the continuous storm, and its +fury is more magnificent than ever; no boat here would have a chance of +living in it. + +Esau spent the morning packing his bird-skins in a wooden box for their +journey home, as we hardly expect to get much more in the way of +specimens. Then we had another afternoon at ryper, not quite so lucky as +yesterday, but still satisfactory. When we returned we found that +Andreas had brought from Besse Saeter a vast pile of literature which had +been accumulating at the Vaage post office for the last month. After +dinner, when we were all buried in our respective letters and papers, +occasionally reading out particularly interesting scraps of news, +Ragnild came in and informed us that a certain Norwegian, whom we may +call Mr. Fox, had come there to fish. This was a man who had done some +business for us here two years ago, and we had had a little +correspondence with him before coming out this year. Thinking we might +have given him some trouble, and not having any great liking for his +character, we naturally wished to be especially civil to him; so we +asked Ragnild to bring him in and stay to interpret for us. + +Presently he entered the room, and after greeting us sat down and +refused to have anything to drink: this astonished us so much that it +completely drove our small stock of smaller talk out of our heads. The +commonplaces of polite conversation sound perfectly ridiculous when +gravely uttered to an interpreter for transmission to the proper +recipient, and so Ragnild seemed to think, for her translation always +sounded much shorter than our flowery sentences. We tried a variety of +feeble questions to which we already knew the answers, somewhat in the +following style:-- + +'We presume, Mr. Fox, that you like Norwegian cheese?' + +'Does your brother also like Norwegian cheese?' + +'Do you speak German?' + +'No? but your brother, we believe, plays the Norwegian german-flute?' + +'The friends of your sister's children are also our friends. They live +in England, but we believe they still like Norwegian cheese.' + +'We like much the cheese of the country, and have never suffered +asphyxia from it.' + +'We shall take a small quantity with us to England for the destruction +of rats;' and so forth. + +Presently Esau, getting impatient, suggested in a loud voice that we +should 'ask him some questions out of Bennett's Phrase-book.' Then he +was covered with shame, as he feared that Ragnild would immediately +translate this to Mr. Fox; but fortunately she did not. + +On reference later to the said Phrase-book we find that some very +appropriate and useful sentences may be gleaned from its fertile pages. +For instance, 'Who are you? What sort of weather is it to-day?' (these +two remarks are introductory, as it were, and to inspire confidence in +the person addressed). Then we come to the point: 'Will you lend me a +dollar? Be quick! Thank you, you are very kind.' Here the speaker would +turn to Ragnild and proceed thus: 'Put this in my carpet bag. Make haste +and bring me a light, open, four-wheeled phaeton carriage, drawn by one +horse.' Then to Mr. Fox, 'Good morning; I must go, but I shall return in +a month.' Then the speaker might wink at John and depart. + +Now came the most awful pause that the history of the world in its +darkest moments can yet point to. We coughed and glared at each other, +and felt in our pockets as if we might find something to say there; and +then the Skipper had a brilliant idea, and said, 'Ask Mr. Fox how long +he intends to stay here.' But Ragnild at once replied, 'Only two days,' +without referring the question to him at all; so that remark was wasted, +and our embarrassment became worse than ever; for now not only had we to +invent subjects of conversation, but also to put them in such a form +that Ragnild should not be able to answer them without taking Mr. Fox +into her confidence. He all the time was most annoying, as he would do +literally nothing to keep up his end of the conversation, and replied to +our lengthiest and most brilliant efforts of exuberant verbosity by +monosyllables and inarticulate grunts. + +At last, in desperation we presented him with a very nice new English +knife, for which he did not seem to care at all; and so we parted, both +sides feeling that the interview had been a failure. + +The following note is extracted from one of the journals:--'The common +cheese of Great Britain is unknown in Norway, but in the roadside inn, +the smallest saeter or farmhouse, and the humble cottage dwelling, the +traveller can always obtain that excellent substitute, the goat's-milk +cheese of the country.' The colour of this excellent substitute is that +of Windsor soap; its consistency, leather; and its scent, decomposed +glue, which causes the natives to keep it under a glass shade. If you +eat it, your own dog will shun you; if you avoid it, you starve. + + +_September 7._--Esau always wakes up in the most boisterous spirits, and +as the partitions between the cabins are only made of thin boards full +of knot-holes, he can be heard all over the house the first thing in the +morning jeering at John, who sleeps next door, whistling, and crowing +like a baby in his cot: he continues these little games long after +breakfast-time, and though he is wide awake, will _not_ get up. All this +sounds very pleasant and cheery to talk about, but the Skipper, who +usually wakes in a temper the reverse of angelic, being influenced by an +unequal liver, wishes that these walls were twice as thick, and that +Esau was at Hong Kong. + +Generally he tries little stratagems to induce Esau to get up, dressing +operations having a tendency to quiet him. Sometimes he enters the room +sniffing, and remarks, 'How deuced good the coffee smells roasting!' or +'We're going to have a tip-top fish for breakfast, but there's very +little of that pie left; enough for two of us p'raps' (this would mean +about eight pounds). Or he looks out of the window, and assuming an +attitude of intense surprise, hanging on to the frame like Irving in +'the Bells,' says, 'By George, Esau! there's a fellow just below looking +through a binocular that can give yours six lengths for mechanism.' If +all these expedients fail, he gives in, and dresses quickly with his +ears full of tow, leaving Esau aloft, and gets into the eating-room, +where the floor and ceiling between put a soft pedal on operatic +selections. + +Esau says all this ill-feeling arises because the Skipper cannot whistle +Berlioz's 'Faust,' and is jealous. + +Andreas and Ragnild are making preparations for their departure, which +takes place to-morrow; then Gjendesheim will be closed, the door +fastened, the windows shuttered, and the place will be left to itself +until next June. Very soon now Gjendin will be covered with ice and +snow: most of the good folks in the saeters have already gone to the +valleys for the winter. + +We thought it would be more convenient for them if we took our departure +to-day, so packed our goods on the pony and said 'Farvel' to +Gjendesheim. Our last view of Gjendin, as we turned to look from the top +of the pass, was just as it appeared when we first saw it--black, +gloomy, and forbidding, with the cold north wind sweeping in a hurricane +over its waters, and heavy rain-clouds hanging over its mountain +shoulders, making a scene as awfully lonely and desolate as it is +possible to depict. + + [Illustration: Jens and his Pony on their way over Bes Fjeld] + +After the pony had gone with the last load we suddenly discovered that +the tent had been forgotten: it and its appurtenances make a package +weighing about 70 lbs. Now we _all_ hate carrying 70 lbs., but +fortunately at this crisis a _deus ex machina_ appeared in the person of +a stranger. At first we thought it must be one of our own men returning +for something after changing his coat, but on his nearer approach we +found that he was the rest of the population of the district, whom we +had not seen before, coming down in a body. This was Hans Kleven, who +has the reputation of being the best hunter in the country. He is a +small sturdy man, with amazing shoulders and a pleasant, good-humoured +face, and a most gorgeous check shooting-coat, of a pattern so enormous +that there are only three squares on the whole of his back, which is a +pretty broad one. This coat was given to him years ago, apparently about +1840, by an English sportsman, and he is as proud of it as ever Joseph +was of his celebrated garment. To him we committed our tent, which he +carried over to Besse Saeter, three miles away, without turning a hair. +We rewarded him with a shilling, and from his profuse gratitude we +conjecture that he only expected fourpence for the job. + +Our first step at Besse Saeter was, as usual, to demand food; and John +asked for a dish called 'Tuk melk,' which had been recommended to him as +very Norwegian and very good. A woman at once went to fetch it from the +other saeter, a quarter of a mile away, and presently brought it in a +large wooden milk-tub about the size and shape of a sitz bath. How that +poor woman carried it we know not; it occupied half the table, and was +so scrupulously clean that we feared to touch it with our sordid hands. + +John and Esau at last attacked it in the orthodox manner, which is to +sit on opposite sides of the table, and to draw a line across the +surface of the milk with a spoon before beginning, and then to 'eat +fair' up to that line. It would have amused some of our friends at home +if they could have seen these two young men of fashion at the moment +when both of them were engaged with abnormally large wooden spoons, +silently ladling down 'Tuk melk' out of a tub as big as a drawing-room +table. + +They reported that it was on the whole good; something like curds, but +with a sourer taste, and it was much improved by sugar; but though they +ate a large quantity of it, being men of great courage and +determination, they could not persuade the Skipper to risk his life in +experiments with untried articles of food. He, however, gave utterance +to the following refined expression of his sentiments:--'I wouldn't +touch that beastliness if you gave me fourteen pence a spoonful to +swallow it.' No one offered the reward. + +Out shooting on the other side of the lake, we put up a snipe just at +evening, which went down again close to us. This species of game is not +common up here, although we find his cousin the woodcock fairly often; +consequently we were much excited, and advanced upon the foe with +insidious step, and bloodthirsty weapons almost at our shoulders in +order to slay him as soon as he should rise. All went well, and at the +right moment up he got, and promptly did the Skipper fire and miss him; +while Esau's gun for the first time on record missed fire, and left him +using language that ought to have ignited any cartridge. So the happy +bird zigzagged off into the dim shades of sheltering night, and we went +on our way full of thought and sorrow. + +Arriving again at the saeter after narrowly escaping shipwreck in the +passage, we found that Jens had come to meet us, and as he will enter +our service from this date, we shall no longer need Ivar, and paid him +off, arranging, however, that he is to come to help us home when we +leave Rus Vand. + +We like Ivar very much now, though we did not by any means dote upon him +at first. Ivar is a good fellow, but an idiot, perfectly willing to do +anything in the world, but not understanding _how_ to do anything. His +budding reputation was blasted in our eyes the first time that we left +camp and entrusted everything to his care: we were away for three days, +and in that time he consumed nearly four pounds of our best butter; on +our return we decided that he was a knave, but we have since learnt that +it was only his natural impulsiveness that led him to commit such an +outrage; and now that we have found how eager he is to oblige us in +everything, we like his strange nature better than Oela's awful laziness +of character. He came into the room this morning to stand for his +portrait, and the easy, graceful attitude that he assumed for the +occasion was inimitable. His waistcoat and boots were perhaps his +greatest charm, but his open countenance and genial smile (six inches in +diameter) played no small part in causing him to become beloved by us as +he was. + +Ivar always laughed like a nigger on a racecourse, and whenever we took +him out ryper-shooting he was exactly like an unbroken retriever: if a +bird was killed, he _would_ rush in to gather it, and we had to shout, +'Back, Ivar, back! Lie down! Down charge!' to prevent him disturbing any +birds that might have chanced to remain during the yells and convulsions +of Christy Minstrel mirth into which the death of a ryper always sent +him. His behaviour usually made us laugh so much that we attributed any +missing to the unsteadiness caused by constant hilarity. We gave him our +spade as a parting present, and dismissed him with our blessing. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. + +RUS VAND. + + +_September 8._--This morning we crossed the fjeld to Rus Vand in a gale +of wind. Waving a 'Farvel' to the kindly folk at Besse Saeter, we have a +stiff climb up by the side of the torrent which comes gadareneing[*] +down from Bes Lake, high above our heads, and presently we stand on the +open fjeld above the saeter. Below lie the green waters and birch-clad +banks of Sjoedals Lake; far away to the east the great fall and larger +trees that mark the outlet of the lake; and still further, glimpses of +lower Sjoedals Lake, with its forests of pine, haunt of the black game +and capercailzie. But we cannot stand long to look, for the side of a +Norwegian mountain, though eminently suited to hurricanes, is extremely +_un_suitable for human beings while the stormy winds do blow. En avant, +Messieurs, en avant! and we fight our way across the flat top to the +opposite brow. Here we must pause, though AEolus himself say nay. 'What a +glorious sight!' Straight in front, the cloud-girt peak of +Nautgardstind, all glistening white with newly fallen snow, but of him +only the top can be seen; his middle is hidden by a never-ending rush of +scudding clouds. Higher still and westward the jagged summits of +Tyknings Hoe and Memurutind, also pure white where the snow can lie, but +with huge black lines and chasms where the steep rocky face stands up +gaunt and repellent, so sheer that snow can never lodge; nearer the +tremendous mass of Bes Hoe frowns above us; and far below in front the +Russen River winds its way through barren rocks and patches of willow, +to warmer and more hospitable regions, leaving with a leap of joy the +cold storm-rocked Rus Lake, which has been its cradle since its birth in +the mighty glaciers around. + + [Footnote: Gadareneing, _i.e._ rushing violently down a steep + place.] + +Such was the scene lying before us on the north side of the mountain, +grand beyond description, perhaps the finest in Norway, but not exactly +inviting to shivering hungry mortals, so not much time was spent on it. +Down we went, with the wind worse than on the other side, howling past +our ears and screeching in the gun-barrels, and at last arrived at the +lake to find Jens hauling for his life at the boat which, though filled +with water by the breakers, had fortunately not been battered to pieces +on the rocky strand. He had left it dragged up on the beach out of the +water, but the sea had increased so much in his absence, that if we had +been a little later it would without doubt have been smashed. + +However, we soon baled her out, and with Oela as Charon commenced the +passage. Rusvasoset, as the outlet is called, is not more than 60 yards +across, but the waves had had seven miles of very open water to get up +in, and they came rolling down to this end in a very alarming manner. +With great difficulty we shoved off, and then with Oela sculling his +hardest, and the Skipper keeping our head to wind, we at last got safe +across with no mishap but the loss of Oela's hat and a thorough ducking +for all of us. + + [Illustration: A Stormy Crossing at Rusvasoset] + +Oela was very sorrowful about his hat, which was of pure Leghorn straw, +double seamed, extra quality lining; and being further embellished with +a black braid ribbon, it was a great source of pride to him; but we +mocked when it flew away, and are inclined to bear its departure with +equanimity, and hope it will be accepted as a propitiatory offering by +the angry Lady of the Lake. + +All the things were at last safely housed, and we soon made ourselves +comfortable in our new abode, which is luxury itself in this weather +when compared with a tent. + +There are two huts, one by the edge of the lake, the other about 20 +yards away, and it is the latter which we occupy. We enter by a door +about five feet high, invariably knocking our heads against the lintel +and swearing as we do so. The first room is about nine feet square, with +a narrow dresser under the solitary window on the left, and an iron +cooking stove in the nearest corner to the right, the more remote one +being tenanted by a bed. Round the room at various heights are shelves +and hooks adorned by cooking utensils of all kinds, very kindly left for +us by their worthy owners; two or three stools complete the furniture; +and on the floor are to be seen carved the effigies of departed trout of +fabulous weight, with dates and the initials of their captors. Passing +on through a still smaller doorway we find ourselves in another room of +the same size, but with three beds instead of one, and an open Norwegian +fireplace; the same kind of pegs and shelves, and hooks for guns on the +wall; more profile fishes, and walls covered with records in pencil of +game killed by former inhabitants, with occasional amusing notes. This +is our dining, drawing, and bed room; the other is only used as kitchen. + +The men's hut near the water is also divided into two rooms: the outer +and much larger compartment is used as a cellar, larder, and general +store-room, and presents, to say the least of it, a somewhat untidy +appearance, as bottles, barrels, and boards, a grindstone, reindeer +bones, a saw, a side-saddle, and old nets are piled together without any +attempt at order. The inner room is very small, about nine feet by four, +and there our two men sleep; and there also is a large oven built of +stone, and heated by a fire inside it. As we had no bread, we proceeded +to bake, and our ignorance of the manners and customs of this oven +caused the bread to have a terribly trying time of it; for we did not +make it hot enough at the first attempt, and the bread was left lying on +the top covered by a cloth for over an hour while the oven was being +heated a second time. + +All's well that ends well, and this batch of rolls turned out the very +best that frail man ever tasted, and consequently at supper we ate +enough bread and butter and jam to supply a school feast of the +hungriest description. + +While the Skipper and John attended to the loaves Esau looked after the +fishes, and very soon got a nice dish of half-pounders in the river. +As he came back something in the middle of the stream caught his eye. +'It is, yet it can't be--yes, by George, it is, Oela's hat!' wedged in +between two rocks, and slightly out of shape, but with the +double-seamed, extra quality lining uninjured, and the pure Leghorn +straw in very fair condition. The effusion with which Oela received it +was a sight to be seen, but no one else exhibited much enthusiasm. + +An inventory of our remaining stores reveals the fact that we have heaps +of everything except coffee and bacon, which can only last about a week +longer. In view of this happy state of things the Skipper proposed to +spend a week of wild and reckless profusion and sinful extravagance. + +Esau at once pictured himself seated on a grassy slope giving way to +Epicurean indulgence, surrounded by three untouched pots of jam, and +eating from a fourth with a table-spoon; at his side a cup of tea +blacker than ink, and flavoured with condensed milk thicker than cream, +while he flipped lumps of sugar into the water instead of pebbles, and +commanded Oela to sand the floor of the hut with pepper. + +John suggested as an amendment that we should make some exception to +show that we possess the power of self-denial. 'Let us,' said he, 'deny +ourselves in some one thing. Not in luxuries, which are getting scarce; +in that there would be no merit. No; rather let us exercise our virtue +in respect of what we have in the greatest abundance, and thereby show a +great and shining example to the world. Let us abstain entirely from +water.' (He had ascertained that there was plenty of whisky.) + +Esau rose to oppose the remarks of the honourable gentleman. 'Such +self-denial would be a good action, but the constant performance of +virtuous actions tends to make one haughty. I dare say you fellows don't +know this, but I do, because I've tried it. I prefer to be wicked and +humble.' + +The motion was not pressed to a division. + +We are well provided with all kinds of food, for we found in the larder +a shoulder of venison, and we have any amount of ryper, which, as John +says, 'will save our bacon, though they could not save their own;' and +so with a comfortable hut to live in, a river full of fish at our door, +and a blazing fire to sit round, life assumes a rosy hue, and we go to +sleep in real beds with bright hopes of the future. + +The Skipper was heard to murmur as he turned over to sleep, 'I say, what +bread that is! When I get home I shall publish a pamphlet, and teach all +the world to bake like that.' + +It is rather rough on the Skipper's pamphlet to publish his recipe here, +but this is copied from his journal:-- + +'Take dough in large quantities and place it on a tin. Heat the oven +till you are sick to death of piling on wood. Smoke a pipe, and remove +the ashes. Place the dough in the oven, and leave home for an indefinite +period. If you ever return, remove the decomposed particles, and let +them get warm in the sun, or else freeze in the snow, it really don't +matter a bit. Now heat the oven and recommit them. Brood over the oven +exhibiting the tenderest solicitude. They will soon be done, and perhaps +will be good, perhaps not; nobody can tell.' + + +_September 9._--Last night was very cold, and this morning there was ice +on the lake, and the bilge-water in the boat was frozen solid. Esau and +Jens went up the lake in the boat to stalk, and the Skipper accompanied +them to fish, while John fished nearer home. + +About six o'clock the boat was seen returning loaded with the head and +skin of a very fine buck, and Esau gave us his history thus:-- + +'As soon as we landed halfway up the lake we found the spoor of two very +large bucks and a smaller one which had swum across the lake in the +night. They seemed to have gone towards the Tyknings glacier, so we went +in that direction also. The wind was as bad as it could be in that +valley, for we were obliged to walk exactly with it at first instead of +against it, in order to get round a sufficiently large piece of country, +and then work back against the wind. We walked a couple of miles without +seeing anything, and at last got close to the Tyknings glacier and the +iceberg lake at its foot. You know that lake well enough, Skipper, full +of lumps of ice, some of them as big as this hut, which keep breaking +off from the projecting glacier as it slides down; and I dare say you +remember what an awful deathly stillness reigns there and what a dismal +sight the lake is, cold and black under the shade of the crags which +close in its sides. + +'Well, we sat down there and used the glasses for a long time----' + +'What do you mean by "using the glasses?"' interrupted John; 'drinking +whisky and water?' + +Esau withered him with a look and went on. + +'Well, "spied," if you like, spied for a long time without seeing +anything; and we had just walked on again a few yards, when the silence +was suddenly broken by a cry from Jens of "Reins," and there, 300 yards +in front of us, was a noble buck which had evidently been concealed from +our view by some rocks, and had now smelt us and was departing at a +stately trot, apparently despising undignified hurry. + +'I fancy his intention was to trot away at that long swinging pace, and +get into Asiatic Russia in time for tea; so I grabbed the rifle from +Jens, as of course, now that he was alarmed, a long shot was our only +chance; sat down on a stone, and with the faintest hopes of hitting him, +fired twice, and, of course, missed. + +'Now here was where my luck came in. If that buck had not been so proud, +he could have run straight away from us to the glacier beyond the lake, +but we were "betwixt the wind and his nobility," and he wanted to get a +clean breeze, and run against it instead of down it. Consequently, when +he was about 350 yards away he turned to the right, apparently intending +to make a circle round us, and so get the wind in his face. + +'Directly he turned broadside to us Jens gave a shrill whistle, and the +buck stopped short for a moment, so that I had just time to make a +careful shot, and the bullet hit him in the ribs. At the shot he +stumbled, but recovered himself instantly, and made off a good deal +faster than before, evidently perceiving that things were getting +serious, and that "this here warn't no child's play." Before I could +fire again he got into the ravine which runs down towards Rus Lake, and +was out of our sight. + +'We thought there was just a chance of cutting him off in that extremely +rough ground, though, of course, we could not tell whether he was much +hurt or not; so we ran as hard as we could for about a quarter of a +mile, loading as we ran. Suddenly I caught sight of him going very +slowly, but luckily he did not see us, so we dodged into a little gully, +and after another short run came in sight of him standing still, no +doubt owing to his wound, and about 250 yards away. + +'This time he saw us, and darted off as fleetly as ever, no longer with +his side to us, but straight away. I was dead beat, and Jens had thrown +himself down, and was panting like--like----' + +'A concertina?' suggested the Skipper. + + [Plate: DEATH OF THE 'STOR BOCK' AT THE ICEBERG LAKE, TYKNINGS HOe.] + +'Yes, just so. Anyhow, we could not run another yard; you know what it +is on those stones, so I sat down again, and with the rifle going like a +pump-handle, fired, and, by the greatest luck, hit him close to the +tail, and the bullet went clean through his body and smashed his +shoulder. Down he went, and we raised a yell of triumph, whereupon he +jumped up again and went off at a slapping pace in a most extraordinary +manner. I believe if he could have reached the snow he would have done +us even now, but we were between him and the glacier, and he had nothing +but rocks to go on, bad enough for a deer with the proper complement of +legs and ribs, and very trying indeed to one crippled like this, I'm +sure. + +'However, he kept going at a great pace for a few hundred yards, and we +lay in a state of exhaustion and watched him through the glass. Soon he +began to move more slowly, and then to go round and round in a small +circle, and at last he lay down. By that time I had partially recovered +my wind, so I stalked him with great care and got within a hundred yards +of him, took a steady aim for his heart, and pulled. To my horror he +bounced up again, and ran like a hare for a dozen yards, and then rolled +over and over as dead as Julius Caesar. + +'How Jens and I whooped and shook hands and laughed can be imagined by +any one who has seen a grand deer almost escape him, and then, by a bit +of luck and a breakneck run, just nailed him when the chance seemed +hopeless. After that we lay on our backs and panted for some time, but +after finishing the whisky and a large portion of the iceberg lake we +recovered sufficiently to skin our prize and cut him up. He is a most +splendidly fat "stor bock," Jens says by far the best that has been +killed in these parts this year; a beautiful skin, and, best luck of +all, his horns have got rid of the velvet, and are fit to take home: and +they have fourteen points. I measured the fat on his loins, and it was +two and a half inches thick. Jens tried to bring home a hind quarter as +well as the head and skin, but before he had gone twenty yards he found +that it was too much for him, so turned back and buried it with the +rest.' + +At this time of year the biggest bucks of a herd seem to separate +themselves from the rest and roam about, either alone or perhaps a +couple together. We think they act wisely in this respect, as the calves +are now old enough to run as fast as their mothers in case of danger, +and do not need any paternal protection; and the bucks would no doubt +become horribly bored if they remained with their wives and children all +the year round; whereas by this system they are quite independent for a +time, and roam all over the country, seeing a lot of life and living +uncommonly well. Very much like a married man, when he gets away on +board a friend's yacht for a couple of months, and comes back quite +brightened up at the end of his trip, and positively agreeable and +good-tempered to his wife and family, insomuch that they are right glad +to see him home again. + +Of course the stalker's great object in life is to shoot one of these +big bucks; but it is a desire seldom realised, as they are very +restless, and only haunt the most secluded and difficult country. We +have only met with two others in this expedition, and those the Skipper +saw retiring at a good swinging trot over the heights of Memurutungen. + +We have obtained some interesting information from Jens about the horns +of the reindeer. As every one knows, both the bucks and does have horns, +but they shed them at different times: those of the does and smaller +bucks are now in velvet, and will not get properly hard until October; +they will then remain on all through the winter, and be shed in the +spring. But the large bucks have their horns hard now, and will shed +them in the winter, and so be defenceless during the time when the snow +lies thickest. + +All this is undoubtedly true, for Jens is thoroughly trustworthy in his +facts, but what is the reason? + +Jens does not know, but he gives us another fact. In the winter, when +the 'stor bocks' have no horns, the snow is often so deep that only the +strongest deer can scrape it away to lay bare the moss which at that +season forms their food. Then come the does and smaller bucks, and with +their horns push away the unfortunate big ones, and so are saved from +starvation, while the ill-treated 'stor bocks' have to work double tides +in order to get anything to eat. + +We present this fact in all humility to Mr. Darwin as a solution of the +problem, 'Why has the female reindeer horns?' Evidently, they originally +had none, but by constant pushing at their lords and masters they +developed them by degrees; then, by the survival of the fittest, those +does with the longest and sharpest horns prospered most, and soon there +were none of the hornless does left, and all calves began to have horns +as a matter of course. + +Esau is inclined to the belief that, by the same line of reasoning, the +big bucks, constantly being shot at through untold ages, have developed +cast-iron ribs, and that that is the reason why they take such a lot of +killing. + +Possibly we have worked the theory in the wrong direction. It may be +that originally all deer of every kind had horns, and the reindeer doe +is the only female which now keeps them, because she alone has to fight +for her living; but the snow and the horns together are cause and +effect, of that we are convinced. + +The _piece de resistance_ at dinner was a ryper curry, executed in the +Skipper's best manner, and worthy of a place amongst the old masters, +though providentially none of them were here to help us with it. John +also contributed his share to the menu, a roley-poley pudding, which, +when it came to table, looked a trifle doughy at the ends, as even the +best of such puddings generally do. + +John turned to Esau, and in his sweetest manner said, 'Do you like end, +old fellow?' + +He, a little astonished at this unwonted politeness, replied with equal +courtesy, 'No, thank you, I don't think I care about end.' + +'Ah,' said John, 'well, the Skipper and I _do_;' and thereupon cut the +pudding into two portions, and was giving one to the Skipper and the +other to himself, when the proceedings were interrupted by a brief but +energetic scene of riot and bloodshed, which was terminated by a treaty +of peace on the basis of the _status quo_ as regards the pudding, and +subsequent re-division of the same into three parts by a mixed +commission. + +Among the fish brought in to-day was one enormously long brute which +ought to have weighed five pounds, but was only three pounds. The +Skipper captured this prize at the outlet of the lake, which seems to be +a favourite place for sick and dying fish like this. + +Matters of food are generally referred to Esau, because he cares more +about eating than the other two, as _they_ say, or because he has got +more sense than they have, as _he_ says. The two explanations are +probably identical. + +When this fish was brought to him for judgment, he promptly said, 'Give +it to the men.' The Skipper replied, 'My dear chap, whenever we collect +any kind of food that isn't quite nice, you always "give it to the +men."' + +Esau became grave at once, and answered 'You forget we are not in +England. At home, truly, we give the best of everything to our servants, +and are thankful for the worst ourselves; but Norway is a country where +the canker of civilisation has not yet crept in to taint everything it +passes over, and where the noisome worm of increasing independence does +not blossom in the heart of every tree. Our men would be proud and happy +to chew this aged fish, and we have had instances to convince us that +they would be prouder and happier if the aged fish were nearly putrid.' + + + + +CHAPTER XXX. + +LUCK. + + +_September 10._--The Skipper caused great sorrow this morning at +breakfast by announcing his intention of leaving Rus Lake on the day +after to-morrow, which ought to be a Sunday, according to our reckoning. +It seems that his conscience upbraids him for leaving a brother to be +married without his assistance, and the House has sadly approved his +decision. + +While Esau was having a great day with the trout in the river, the +Skipper went after deer, and came back cursing Fortune and all her +emissaries and signs, which means ravens, horseshoes, spiders, and so +forth. A few days ago, when he was starting on a stalk, he heard a raven +croaking overhead, so refrained from looking up lest he should catch its +eye, and have bad luck; but that raven was not to be balked of his +victim, and obtruded himself so that the Skipper _had_ to see him, and +of course no deer came that day. The next day _two_ ravens crossed his +path, both cawing in the loudest and most jubilant manner; so he was +greatly delighted, thinking that this was a sure precursor of good +sport; but something was wrong, and again no deer resulted. But to-day +two ravens came and cawed in a gentle, soothing, confident manner just +outside the window before we got up: this gave the Skipper great belief +in the turn of luck, and he started with a rope in his pocket to tie up +the deerskins withal, his knife sharpened like a razor, and his bag full +of cartridges. Once again he saw nothing, and was nearly withered away +by the cold wind and rain. Coming home he picked up a horseshoe, +probably the only one in the Jotunfjeld; but the times are out of joint, +and these barometers of fortune have become depressed by the prevailing +bad seasons and the state of the weather, so that they cannot be +depended on. + +In spite of the absence of sport he came back raving about the glorious +views of the mountains, which quite repay any one for a long walk now +that they are newly covered with snow. From Nautgardstind looking +northwards, away from the glaciers, a splendid panorama is spread +out--hill, forest, and lake, lighted up by the bright gleams of the +September sun, still shining out bravely at intervals although winter +has begun. Down to the right is the hilly woodland country through which +we journeyed on our way hither, and on the left a vast plain of rolling +ground. Far beyond this rises a towering cluster of high-peaked +mountains, over whose heads float bands of fleecy clouds, while up their +weather-worn sides the cloud-shadows drift and seem to nestle in sleep. +They say these peaks are called Ronderne, but surely when seen on such a +day, 'a dream of heaven' is a better name; for where else on earth can +man be so near heaven as in a lofty solitude like this, where he can +gaze his fill on nature's most beautiful loneliness untouched and +undisturbed by human hand? Oela's ignorance of English enables one to +gloat in silence over such a scene, without any danger of being rudely +recalled to earth by a jarring exclamation of 'Ain't it lovely?' or +'That's about as good as they make 'em, eh?' + + [Illustration: Gloptind Rock, at the Western End of Rus Lake] + + +_September 11._--The Skipper made a last stalk, with his usual luck, not +seeing even a track, though he went into ground that we always +considered a sure find, near the west end of the lake. Near there, and +under the shelter of the curious sugar-loaf rock called Gloptind, there +is a little ruined hut, which was built by a former occupier of Rus Vand +for greater convenience in shooting near that part of the ground. When +we were here before, Esau was obliged to go home prematurely, and the +Skipper and Jens went to stay in this den after his departure, and got +several deer while there. This evening we persuaded the Skipper to tell +us all about it, and after he had put himself in what he considered a +comfortable attitude on the bed, and lighted his pipe, he began. + +'Well, when Esau went home, Jens and I were left up here, and got on +very comfortably considering the disadvantages under which the human +race has laboured ever since that unlucky business of the Tower of +Babel.' + +'What _does_ he mean?' whispered John anxiously to Esau. + +'How should _I_ know?' replied the latter. 'Just listen a bit longer, +and I dare say we shall find out.' + +The Skipper went on: 'We went out several days, and walked enormous +distances without seeing any deer, so one day we decided to put a frying +pan, some firewood, and a change of clothes into the boat, and row up to +that little tumbledown stone hut at the other end for a night or two, as +it is in the heart of the most unfrequented country, and there is +nothing near to scare the most timid deer. + +'We packed everything into the boat and rowed off one fine morning, the +clouds, however, beginning to hang ominously over the distant mountains. +Jens rowed slowly, so that I could fish on the way, and our progress was +further delayed by a head-wind. + +'Very soon the clouds closed in all round, and the sky got very dark. +Jens kept rowing on steadily, from time to time looking up at the high +mountain ridges that wall in the west end of the lake, while I devoted +my attention to whipping the water from the stern, hoping to entice some +unwary fish before the approaching rain should stop our chance of +getting some fresh food. Suddenly he stopped rowing, and uttering the +magic word "Reins," pointed up to an apparently deserted mountain slope +on the Bes Hoe side, and handed me the glass, by the aid of which I soon +discovered two reindeer bucks feeding about a mile away, and almost +straight above us. + +'I had on a blue serge suit, so the first thing to be done was to change +to my stalking suit then and there in the boat; meanwhile the threatened +rain began to descend in torrents, and the wind swept by in such squalls +that Jens had to work hard to keep the boat in her place. At last the +change was completed, the serge suit stowed away under a mackintosh, and +we got to shore and began our stalk. + +'It was a difficult task to keep out of sight while advancing, and we +could only move at intervals when the deer shifted for a few moments +behind a rock or into a hollow in their search for food, so that we had +first to run, when opportunity offered, for a quarter of a mile over +very bad ground, then crawl another quarter over more broken ground; and +at length, after an hour of this, being pretty close to the deer, they +happened to come more into view, and we had to lie prone on our bellies +for nearly twenty minutes (while they fed their way into the next +hollow); and the heavy rain pelted down on us till we were soaked, +sodden, and nearly perished with cold. + +'I thought that time of cramped penance would never end, but at last the +hindermost buck got his head safe behind a welcome ridge, and then we +were soon up and after them.' + +Here the Skipper stopped to strike a match on his trousers and relight +his pipe, and then resumed: 'Now we knew we must be close to them, and +with rifles cocked, and hearts beating uncomfortably, advanced +expectant. I forgot to tell you that after Esau went home I allowed Jens +to take his rifle out, he was so desperately keen about it. + +'Suddenly we came on the bucks only forty yards away, conscious of +danger, but not knowing what they feared; too unsettled to feed, too +uncertain to move. + + [Plate: GOOD SPORT, BAD WEATHER. THE SKIPPER'S TWO 'STOR BOCKS.'] + +'I fired first, and immediately afterwards, as pre-arranged, Jens fired, +and both deer bounded into the air and disappeared like lightning over a +ridge beyond them. We followed at our best pace, I cramming in a couple +of cartridges as we ran, and saw them again directly, still running, and +a good deal further away. I fired two more shots, and one buck fell dead +at once, while the other galloped on about twenty yards further, and +then suddenly stumbled and fell head over heels. + +'I fancy that our first shots killed them, and that one was really +killed by Jens, but may I never know for certain! The yell that we gave +when we saw them both lying dead woke the echoes of that dreary +solitude, and must have been worth hearing by any student of human +nature: in a wild shout of triumph there is only one language for all +nations, and Jens and I joined our voices in the same glorious tongue +for once. + +'Both these deer were "stor bocks," six years old and fat. We skinned +them there, and leaving the bodies as usual safe under stones, returned +to the boat with the heads and skins. By the way, John, you must have +seen the horns of these two deer on the wall of Besse Saeter, for I had +no means of getting them home, and Jens put them up there. + +'The day was drawing to a close when we reached the little stone hut +which was to be our lodging: its roof was full of holes, and let the +rain through like a sieve; but we stretched the two deerskins over it, +and so made it habitable for a time. Inside there is, as you know, only +just room for two men to lie side by side touching each other; and here, +after a liberal meal and a contemplative pipe, we turned in and slept +like honest men. + +'Next morning after breakfast, while I was making up a fresh cast for my +rod, I saw a man approaching the hut. As this was the only intrusion +from human beings that we had suffered for more than a month, I was not +a little surprised. Where the deuce could a man come from? and what the +dickens could he want? It soon proved to be old Tronhuus with a note for +Jens. + + [Illustration: The old stone Hut near Gloptind] + +'I must explain that Besse Saeter where Jens lives belongs to a man who +comes from Christiania, and Jens is only his tenant there. This man had +arrived at his saeter two days before this with a young English nobleman, +whom he was proud to have as his guest, and to whom he naturally wished +to show some sport; but he had been unable to do so for want of a good +stalker. This was of course very unfortunate for him and his guest, but +it by no means justified his present conduct. He had addressed a letter +to Jens, but written it in English, so that I should read it, sending +merely a verbal message to Jens by his father, to ensure our both +knowing the purport of the letter, which was to the following +effect:--"Jens. If you do not return with the bearer of this letter to +Besse Saeter to show myself and Lord ---- some deer, you will at once +lose your tenancy of Besse Saeter." I could not keep Jens and thus cause +him to be unfairly ejected from his home, so having no paper with me, +I wrote in pencil on the back of the note that Peter had brought: "As +you must be aware that Jens is acting as my servant this summer, and +that by calling him away you leave me absolutely alone at the stone hut +on Rus Vand, I hope that you will not detain him after receiving this +note." + +'With this missive Jens departed, and soon old Peter followed him, and +left me, like Robinson Crusoe, alone on my desert highland. I am bound +to say that I felt inclined to inquire with Selkirk, "O solitude, where +are the charms?" as I turned to perform the duties of the day, +absolutely deserted in that desolate spot, with no companions but the +lake and solemn mountain heights around me; so after a short time I put +the Lares and Penates----' + +'Hollo, what's that?' broke in Esau; 'you never said anything about +bringing that with you before.' + +'You duffer!' said the Skipper; 'it's Norwegian for the frying-pan and +tea-kettle: do you mean to say you've been all this time in the country +without learning that?' + +'Oh, all right,' grunted Esau, 'go on.' + +'Well, I put them into the boat and sculled the seven miles back to this +hut, as I did not feel inclined to remain alone in that little stone +hutch for the night. + +'Three days passed before they let Jens return to me; and during that +time I was certainly rather dull, and at night felt a trifle creepy, but +the days did not pass as slowly as you might have imagined; for being +without assistance my time was fully occupied in catching my daily +supply of fish, chopping firewood, cooking, washing, and so on. At night +the wind howled dismally round the cabin walls, but after the hard work +of the day I soon fell asleep, and at last began almost to like the +solitary life. Still I longed for Jens to come back, as I could not go +out stalking alone; the season was far advanced, and the weather very +cold. + +'How I cursed that Englishman' (gentle murmurs of 'Bet you did' from the +other two) 'as I cleaned out the tea-pot and scoured the frying-pan! and +how I pictured him to myself wandering with my faithful Jens over the +best reindeer-fjeld, and scaring away all the deer with his +loud-sounding Bond Street express!' + +'I say, Skipper,' put in Esau, 'did _his_ Bond Street express make any +more row than _yours_? because if----' + +'My dear fellow,' said the Skipper, 'you always put that kind of +expression into narrative; it's Homeric; an educated man would be +pleased with it. + +'I was always expecting Jens; every sound, real or imaginary, caused me +to look up over the deserted lake, and hold my breath while I listened +to make out his voice in the distance; and when I went down the river I +heard his cheery shout in the rush of every rapid and the roar of every +fall. + +'After all it was only three days, and then one afternoon I found him +waiting for me at the hut. I was glad to see him--gladder than I am to +hear the dinner-bell at home, as glad as a bee is to get into the open +air after bunting its head against a window-pane for three days' +('Beautiful simile!' from John), 'and especially glad to see how pleased +old Jens was to return to me again. I was also not particularly sorry to +hear that he had found a herd of deer and taken Lord ---- within shot; +and the only result was a calf, which Jens himself shot after the +Englishman had missed. + +'After this I had a good time with grand fishing and more deer, but we +did not stay much longer at Rus Vand; as you know, I was back in England +by the end of September.' + +The story ended, we called the men in and had a great settlement of +wages and milk bills, and arranged how the Skipper's baggage should be +transported tomorrow, and the rest next week. + + [Illustration: A Night at Rusvasoset, after a Day at Haircutting] + +Then we filled up glasses round with whisky and drank a solemn Skaal +(pronounced Skole) to every one, and then to Gammle Norge, and finished +the evening with 'Auld Lang Syne.' It must have been a ludicrous sight +as we stood tightly packed in that tiny room, with heads all bent +towards the centre to avoid the rafters, our hands crossed in orthodox +fashion, and roaring at our highest respective pitches as much of the +words as we knew, while we swayed our arms up and down in the manner +essential to the proper rendering of the good old song. + +When the men cleared out, Esau produced a gorgeous counterpane which he +had commissioned Peter to buy in Vaage six weeks ago, and which the old +man brought over from Besse Saeter to-day. Its manufacture is peculiar to +this district; it is woven in most tasteful colours, red, magenta, blue, +and green being the most prominent, with a kind of diamond pattern in +white running diagonally across it; but, from the 'What's the next +article?' air with which Esau exhibited it, we began to suspect that he +was rather disappointed with it, and wanted to induce some one to buy +it. Suffice it to say that its introduction was received with coldness. + +This was a bad day for sport; we caught very little, and shot less. We +did spy a reindeer directly after breakfast, but as he was about six +miles away, close to the top of one of the highest mountains, and +running as if Loki were after him, no one cared about pursuing him. + +John fishing in the lake managed to lose a 'twa and saxpenny' minnow, +trace, and twenty yards of reel line, and was quite discontented. + +At night the wind had increased to a storm, and the clouds were right +down on the water, and hurrying past in endless wreathing drifts like +witches trooping to their nocturnal Sabbath. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI. + +NOT LOST, BUT GONE BEFORE. + + +_September 12._--Early this morning we sorrowfully packed the Skipper's +things on the pony, and then we three and Oela marched off down the river +towards civilisation. The Skipper hoped to get over about twenty-five +miles before night; Esau wanted to try the river a long way down; and +John said he 'always liked a stroll on Sunday,' and with that object +accompanied the Skipper for the first eleven miles of his journey, +returning to Rusvasoset in time for dinner. + +About four miles below Rus Lake, the river, which is there about thirty +yards wide, suddenly disappears into a narrow cleft in the rocky bed, +and runs in this curious rift for several hundred yards, and then again +emerges into daylight. The sides of this rocky prison are just over a +yard apart at the narrowest place, though the gap only appears to be a +few inches wide; but the force with which the immense body of water is +squeezed through the tortuous passage far down below, whirling huge +boulders along with irresistible force, and covering the surrounding +rocks with moisture from the ever-rising misty spray, makes it a severe +trial to the nerves to step across the cleft; the ceaseless din of the +rushing water is of itself sufficiently appalling. + +This channel has evidently been gradually worn down through the solid +rock, which here appears to be a reef of softer nature than the usual +formation of this country. On the top and in niches all the way down are +still to be seen the turn holes caused by stones working round and round +in an eddy; but the curious fact is that while at the top the cleft is +only a yard across, it widens regularly out as it gets deeper, and at +the bottom is fully ten yards in width. Now it seems unlikely that the +Russen River could ever have been content to run in a bed so much +narrower than its present one, and from the appearance of the strata we +imagine that as it worked down and undermined the cliffs at each side, +they have gradually toppled forward to meet each other. Probably soon +they will actually touch, after which a very short time will see the +natural arch so formed covered with vegetation, and the river will run +in a subterranean passage. + +Through this channel no fish could pass alive, so there Esau bade +'farvel' to the Skipper, and, encumbered with rod and fishing bag, +leaped like a goat across the intervening Devil's Dyke, and was soon +lost to view as he fished his way up stream. + +The other two pursued their journey steadily, and found it pleasant to +gradually walk down from the Scotch mist which overhung everything up at +Rus Vand, into, firstly, dull dry weather just below the clouds, and +then a little further into real sunshine and warmth. About one o'clock +they reached Hind Saeter, the tenants of which were still there, but just +in the act of removing to the valley. Here they feasted together on +fladbrod, and then the things were packed on a cart, and the Skipper, +following them as they jolted away under Oela's guidance through the pine +forest, was seen no more by his disconsolate comrade. + +When John returned to Rusvasoset a little before dinner-time, we found +it necessary to bake bread and a pie, our invariable rule 'when in +doubt.' This was not a case that admitted of any hesitation, for the +Skipper had taken all the food that he could annex for his sustenance on +the journey, as he did not expect to find any people in the saeters on +his path. + +The evening was spent in general tidying, and mending various articles +which had gone wrong; holes in landing-nets, rents in trousers and +coats, and inserting new screws in Esau's boots for the stalk he hoped, +but hardly expected, to make on the morrow. At night the outlook was +anything but encouraging, dense clouds folding all nature in their cold +embrace, and the pitiless rain beating down on our poor little hut as if +it took a pleasure in the occupation. + + +_September 13._--Rain, and nothing but rain. + + [Plate: CHEERFUL! THE HUTS AT RUS LAKE.] + + +_September 14._--We never knew when sunrise and daybreak took place +to-day, or whether they happened at all, for the prospect was more +hopeless than ever, and the rain still fell with unabated vigour. + +We were at the end of our indoor resources, but fortunately Oela returned +with some English papers which he had found waiting for us at Ransvaerk, +the saeter at which he and the Skipper passed the night, and at which +this bundle of literature had been deposited about a fortnight ago by +the latest traveller from Vaage. But for this, there would certainly +have been bloodshed in this remote spot, our tempers not being equal to +the strain of two days in succession without being able to see ten yards +in front of us, or to stir out without becoming water-logged. + +Even the fish were apparently at last disgusted at not being able to get +into a dry corner by jumping out of the water, and our efforts to +persuade them to try the interior of a waterproof bag only met with +indifferent success. + +The stubborn resistance of our well-tried roof has at last been +overcome, and soon after turning in last night we had to turn out again +to rig up various hydrostatic appliances with a view to diverting the +course of some of the superfluous rainfall, and irrigating the floor +therewith instead of letting the beds get it all. The latter really +needed it much less than the boards, which were somewhat dusty; but +probably the mistake arose from John sitting on one of them while he +mixed the dough, so that it might have been taken for a flour-bed. + + +_September 15._--At last we were relieved by a change in the wind, soon +followed by a cessation of rain, and then the mist began to lift, and by +noon the sun was actually beginning to glimmer feebly, and the mountains +to be visible for half their height. + + [Illustration: Rus Lake from the Western End: Nautgardstind in the + Distance] + +John went on a general tour of mountaineering and prospecting in search +of scenery, and came back delighted with himself, having made a higher +climb than usual, and seen Nautgardstind in all the perfect beauty with +which the newly fallen snow had endowed him. + +It has already been mentioned that John does _not_ like walking uphill, +and when he makes a self-sacrificing and voluntary ascent as he did +to-day, he comes home brimming over with an excess of conscious virtue +which does not pass away until the genial influence of a good meal and a +pipe has reduced him to the level of all humanity. + +On his way home he heard a feeble squeak in a bush, and peering in +discovered a small animal which he at first took for a guinea-pig; but +soon, perceiving that it must be a lemming, his natural impulse was to +poke it with a stick. This was his first interview with one, though they +are common enough up here; and he is disposed to think them morose in +disposition; but really he ought to have recognised the fact that the +thin end of a walking-stick is not a means of intercourse at all likely +to arouse the sympathy of any animal, least of all that of a juvenile +lemming, who is obviously overcome with drowsiness, and wants to be let +alone. + +The winter is now coming on apace, and already every fall of rain down +here is a snowstorm in the mountains, and every clear night means a +biting frost up there. Esau, scaling the heights of Bes Hoe with Jens in +search of deer, found none on account of the mist, and in addition to +the danger of getting lost, a new peril was added by the snow. It +appeared that during the night a severe frost had immediately followed +the rain and coated everything with ice, then snow had fallen to the +depth of three inches, and on the top of that rain and sharp frost +again. The result was that at every step they broke through the crust of +ice on the top, and sank through the three inches of soft snow on to the +lower stratum of ice. This was all very well as long as they were on +rough ground; but the snow making every place look the same, in one +instance they got on to one of the steep little glaciers which are +common on Bes Hoe, without knowing that they had done so: and suddenly +Jens lost his footing and began to slide downwards at a terrific speed. +It seemed to Esau that he would shoot straight down into Rus Vand, +looking very blue and cold three thousand feet below; but a friendly +boulder intervened, and by its assistance, and by spreading himself out +like a gigantic spider, he managed to arrest his wild career, and they +got safe across the treacherous glacier. + +They had to cross another on their return, which was done with fear and +trembling; but although the difficulties of this kind of stalking when +unaccompanied by deer may seem to outnumber the pleasures, still +occasionally they were on fairly safe ground, and could get their hearts +out of their mouths for a few brief moments. At such times the splendid +view of all our old Gjendin mountains rising tier after tier behind each +other, a boundless sea of peaks and domes and jagged crags, all robed in +purest white, with the sun lighting up the virgin snow almost too +brightly for the eye to rest on; the keen frosty air; and the solemn +stillness, only broken now and again by the twittering of a flock of +snow buntings, amply repaid them for the arduous climb. + +Then a few minutes of glorious excitement as, by the aid of glissades, +they shot down the steeps that it had needed hours of hard labour to +surmount, and they were back on the shores of Rus Vand, where at present +the snow had hardly begun to lie. + + [Illustration: Glissading home after a blank day] + +In spite of the cold we had some first-rate fishing, and Esau caught a +trout which he asserted to be the very best fish for shape, condition, +and colour, that ever came out of Rus Lake, or anywhere else. Though not +as large as many we have caught, being only 21/2 lbs., it certainly was a +beauty, and resembled the perfect fish that are occasionally seen in an +oil painting, but very seldom encountered in tangible, edible form. + +The Rus trout, like those of Gjendin, are quite silvery, almost as +bright as a salmon, but with a few pink spots instead of black ones, and +uncommonly pretty they look when fresh out of the water. + + [Illustration: Rus Lake from the Eastern End: Tyknings Hoe and + Memurutind in the distance] + +Too soon evening put an end to our sport, and when the last rays of the +setting sun had tinted the distant snow with a delicate pink hue which +lingered, paled, and faded as the cold silvery light of the moon began +to assert its sway, the keen air drove us home, and made us content to +enjoy from the hut door the lovely clear night which succeeded so bright +a day. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXII. + +A LAST STALK. + + +_September 16._--The morning did not belie its fair promise, but opened +as brightly as the most exacting hunter could require. + + [Illustration: Off! A Reindeer recollecting an engagement] + +Esau and Jens made a last laborious and fruitless stalk, trying not only +the whole Rus Valley, but crossing the mountains northwards into +Veodalen and traversing all the slopes of Glitretind, a most splendid +sight just now with his towering pyramid, 8,140 feet high. Such a walk +would have been impossible but for the snow, which had been reduced by +the wind to the consistence of hard sand, and made the going as good as +it could be. + +Esau, who saw nothing all day, was a little annoyed on his return to +hear that John had wandered but a short distance up Nautgardstind to +gloat over the view, and there walked almost into a reindeer buck; +which, as John was armed with no more deadly weapon than a +double-barrelled field glass, had escaped uninjured. 'Twas ever thus. + +However, the mention of this buck opened on John's devoted head the +floodgates of Esau's memory, and he insisted on telling about his last +stalk here two years ago, as follows:-- + +'By George! I shall never forget how Jens and I turned out that morning +across the same precipice that you passed to get up Nautgardstind: we +started pretty early because it was my last day, and I had sworn to +catch something or perish. + +'About ten o'clock we saw four deer, a fine buck and three does, on a +long narrow snow-drift on the east side of the mountain: they were about +a mile off and moving away, with the wind blowing straight from them to +us; so we went after them as fast as we could, without much attempt at +concealment at first. + +'Presently they left the snow and turned to the left, as if to skirt +round the mountain, we still following and getting rather nearer to +them. They seemed very restless and kept moving, and at last began to +trot, and soon got out of our sight. + +'We were half an hour without seeing them again, and at last Jens +discovered them far down below us in the large valley where you saw that +one to-day. The place where they were was quite unapproachable, but Jens +pointed out a sort of pass by which he thought it was likely they might +leave the valley, and so we went and hid ourselves in a convenient nook +fifty yards to the leeward of that place. + +'There we lay in a bitterly cold wind for an hour, and then the deer +began to come in our direction. Now was the critical moment: there were +two practicable routes in the pass; would they choose the nearer one, +which would give me a shot, or the other? They stopped a little time to +look for food, and provokingly grazed their way very slowly towards the +wrong one, and then all of a sudden seemed to make up their minds and +turned to the right one. The cold and cramp were forgotten as the deer +came within three hundred yards and were nearing us quickly, and, with +rifle cocked, I was already wondering whether the buck's horns were in +velvet or not, and thinking what a splendid coat he had; when without +any warning a storm of sleet swept down upon us, and a dense mist +drifted over the mountain and shut out from our gaze the rocky pass and +deer alike wrapped in impenetrable gloom. + +'For fully half an hour this lasted, and then the mist cleared as +quickly as it had come, the sleet stopped, and the sun shone out, making +the ground fairly smoke: but, alas! the deer were gone. We looked for +their tracks, and found that they had actually passed within forty yards +of us during the storm; but our chance was missed, and there was nothing +for it but to renew the search. + +'Another hour of walking, and Jens' quick eye caught sight of them, this +time high above our heads on some snow near the top of Nautgardstind, +and at last, thank goodness, lying down. There seemed to be a +possibility of getting to them, and we spent another hour crawling like +serpents in the attempt, only to find our way barred when we were within +four hundred yards by a ridge over which we could not pass unseen. + +'However, from there we saw plainly that we could approach them by going +up the mountain, and then coming quite straight down above them, with +hardly any difficult ground to traverse. So we performed that weary +crawl back again, until we were safely out of sight, and then went up +Nautgardstind at a speed that has never been equalled. + +'Half an hour took us to the top, and then Jens made the only mistake in +a stalk that I ever saw: he got his bearings wrong somehow, and thought +that the deer were on one bit of snow, the top end of which we could +see, while I thought they were on another. Of course I had much more +confidence in Jens' opinion than in my own, but it turned out that he +was wrong, and in crawling to the place where he expected them to be, we +unluckily came into full view of the snow where they really were--a fact +which was made unpleasantly apparent to us by our suddenly catching +sight of four deer galloping down the drift two hundred yards away. + +'I took a careful aim at the buck, but fired too low, and the bullet +broke his fore-leg, which did not prevent him from following the does, +though at a reduced pace. Now I think our best chance would have been to +remain perfectly still, and trust to his stopping in time in some place +where I could get to him; but Jens was terribly excited, begging me to +shoot, and my own head was by no means as cool as it should have been, +so I sat on a rock and fired away all my remaining cartridges except +two, at the gradually receding form of the reindeer: I suppose at the +last shot he was five hundred yards away, and I don't think I ever hit +him again. + +'Presently he got round the corner to the right, and into the next +valley, where a few days before I had killed two deer; and as I ran to +the right above him an astonishing sight met my gaze. The valley was +full of deer, about fifty altogether, in three distinct herds, and they +were all running about frightened by the firing, and not sure in which +direction it would be safe to go. + +'While we watched them from our peak a mile above, a buck and two does +with a calf left the herd, and began to come towards the very snowdrift +on which the four deer were lying when we made the fatal mistake. What +became of the rest we never knew, nor whither our wounded buck went; for +when we saw this fresh four making for the drift, it occurred to us to +run towards the top and try to intercept them if they should attempt to +ascend the mountain on the snow, as we expected they would. + +'Off we ran at top speed over terribly rough ground, and before we got +nearly in shot of the top of the long drift we saw the deer get on to it +at the bottom, and begin to gallop up with their untiring stride. It was +simply a race, with long odds on the Running Rein; and soon we saw them +standing at the top, while we were still over two hundred yards from it. +Then for the first time they saw us (for the drift was in a ravine, and +out of our sight as we ran), and they turned to flee, but Jens somehow +managed to find breath enough to whistle, and the deer stopped for a +moment. + +'I fired my last two cartridges, but in the condition to which I was +reduced by the run I could not have hit a haystack, and no damage was +done. So we turned homewards with deep and abiding sorrow in our hearts, +too despondent to look again for our wounded buck, or to see what became +of the other herds. + +'In those days I always took out seven cartridges, which I fondly +imagined to be a lucky number; but after this I solemnly registered two +vows: firstly, never to go out with so few again; and secondly, never to +shoot them all away at absurd distances in the forlorn hope of killing a +wounded deer.' Esau here paused for a moment or two, and then resumed: +'By Jove, I did make myself agreeable to the Skipper when I got home +that night. I remember he said----' + +But John thought it was _his_ turn to have a few weeks' conversation, +and rudely interrupted Esau's reminiscences by calling his attention to +some writing which, like Belshazzar, he had detected on the wall above +his bed. It was in pencil, and seemed to have been written in +prehistoric times, for it was all illegible except the first two lines, +and even those required a great deal of deciphering by the aid of a +dripping candle, while Esau knelt on his bunk and flattened his nose +against the log wall, before he could read them. Then after licking the +tip of a pencil for a long time in meditative silence, he scrawled the +remainder of the poem underneath, so that the whole composition read as +follows:-- + + A reindeer three miles off you spy, + And to shoot that reindeer you will try. + First a mile at the top of your speed you go, + Then you climb a mile up loose rocks and snow, + Then a mile on your hands and knees you crawl, + And---- + +(when you have executed these little manoeuvres and arrived at the place +with your garments all in tatters and your whole body a mass of bruises +in all probability you will either find that the insidious animal has +removed himself to the uttermost ends of the earth five minutes before +your appearance on the scene, or else you _do_ get a shot at him and) + + ----you miss that reindeer after all. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII. + +HOMEWARD BOUND. + + +_September 17._--Our ears were gladdened by the sound of Ivar's hoarse +cachinnation some time during the night or early morning, and on turning +out he informed us that he should have been here yesterday, but his cart +had been smashed on the road beyond Hind Saeter: however, he had patched +it up and got it to the saeter; so we distributed our goods on the two +ponies, after seizing our last chance of a 'square meal,' by eating an +enormous breakfast of venison pie, cutlets, and trout. + +All our stores came to an end yesterday, except candles and soap. The +latter article has for some time been lying in great bars on a shelf as +a reproach to us, and we were glad to get it out of our sight to-day, +and 'give it to the men,' as we would anything else that is repulsive to +our feelings. There were a few scraps of other delicacies which we +divided among the retainers, and then taking with us a fore-quarter of +'stor bock' for our own consumption on the journey, and a hind-quarter +carefully sewn up in the sail of Esau's canoe, and intended as a present +for Mr. Thomas, we regretfully took leave of the little hut, and started +for Besse Saeter. + +Oela and Jens were sent down the Russen River, which is the nearest way +to Hind Saeter; and Ivar was to meet us at the eastern end of Sjoedals +Lake as soon as he could get there. + +We paused at the brow of the hill to have a last look at the beautiful +lake and quaint little huts, and to take off our hats to grand old +Nautgardstind, to whom we hoped we were not bidding an eternal 'farvel;' +and then we turned across the fjeld, and, losing sight of the Rus +valley, were soon looking forward again to the change and uncertainty of +the homeward journey. + +From Besse Saeter, which was reached at noon, we launched our craft into +the lake with a nasty side-wind blowing, which delayed our progress +considerably, so that we took an hour to reach the lower end of the +lake, a distance of not quite four miles. + +There we found Ivar with his pony and sleigh, on which the canoe was +conveyed to the junction of the Sjoa and Russen Rivers, where Esau +launched her again and ran the rapids down to Ruslien Saeter, a very fine +bit of stream, in which the canoe could only just manage to live. + +Finding that the saeter girls were still here, we went in and asked for +milk. They suggested cream: amendment carried without a division. A huge +bowl of the thickest and most delicious cream was set before us, which +we, armed with two enormous spoons, attacked and soon consumed utterly, +with an indefinite amount of fladbrod and cheese. Charge for the whole, +sixpence! We have no hesitation in saying that the cream alone would +have been worth its weight in gold in Piccadilly. + +We then regained our craft, and had a delightful cruise down to Hind +Saeter, the stream going at mill-race speed all the way, so that we did +the two and a half miles in fifteen minutes, arriving long before our +cavalcade of men and ponies, who started twenty minutes before us, while +we were discussing the cream. + +The saeter was deserted for the winter, but Ivar produced his cart from +the bed of a stream where he had left it to improve the wheels, and at +half-past five we, with Jens and one cart, resumed our journey, leaving +the other two men with the canoe to follow us. + +We had originally intended to make the journey to Lillehammer from here +entirely by canoe down the Sjoa until it joined the Laagen, but the +premature departure of the Skipper knocked that little scheme on the +head. + +It would have been a tremendous enterprise, for the Sjoa is such a +turbulent river that there would have been a great deal of portage to be +done; but we had agreed to allow a fortnight for it, and were looking +forward to it with great delight. The Laagen is a fairly navigable river +all the way, with the exception of a few very large falls; but there is +a good road by its side, so that we should have had no difficulty if we +had been lucky enough ever to reach it. However, + + The best laid schemes o' mice an' men + Gang aft a-gley; + +and we were reduced to the prosaic necessity of walking, and helping to +hold our luggage onto a jolting cart. + +As we gradually descended into the birch-woods we were much struck by +the beautiful effects of the variegated autumn tints, and soon the +brilliant reds and yellows of the birches began to contrast with the +dark green of the fir trees, the light greyish green of the lichen, and +rich brown and purple of the ground and undergrowth. It was so long +since we had seen any trees, that their beauty seemed to come to us +quite as a new sensation. + +Below Hind Saeter the road lay through dense forests of pines for mile +after mile, with hardly any change except where we got occasional +glimpses of the Sjoa tearing madly along far beneath us--so far that +only a faint murmur came up from the leaping, hurrying waters. Hour +after hour we walked, and still the same dark forest gloomed above us, +so remote from the busy haunts of men that it seems not to be worth any +one's while to cut the trees except for use in the immediate +neighbourhood, and hundreds of them lie naked and dead as they have +fallen before the fury of the gale, and slowly rot or are devoured by +insects until their place is ready for a successor. + +As the shades of evening began to close, we were several times startled +as the huge body of a capercailzie darted across the road at a pace +which seemed impossible to such an enormous bird, and with an absence of +noise that appeared equally unnatural. + +About half-past eight we came to a more open part of the forest, and +soon we saw a glimmering light ahead: Jens cheerily said, 'Ransvaerk;' +and in a few more minutes we pulled up at the door of a large saeter. + +Without knocking Jens opened the door, and we walked in and struck a +light. There was the usual fireplace and table, and in the further +corner a bed, which, as we presently perceived, was occupied by two +girls. This discovery embarrassed us a little; but no one else, least of +all the girls themselves, appeared to be at all disconcerted. + +In our favoured land a woman would probably be slightly concerned if she +were aroused from sleep by the unceremonious entrance into her room of +three men, two of them ruffianly-looking strangers of foreign exterior; +but not so these artless beings. The elder one at once got out of bed +and proceeded to dress, while her sister remained where she was and soon +fell asleep. + +When the dressing commenced, we, being innocent young bachelors, retired +and remained outside till it was finished, but we do not believe she +appreciated our delicacy at all. + +Then this poor girl, no doubt very tired after a hard day's work at +cheese-making, proceeded to relight the fire, prepare coffee, and broil +some venison for us. And just as we finished a hearty meal, Oela and Ivar +arrived, so that she had to begin all over again for them. Finally, in +spite of our remonstrances, she dragged her sister out of the bed, and +insisted on our having it, while they went and slept in another building +a few yards away. So John took the bed they had vacated, while Esau made +a couch for himself in the cheese-room, and we slept the sleep of the +hard-worked, virtuous, penniless wanderer. + +Verily they have a better idea in Norway of true hospitality than in any +other country under the sun. + + +_September 18._--How strange that our return to the haunts of men should +be chiefly marked by the sparseness of the fare provided for breakfast! +A tin of sardines took the place of the usual trout; and although +Ransvaerk consists of a group of several saeters, and almost attains to +the dignity of a village, and our quarters were in the largest and most +imposing mansion, there were no forks or spoons to be obtained, and we +had to fish our sardines out of their native oil with a Tollekniv, +assisted by a finger, and convey them to our mouths with the same +implements. + +After breakfast Esau and Jens turned out in pursuit of capercailzie, +which abound in the forest here; but though they persevered until three +o'clock, and got several shots, the annoying birds all 'went on,' as an +English keeper generally says when you ask, 'Did you see if I killed +that rabbit?' + +Esau had used up all his large shot at ducks up at Gjendin, and his +cartridges were perfectly ineffectual at such a strong bird as the +capercailzie. Besides this, they are extremely wary, and always rise +about thirty yards from the shooter; they fly quite straight, and so are +very easy to hit; but though Esau knocked clouds of feathers out of them +at every shot, and did bring one to the ground which, from the closeness +of the underwood, could not be gathered, he was obliged to submit to +disappointment for once. + +In one part of the forest they heard a raven shrieking angrily +('skriking,' Jens called it, which has the same meaning in North country +dialect), and going to the place were in time to see a goshawk gliding +swiftly away with some victim in its grasp. In another place there were +a lot of squirrels, which Jens induced Esau to shoot for some purpose of +his own. What that purpose was we could only guess by seeing him gather +a bunch of beautiful wild currants and some flowers just before reaching +the saeter, and then brush his hair and march out with his bouquet, +berries, and squirrel-skins to some place unknown. + +Soon after three o'clock we resumed our march, and almost directly +quitted the good Vaage road along which we travelled last night, and +took to a cow track on the right. The cart with the canoe had a very +rough time of it for the first five or six miles, jolting and bumping in +and out of holes, bogs, and ruts, and over boulders and logs in a most +appalling manner; then we had a piece of decent road again, and at the +finish another mile of rough track. + +Soon after starting we passed the saeter where Jens lives when he is not +hunting in the mountains, and Esau wishing to see what kind of +snow-shoes they use in this part of the country, Jens ran up to the +house and fetched his 'skier.' To give an idea of the absurd honesty +which prevails here, we noticed that though Jens had been absent from +home for the last two months, and the windows were shuttered up, yet the +door was only latched; and after the inspection of the snow-shoes, Jens +would not trouble to take them back, but simply left them by the side of +the road, to wait his return three or four days hence. + +Another instance illustrating the same simplicity occurred to us once +when travelling in quite a different part of Norway. When changing +carioles at a station our baggage was all heaped together on the +road-side, and as we wanted to stay there an hour or so for dinner, and +this was a main road with a fair amount of traffic, we suggested to the +landlord that our goods had better be brought inside the station. He +merely looked up at the sky with a weather-wise eye, and replied, 'Oh +no, I'm sure it won't rain.' + +Our route to-day through the forest was most beautiful, at one time +descending to the level of the Sjoa, and even struggling along its bed +where the going on the bank seemed to be inferior, at another climbing +up and up and ever higher, until we stood on the summit of the range of +hills which confine this valley on the northern side. It is called +Hedalen, and is one of those strikingly beautiful half-cultivated +Norwegian dales which occupy the space between civilisation and the +untouched realms of nature. + +This evening, the setting sun throwing a rich golden glow over the +scene, and lighting up the brilliant autumnal colours of the trees, gave +us an opportunity of seeing it quite at its best. + +Gradually the forest began to get more open, and the road to improve. +Several peasants in picturesque garb were seen on the wayside: rough +buildings became more frequent, and fields and fences quite common; at +first only pasture land, but soon corn-fields and patches of potatoes. + +Then at last in the twilight we make a swift descent from the ridge +along which the road runs; a short plunge through a thicket, down a +grassy track; a bridge over a little stream; and as we breast the +opposite bank, a pile of buildings looming in front and looking +perfectly gigantic to our eyes, so long accustomed to the tiniest of +huts; and Jens points up, cracks his whip, and says, 'Bjoelstad.' The +pony boils up something like 'a trot for the avenue,' and rattles the +cart into a large square courtyard, tenanted only by two huge dogs; and +as a cheery old Norseman rushes out in great excitement to welcome us +and lead us into a bright, clean, curtained room, we feel that we have +said farewell to the delights of savage life, and will probably have to +put on a necktie to-morrow. + +Here we parted with our faithful Jens, and very sorry we were to do so, +as we think him a first-rate fellow: a man with a bright eye and stolid +demeanour; naturally silent, but game for anything; a keen sportsman and +wonderful stalker, and without a particle of the laziness and sulkiness +which characterised Oela. + +Here, for the first time since leaving Lillehammer in July, we slept +between sheets. + +Our own and only Ivar has volunteered to what he calls 'transportare' +all our baggage in his cart down to Lillehammer, distant about eighty +miles hence, for the sum of twenty-two shillings. This sounds +unreasonable, but it was his own suggestion, so we did not argue the +point, only stipulating that he should be there by noon on Tuesday, +to-day being Saturday, and leaving the details to him. + +Our thoughts were here recalled to the Skipper and his adventures by +finding the following note from him:-- + + 'DEAR ESAU,--I have left behind me here certain of what the Romans + so appropriately called "impedimenta," and hope that you will be + able to bring them home for me. I got an old, old man with a small + cart to bring my luggage down from Ransvaerk. It was a wet day. + I walked the first nine miles while the old man and the rain were + both driving. This ancient driveller seemed to imagine it was a + fine day, and had hung on his best coat and hat, further + aggravating his appearance with a spotted kerchief and a light + heart. He seemed remarkably cheerful, as carolling he drove his + carjole and cajoled his horse through the dripping pine forests. + I arrived here at midday, and the owner, Ivar Tofte, came out to + meet me. He took a great fancy to me, and we finished together a + bottle of the most delicious aquavit, which he produced from a + cellar where it had been laid down in the time of the Vikings. + It is a pity neither of you can speak the language! + + 'Yours haughtily, + + 'THE SKIPPER.' + +We found that the 'impedimenta' of which the Skipper had spoken were 147 +loaded cartridges wrapped up in a flannel shirt, the whole being +enveloped in a partially cured reindeer-skin. + +We were further reminded of our lost one by looking in the Day-book (or +traveller's name-book), where his was the last English name. This was +not surprising, for though Bjoelstad is a posting station, it is a very +out-of-the-way place; but we looked back for two years without finding +that any other Englishman had been here, and then the Skipper's name +occurred again. Between these dates the names were all Norwegian, and +there were not very many even of them. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV. + +BJOeLSTAD. + + +_Sunday, September 19._--Bjoelstad is an ancient Norwegian homestead, and +consists of several separate buildings surrounding a central rectangular +court. The house that we slept in bears the date of 1818, and is the +most modern as well as the largest of the group; it is really a suite of +state apartments for the use of the king on the rare occasions when he +visits this part of his dominions. + +On the left-hand side of the courtyard as we stand at the door of our +state apartments, is a very quaint and picturesque old house with a +handsome porch, built in the Byzantine style, date 1743, and in this the +owner lives whenever he comes to this farm. + +Opposite to us is another building even more curious in its +architecture, and considerably older than the other; and the remaining +side of the yard is occupied by another more modern edifice, used +chiefly as a storehouse. Besides these there are several other detached +outbuildings, in which sleighs, ploughs, spare cooking utensils, rugs, +and various other useful and useless articles are kept, including all +the fittings and even the weathercock of an ancient church which used to +stand close to the farm, but which is now demolished and partly reduced +to firewood. + + [Illustration: Old Buildings in the Courtyard at Bjoelstad] + +The owner of all this grandeur is one Ivar Tofte, a wealthy yeoman who +has several other farms in other parts of the country, one of which is +much larger and more important even than Bjoelstad; and we were lucky +enough to find this Northern Croesus at home, for it turned out that he +was the cheery old man in the shocking bad hat who had run out to +welcome us last night. + +This morning he came into our room after breakfast, with a bottle of +aquavit in his hand wherewith to drink our health. Now to refuse this +ceremony is an unpardonable insult, but we had tasted aquavit before, +and had a wholesome dread of the nauseous compound, reeking of carraway +seeds and aniseed, which we were accustomed to expect out of an aquavit +bottle. So we poured out very small glasses, clinked them in approved +manner, and raised them to our lips as we uttered the magic word Skaal, +more with a feeling of disgust than any other sensation. And then it was +beautiful to see a heavenly smile steal over Esau's ingenuous +countenance; while John, softly murmuring, 'Chartreuse, by George!' +reached for the bottle, and with a shout of 'Skaal Ivar Tofte,' +proceeded to fill himself a bumper. It was a perfect liqueur, soft, +delicate, and mellow, as probably age alone could have made it; and we +drank Skaal to 'Gammle Norge,' and England, and Kong Oscar, and Queen +Vict_oo_ria, and Ivar Tofte again, and then ourselves again; whereupon +the old man perceived that we appreciated his 'cuvee de reserve,' and +went for another full bottle, which he left in our room, so that we +could 'put it to our lips when we felt so dispoged.' + +After this, John, feeling at once genial and liberal, announced his +intention of buying a sheenfelt (sheepskin rug) for importation into +England; and Tofte with an aged retainer volunteered to show us his +stores of sheepskins. + +First our guide procured a bunch of enormous keys, such as Bluebeard +would have hanging from his waist in a pantomime, labelled 'Key of the +Wine-cellar. Umbrella stand. Fowl-house. Potted shrimps. Cupboard where +the jam's kept,' &c., &c. Then he marched off to one of the buildings, +followed by us and the other old man, whose profession was apparently to +exalt Bjoelstad sheenfelts, and to debase--as far as extreme volubility +and strict inattention to the elements of truth would enable him to +accomplish that object--an ancient one which John wished to give in part +payment. + +Bluebeard led us up some stairs to the Blue Chamber, where we saw +hanging in a row the skins, not of his deceased wives, but of many +'timid-glancing, herbage-cropping, fleecy flocks,' to use the beautiful +and touching language of the Greek poet. Then the two accomplices +selected the sheenfelt which they intended us to buy, and began to +expatiate on its beauties in terms of undisguised admiration; and after +half an hour's huckstering and haggling, of course they persuaded John +to take that and no other. However, it was a beautiful specimen of this +kind of rug, of a dark grey colour, and very thick, warm, and heavy; so +both sides were highly satisfied, and proceeded to the drinking of more +aquavit in celebration of the bargain. + +The weather was so unpleasant, and Bluebeard and his aquavit were so +engaging, that we decided not to leave here till to-morrow. Our host was +delighted to hear this, and at once went for more aquavit, which he +appears to consider the first necessity of life; and then he proceeded +to show us round his ancestral halls, as though he were a sober old +verger of Westminster Abbey. + +There was a sort of old-world Rip van Winkle sleepiness about Bjoelstad +very soothing to men who like us have lived in the nineteenth century +for some few years. All the varlets and handmaidens were dressed in the +old native costume, so appropriate to the ancient wooden buildings with +quaintly carved eaves and doorways, about which they hovered. In the +courtyard were two enormous dogs, that barked loudly whenever we +appeared, but at the same time wagged their tails and looked imbecile +and good natured. There were also four geese, who meant to be sitting +basking in the rain, but as soon as anybody came to one of the numerous +doors, or crossed the yard, they all stood up and quacked solemnly +fourteen times each, then hissed once, and sat down again; and as some +one was always moving about the court, the quiet rest of those birds was +more anticipatory than real; but they alone of all the living creatures +at Bjoelstad appeared to have any fixed employment which demanded +constant attention. + +Bluebeard first took us through the state apartments, which contained +many curious and interesting things of all ages, from an axe nearly a +thousand years old, to a Birmingham plated teapot won at the Christiania +horse show in 1860. + +The Toftes boast themselves descended from Harald Haarfager, and are so +proud of their ancestry, that from time immemorial they have never +married out of their own family. If dear old Bluebeard may be accepted +as an ordinary result of this system, it must be confessed that it has +its advantages. + +The things that he chiefly delighted to show us were those which had +been used by the king during his occasional visits, the most curious +being a large stone table made of one enormous slab not more than +three-quarters of an inch thick, but very hard and elastic, more like a +steel plate than stone; gorgeously embroidered counterpanes and chairs; +some very old ploughs and sleighs; and a brass-bound box with a +marvellous representation of Adam and Eve, very evidently before the +Fall, and the most remarkable thing in serpents which the wildest flight +of human imagination has yet conceived. There were some very nice silver +utensils and ornaments, but not many, as most of his plate is kept at +his largest farm. All that he had here was in a cupboard with a rubbishy +unlocked deal door, standing in John's bedroom; a fact which speaks +volumes for the trusting simplicity and total inability to read a man's +character from his appearance, caused by a millennium of marrying your +cousin once removed. Poor Bluebeard! he little thought what a viper he +was nurturing in his bosom, or rather in his chest (his plate chest), +and that in that room lay one who could perhaps, if he would, answer the +questions-- + +Who took the Gainsborough? + +Who has the Dudley diamonds? + +Who stole the donkey? and + +Where's the cat? + +N.B.--John has now a large collection of ancient Norwegian silver, +counterpanes, belts, tankards, knives, and ornaments to dispose of at +very low prices if no questions are asked. --ADVT. + + +_September 20._--We left Bjoelstad in carioles on a real road about nine +o'clock, Bluebeard himself assisting in the operation of harnessing the +ponies and packing the baggage. Just as we were driving off, +a brilliantly original idea occurred to him, and he said, 'Come in and +taste my aquavit.' We did not like to refuse an old grey-haired man's +simple request, so descended and drank another Skaal to all the usual +loyal, patriotic, and festive toasts, and then we drove off murmuring +somewhat indistinctly, 'Shkaal Iva' Tofte Shhkaal Iv Toffie Shko Toffy. +Jolly good fler-ole-shole-Toffy.' + +All day we drove, and ever as we descended the Hedalen valley with the +noisy Sjoa on our right hand, the farming kept improving, and the +country becoming more populous; and we saw many families digging +potatoes, many pigs roaming free and unmolested as they do in Ireland, +and a few men bringing up stores from the town for the long season of +snowed-up dreariness now so near at hand. Jens told us that in winter, +even so far to the south as Vaage, the sun only rises about eleven, and +sets at one o'clock, giving barely three hours of daylight in midwinter; +though he said that in the mountains where he spends his time hunting, +there is rather more light than in the valleys. + +It may be well to explain in what manner so much information was +obtained from men whose language was unknown to us, and to whom ours was +equally incomprehensible. + +The glorious principle of co-operation did it all. The Skipper spoke +Norse with great elegance and fluency, but did not understand it at all. +Esau could understand it perfectly, but was unable to express himself in +that tongue to even a limited extent; and John could neither speak nor +understand a word. Consequently our united accomplishments were equal +to meeting any emergency that might arise, even to the disentanglement +of such a coil as-- + +_Brandforsikringsselskabet_, or-- + +_Sommermaandernepassagerbekvemmeligheder_, + +or any other of the little complex words that an educated Norwegian can +construct. It is wonderful to hear the natives launch out into one of +these cataracts: they do it fearlessly, and steer through the whole with +unflagging fortitude, and very seldom with any fatal results. + +The hay harvest seemed to be quite finished except on the roofs of the +houses, where some people were still cutting and carrying their crops. +The barley had just been reaped, and was now being dried by the process +of impalement, a dozen sheaves, one above the other, being transfixed by +a pole stuck into the ground, just as a naughty boy sticks a row of +moths on a long pin, or as the unfortunate Bulgarians were supposed to +be exhibited during the 'atrocity' scare. Can it be possible that those +stories arose from the distant contemplation of a barley-field? + + [Illustration: Barley Sheaves: A Norwegian 'Atrocity'] + +The Norwegians also dry their hay in a different manner from that +usually practised in England. They erect high hurdles made of larch +poles in lines at intervals all over the field, and on these they hang +the hay to dry as we hang towels on a horse, and it is by this means so +well exposed to both air and sun that it dries very quickly. No doubt +the hurdles are also very useful in spring as a shelter for the young +lambs. + +The weather kept improving so much that we grew quite jubilant, and the +ever-changing scenes that opened before us seemed full of life and +brightness, and we looked with a certain amount of pleasure on even the +magpies, which sat on the fences in scores, pluming their black-green +feathers, and talking things over quietly to themselves. So different +from the wary magpie of England, who, knowing that he is an Ishmael, +glories in the fact, and shrieks defiance to mankind at the top of his +voice and a tree. + +For three hours we followed the brawling Sjoa through scenery that would +bear comparison with Switzerland, and then we reached the spot where it +joins the mighty Laagen, and crossing the latter by a picturesque but +discouraging bridge, soon struck the main road, and pulled up for our +first change of ponies at Storklevstad, nineteen miles from Bjoelstad. + +At another place further on we found a shop kept by a Norwegian Yankee, +and entered it to buy some sugar-candy, wherewith to appease our +cariole-boy. This storekeeper informed us that the emigration from +Norway to the States was enormous just now, especially to Minnesota and +Wisconsin, and that no less than sixteen men had gone this year from the +little village of Vaage--a place which does not strike one as being +likely to contain that number of able-bodied men at one time. Oela had +told us that five of his brethren were in Minnesota, but that he himself +had no intention of leaving his native country; and this we thought to +be well, for if he were to join them we are convinced that any +enterprise in which they might be engaged would inevitably fail with his +invaluable co-operation and assistance--unless perhaps the Skipper could +be induced to go out there and occasionally exhort him. + +At Listad we lunched off a real white tablecloth; that is to say, we ate +not the cloth, but everything eatable that was placed on it. + +We also found a note from the Skipper asking us to bring along one or +two little things that he had been obliged to leave behind in his +hurried flight, just as the allied armies kept finding Napoleon's +belongings at different places after Waterloo. The present loot +consisted of a coat, sleeping rug, and a towel. + +At Kirkestuen we quitted the track for the night, having made fifty +miles in about ten hours. This, according to our experience, is a fair +rate of progression in Norway; in fact, the traveller is more likely to +find the average below this than above, unless he drives the good little +ponies faster than they like to go, which is wrong. + +Here the three women who kept the station were immensely amused because +we asked for coffee with our food, and one of them took upon herself the +task of rebuking us for such dissipated habits, and explained at great +length that no respectable people ever did such a thing. 'Coffee,' she +said, 'should only be drunk during the day, gruel after sunset.' But we +persisted in our reckless demand, and they finally gave in, and produced +the delicious compound that may be expected at any wretched little +dwelling throughout the country. + +This was the first place where the papered rooms and iron stoves of +modern Norway obtruded themselves on our notice; but in spite of these +we were very comfortable, and think that Kirkestuen deserves all the +praise which we cannot find lavished upon it in any of the guide-books: +it is cheap, comfortable, and clean, and the food is excellent. If the +three young ladies who preside over its arrangements wish to send us any +little remuneration for this advertisement, we are agents for several +Central African Missions, to which we could hand it over; or, as 'best +aquavit' is a good deal appreciated by the missionaries themselves when +they are suffering from certain diseases peculiar to the Central African +climate, we would receive that liqueur in cases of not less than three +dozen in lieu of money. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXV. + +DOWN TO CHRISTIANIA. + + +_September 21._--The steadily improving weather of our homeward journey +is very pleasant, and already we are beginning to almost forget those +'Miseries in Cold and Grey' which were so conspicuous during our last +few days at Rus Vand. + +To-day we noticed that the whole population of the country appeared to +be engaged in the seductive pastime of potato-digging. One family that +we passed consisted of papa, mamma, and eight children of different +ages, all absorbed in this pursuit. The parents had gardening tools, the +elder children were using pickaxes and trowels, the younger ones +fire-shovels and wooden baking spades, and the mere babies were hard at +work with spoons and toasting-forks. + +Here and there we detected a few people still making hay, presumably +because they had no potatoes. In Norway the hill-sides are so steep and +rocky that there is not overmuch room for the cultivation of grass, so +they have to collect it from every available corner where a few sprays +of anything green can contrive to exist. As we have mentioned, they are +now curing grass on the house-tops, and to-day we saw a man with a +scythe about eighteen inches long, mowing in amongst the stones on the +river bank, and in some of the places where he went the scythe blade was +the only blade visible to the naked eye. One thing seems certain, that a +Norwegian _will_ make hay while the sun shines, even if he can only find +rocks out of which to make it. + +On this part of our journey we passed a great many spotted black and +white pigs: these pigs move with a greater dignity of bearing than the +ordinary white pig of Scandinavia, and altogether seem to consider +themselves superior to him, although they have not a curly tail. +Personally we think there is a certain subtle charm about the curly tail +of the white pig, a something that sets him off and renders him more +pleasing to the eye of the beholder than is a spotted pig with a +straight tail. However, our humble opinion does not seem at all to +affect the swagger of the spotted pig. + +Near Formoe we overtook a rosy-cheeked girl of about eighteen, astride a +bare-backed pony: the pony was seized with a spirit of emulation, and +insisted on accompanying the carioles for some distance in spite of her +efforts to stop it. + +The weather was now delightful; the roads were dry and dusty, and the +sun was so hot that the long cool shadows of the pine woods which at +frequent intervals hedge in the road were quite a welcome relief both to +us and our shaggy steeds. + +Ever as we followed the almost imperceptible descent of the road, the +great river Laagen became wider, deeper, and bluer, as it gathered +increased volume from the numberless tributaries which flow into it from +every hill, till at length at Fossegaarden it plunged over a series of +ledges in a splendid succession of falls, and after winding awhile amid +fir-clad islands and shaded grassy banks, it flowed into the Mjoesen Lake +and was lost, while we on the road above, rounding the last corner and +turning to the east, soon found ourselves in Lillehammer, which really +looked quite a towny little town. + +Esau stopped at Fossegaarden a couple of hours to throw a fly in the +tempting-looking water below the falls, and was rewarded at the first +cast by a rise from a fish whose peculiar wriggling and rolling soon +showed him to be a grayling; and before leaving, the bag was filled with +some very fine specimens of this beautiful and delicate fish. + +We were greeted as old friends at the Victoria Hotel, where Ivar had +already arrived with our things. Then we ordered our own dinner, and +told the host to supply Ivar with whatever he wanted regardless of +expense (the result of this reckless munificence was a bill for nearly +two shillings); and in the happy frame of mind produced on both sides by +this course we settled our accounts with him, and giving him all our +worn-out garments and some candles and matches, we parted with the last +of our henchmen. + +By the way, we here found a note from the Skipper asking us to bring +home a pair of shooting boots, three socks, and the remains of what had +apparently been a pocket handkerchief; but the obvious course that +suggested itself was 'give 'em to the men,' and we insisted on Ivar +taking these valuables. + + +_September 22._--With the utmost difficulty, by threats and coercion +Esau was induced to leave his bed, and dragged to the steamer in time +for her departure, as, if left to his own inclinations, he would have +remained in his insidious couch until this globe had performed its +diurnal revolution. + +As it was, the 'Skiblaedner' was indulging in a final premonitory shriek +before leaving the pier when we came hurrying and stumbling down the +hill at all paces, and we only stepped aboard just as she threw off the +last detaining rope. + +The steamer was at first very empty, but more people joined us at every +stopping-place, of which there are about a dozen on the lake. Some of +these are little villages, with only the bright roofs and church spire +peeping out from among the fir trees; others no more than a +landing-stage projecting into the blue waters, and no other indications +of life save perhaps a couple of idle fishing boats and a flagstaff. + +The morning was so calm and fine, that the grayling playing under the +shore made the only break in the otherwise unruffled surface of the +lake, and it seemed strange to find ourselves back in summer again, +having left winter with its snow and frosts far above us up at Rus Vand +only a few days ago. + +At Hamar some English people came aboard, so that we had some one to +talk to. At every place where the steamer stopped and fresh passengers +came off in boats to meet us, it seemed to be customary that they should +take off their hats to the captain on the bridge as they pulled up +alongside: even when we passed the smallest places without stopping, +merely throwing the mail bag into a boat as we darted by, the +fresh-water sailors on the steamer all took off their hats to the +fresh-water sailors ashore, the latter always returning the salutation; +and considering the fact that two steamers pass every day, this +indicates no small degree of politeness. + +There is a great amount of character to be noticed among the natives +during a voyage on the lake, and although they are badly and even +grotesquely dressed (for the pretty old costume has quite disappeared in +this part of the country, and its modern substitute is hideous), still +their old-fashioned manners and simple courtesy are very striking; and +in spite of their love of a little mild ostentation they are so quiet +and well behaved, that they would appear to great advantage if +contrasted with the crowd that may be found say on a Greenwich steamer. + +At Eidsvold we left the steamer for the train which was waiting to +receive us, and about nightfall were once more in Christiania, and after +a sumptuous supper went to rest in sumptuous beds, thinking ere we fell +asleep of how to-morrow we should again have to submit ourselves to the +yoke of civilisation, to discard our flannel shirts for linen ones and +stick-up collars, to throw aside our shooting boots, and again bite off +our nails, which have grown to their natural length under the soothing +influence of a long spell of unworried conscience. + + +_September 23._--We found Christiania this morning almost as hot as we +left it, the streets all dry and dusty, and the trees parched for want +of rain; and the sunshine was very pleasant as we wandered about the +town into the various shops, purchasing articles by the assistance of +which we hoped to attain popularity among our relatives on our arrival +in England. + +The shopkeepers were almost all very slow; in fact, the transaction of +any business is not the hardy Norseman's strong point. We copy this +extract from the Skipper's journal:-- + +'I went to the bank this morning to get some circular notes changed, and +they kept me there fussing over them for fifty minutes before I got the +money. During this time of expectation I read two letters from home +through, and had a chase after a torpid fly on the floor with my stick: +considering his languid condition this fly showed great spirit, but +after following him about three feet along the floor and nine inches up +the wall, I made a fortunate dash at him, and concluded his existence. +Then I thought for a while and stared all round the room, and cut my +nails with my knife. Then I counted how many boards there were in the +floor, and how many nails there were on an average in each board, and +made a little calculation on these figures to discover how many nails +there were in the whole room, and what they weighed, how much they cost, +how many miles they would reach if laid end to end, and how many men at +how much an hour for how long it had taken to drive them all in. Then +again I thought for a while, but still the money did not come, and my +moral reflections on men and things had just led me to the conclusion +that all mortals were but desolate creatures, and that I of all men was +most desolate and abandoned, when at the end of forty minutes an +official arrived with a sort of cheque. And after that it took ten +minutes more to change the cheque into money in a lower room, where the +clerks had their hair so beautifully brushed and were so haughty, that +instead of being angry I could only thank them profusely for giving me +the money at all.' + +After finishing our hunt for curios, it occurred to us that we ought to +see the vikings' ship recently unearthed somewhere on the fjord, so we +walked down to the University, where we were told by a student that it +was not yet open to the public, but that if we would ask the Professor +of Archaeology, whom John profanely designated 'the boss that runs the +antiquity show,' he had no doubt that, being strangers, we should be +allowed to see the ship. + +Would the fact of a man being a foreigner obtain his admission to a +private view of an English curiosity, save perhaps the plans and +mechanism of an iron-clad or torpedo? Probably not. + +Revolving these thoughts within our minds we sought the professor, and +he at once left the work upon which he was engaged and took us to the +ship, which was locked up inside a wooden building that has been erected +for it. + +Very interesting it was, the preservation of the wood and also the +ironwork being wonderful. Unfortunately, some archaeologists of earlier +date than the present had also made some excavations in search of +memorials of the past. They had cut a large hole in the side amidships, +for the purpose of carrying off the ornaments and other valuables by +which the dead viking was surrounded, in the chamber constructed for his +body right in the centre of the boat. The modern archaeologists call +their predecessors 'sacrilegious robbers,' but we are averse to the use +of strong language among men of science. + +However, the rest of the ship was perfect, even to the shields which +used to adorn the gunwale, which are now seen to have been made of thin +wood, and were probably only ornamental. She was a good big boat, rather +flat-bottomed and low in the water, but with great breadth of beam, and +built on lines that left no room for doubt as to her seagoing qualities. + +The whole day was occupied by this shopping and sight-seeing, and we +went to bed more exhausted than by a hard day's stalking at Gjendin, and +not half so much satisfied with our achievements. + +It is almost unnecessary to mention that we found at the hotel a note +from the Skipper, begging us to bring home a waterproof sheet and a few +clothes that he had been obliged to leave there. We think that this +young man must have shed nearly all his raiment before leaving Norway, +and gone home clad in a yellow ulster which we know he had left at the +hotel in July; for, judging from the fragments that we have picked up +from time to time on our homeward route, he cannot have much other +property with him except his gun, rifle, and fishing-gear. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXVI. + +HOME AGAIN. + + +_September 24._--To-day our Norwegian friends who lent us the hut at Rus +Vand came to dine with us, and then saw us safely aboard the 'Angelo,' +and at five o'clock, in the presence of an immense crowd which covered +the whole quay, some of the people cheering, but many more weeping, we +steamed out of the harbour. + +As the sound of the last bell died away, and the last gangway fell with +a crash on to the landing-stage, a hatless, breathless man rushed up the +companion and darted at the spot where he supposed the gangway to be: +seeing that he was too late, he yelled to the people on shore, and made +as though he would have cast himself into the water, but was restrained +by the passengers. Meanwhile a fleet of little boats endeavoured to +catch a rope and be towed until he could be lowered into one of them; +but all failed, and the unfortunate man was carried off to +Christiansand, so that on his involuntary voyage he would have leisure +to meditate on the folly of a too prolonged farewell. + +With a gentle breeze we steamed down the fjord, which never looked more +lovely than on this evening; and so beautiful was the night, so warm, so +radiant, and with such a depth of glorious colouring from the departed +sun, that people crept away into the shade out of the _moonlight_, from +pure force of habit, after the heat of the summer. + +The influence of such a night, together with a certain sense of +something completed; the calm ocean all round us, and the soothing, +monotonous throbbing of the untiring screw, produced a longing for +confidence in John's bosom, so that he gave utterance to his sentiments +as he leant with Esau over the rail of the hurricane deck, and watched +the ever-sparkling phosphorescent lights caused by the passage of the +vessel through the quiet water. + +'Yes, I'm sorry to be leaving Norway, for, you know, there's something +delightful to me about the simplicity of the people' (Esau's mind +reverted to Ivar Tofte and his plate cupboard); 'they seem to place a +childlike confidence in a stranger, which is quite incomprehensible to +me. Then there is an unwordable calm, an indescribable tranquillity, +which seems to cling both to the country and its inhabitants; even the +houses seem to possess an imperturbable serenity of demeanour which you +will not find on any other island in Europe. In fact, y'know, Esau, it's +a country where one might live quietly and die in peace, where "moths do +not corrupt, neither do worms break through and steal," don't you know, +Esau? And I'm deuced sorry to have to count among past memories the time +we have spent here, where the unbroken harmony of existence is that +repose for which my soul has longed these many years; but never until +now, no, by George! never, has it been able to discover the most +uncertain tracings of its ideal.' + +Here Esau, who had his deck shoes on, seeing what sort of a mood John +was in, stole away quietly towards the cabin, and left him prosing on to +the German Ocean. He paused, however, a moment before descending the +companion stairs, and caught a few more words which, as the moon had now +set, John was confiding to the darkness. + +'A couple more days, and we shall be back in England, where, y'know, +I think civilisation is overdone. My existence there is a perpetual +state of toadying and being toadied: you see, it's a place where the +serpent of social emulation creeps into our very beds, and hangs +suspended over our heads by a mere thread when we least expect him; and, +y'know, Esau----' But Esau had slunk down the stairs, and the rest of +this impassioned outburst is, we fear, lost to humanity. + + +_September 25._--We woke up to find ourselves just leaving +Christiansand, and soon reached the lighthouse at what the Skipper calls +'the bottom left-hand corner of Norway,' but remained in bed while we +glared at it through the port. + +We were taking out a great number of emigrants for America, fine, +sturdy-looking young fellows, probably as hard as nails, and quite equal +to coping with the difficulties of a new country. They all looked so +cheery and full of hope and expectation, that we could not help thinking +rather sadly of the day when they will wake up to some of the unpleasant +realities of Yankee life, and wish themselves back again in their native +hills among their own simple-minded friends. + +The day passed in the manner usual at sea when the water is smooth and +the ship goes merrily homeward bound. Hardly any one missed a +meal--rather a difference from the ordinary state of affairs in the wild +North Sea; and at evening the sun went down in a blaze of scarlet and +gold, which was reflected from the perfectly calm surface; and we turned +in with tranquil minds, even Esau being now reasonably hopeful of seeing +the Humber without suffering the pangs of starvation. + +Esau is not a good sailor. On the last occasion of our return from +Norway he crossed by the 'Angelo' a fortnight before the Skipper; and +the latter, on arriving on board prepared for the voyage, saw the +steward, and asked him, 'What sort of a passage did you have last trip, +George?' + +'Beautiful, sir. I never see a smoother sea.' + +Then the Skipper went on, 'Did you see anything of Mr. Esau on the +voyage?' + +To which George replied, 'I seen him come aboard.' + +And this brief remark of George's conveyed a world of untold fact. + + +_September 26._--We dropped anchor outside Hull at half-past five this +evening, in the remainder of the very same drizzling rain that was going +on when we left England in July. + +Hull on Sunday in a soaking rain is not a place to grow romantic about, +so we omit all reference to our first sensations and maledictions on our +return to our native climate, and proceed to a more agreeable +subject--dinner. + +It was a merry meal in company with four of our fellow-passengers, who +were likewise returning from sport in Norway--two from salmon fishing, +two from red-deer stalking, and with whom there was consequently a bond +of sympathy. + +With these kindred spirits, after British beef had been washed down with +British beer, a Skaal drunk in British champagne, and tongues were +loosened by the confidential pipe and British cigar, we chatted long and +pleasantly; wandering again with rod and gun among the rugged mountains +of that wild north land, recalling exploits performed, and perhaps +indulging in those mild and harmless exaggerations of doughty deeds +which no traveller or sportsman can resist. Already we found ourselves +forgetting the few disagreeable incidents that occurred during our trip, +and viewing everything through that rosy mist which happily arises +before all past hours of pleasure and discomfort alike. Too soon bedtime +put an end to our retrospect, and we slept the sleep of the wearied +traveller, with dreams of trout, ryper, and reindeer--steamboat, +cariole, and sleigh--mountain, lake, and river--tent and saeter--paddle +and pony--hurrying through our brains in wild confusion. + +To-morrow, alas! we commence again a life of gilded misery and gloomy +magnificence. Give to us the untrammelled freedom of 'Gammle Norge,' and +the humble crust of fladbrod----_with_ JAM. + + [Illustration: 'FARVEL.' [Three at Home Again]] + + +_Spottiswoode & Co., Printers, New-street Square, London._ + + + + + [Map: THE JOTUNFJELD + Showing various Routes to it. + E. Weller _Lith._] + + + * * * * * + * * * * + * * * * * + + +Typographical Errors (noted by transcriber): + +The word "invisible" means that there is an appropriately sized blank +space, but the character itself is missing. Some names are written +differently in the List of Illustrations than elsewhere in the text; +these are not individually noted. + + _... to that of all other sons of Adam._' [_final . missing_] + a delicious meal off trout, strawberries and cream + [_text unchanged: may be error for "of"_] + It is eleven miles long; very deep; very blue [_comma invisible_] + the name is a little difficult to pronounce [pronouce] + a delicious meal nearly ready cooked by Esau [delicions] + and often gets his deserts. [_final . missing_] + a hole in the ground [he ground] + they expected to meet their boat. [_final . missing_] + 'I ran straight on, and following round the shoulder of the hill + [_open quote missing_] + to assist in the operations there going on. [_final . missing_] + while Oela undertook the labour. [_final . missing_] + taking the north side of the lake, Esau the south. [lake.] + Skipper: 'Let me blow it out.' [_close quote missing_] + without the deer seeing us [dear] + [Footnote 9: 'Pandecages,' pancakes.] + [Pandecagos _corrected from main text_] + to have our 'spise.' ... gravy from the 'boss pie' ... + [_single inner quotes as shown_] + 'Oela also seemed to devour his food [_open quote missing_] + 'We packed everything into the boat [_open quote invisible_] + carolling he drove his carjole and cajoled his horse + [_anomalous spelling "carjole" unchanged: may be intentional_] + as the moon had now set, John was confiding [_comma invisible_] + +Phonetic spellings: + + "Pandecages" with macron on second "a": + the vowel is broad, as in "father". + "cano" with breve over "a": + the speaker pronounced the word as "can" + "oh" (that is, neither + the Norwegian nor the correct English pronunciation). + "Gammle Norge" ... "Queen Vict_oo_ria" + both represent Norwegian pronunciation: final "e" is not silent, + and "o" is pronounced like "continental" u. + + +Norwegian: + +Written Norwegian has three extra vowels: ae, o, a. At the time _Three in +Norway_ was published, the language generally used Danish spelling. Many +words written with "ae" would now use simple "e", and the letter "a" +(pronounced like "continental" o) was written "aa". + +The letter "o" is equivalent to "oe" ("o umlaut"); the correct letterform +may have been unavailable to the printer. + +The spelling "Ragnild" (expected form "Ragnhild") is used consistently. +The forms "Bred Sjoe" : "Bredsjoe", "skin tukt" : "skintukt" (see +Berries), and Jotun Fjeld : Jotunfjeld each occur. + +Double vowels representing a single long sound are rare except in a few +names; the macron on the first "u" in "Tronhuus" is redundant. + +The inconsistent capitalization of "Ryper" : "ryper" is unchanged. The +plural form "ryper" is used throughout for both singular and plural. + +Consistent o/oe (o) errors: + + Oela (the name) _for_ Ola + brod, fladbrod _for_ brod, fladbrod + Formoe, kroene, moelte baer, spoer, Stroemkarl _for_ Formo, krone, + moltebaer, spor, Stromkarl + +Other uses of oe (o) are correct: oel, oere, hoe, sjoe and any place names. + +Words: + + The men had been complaining that it was a 'dole vei' (bad road) + soon after the start, now they said it was 'schlamm' + [darlig vei; slem] + Skoggaggany ... is merely the Norwegian for a scaup duck + [_one Norwegian translation says, in paraphrase, "we called it + Skoggaggany because we thought it sounded so Norwegian". If the + word is real, it should end in _-and_, "duck"._] + 'Nei' was again the answer, and an ominous whisper of 'landsmand' + (the policeman) was plainly audible. + [lensmand, _now written_ -mann] + 'Ingen dyr, ingen fresk spoer, ingen gammle spoer,' as the Norsk jaeger + would remark + [_The spelling with ae for ae is anomalous. Modern Norwegian would + have "jeger", though "jaeger" is correct for the time. The spelling + "spoer" is here an error for "spor" (tracks)._] + the "jarraf," as they call it + [jaerv, _now written_ jerv] + John, feeling at once genial and liberal, announced his intention + of buying a sheenfelt (sheepskin rug) for importation into England + [skinnfeld, _now written_ -fell] + +Berries: + +Most of the berries of the country are now just at their best, and +Memurudalen is a grand valley for all of them, except of course the +strawberry and raspberry, which will not grow at this altitude. But we +have 'klarkling' (the English crowberry) in great abundance; blau baer +(wimberry), the finest and best ever seen, in quantities; also 'skin +tukt,' another blue berry rather larger than a wimberry, and with a +thicker skin and wonderful bloom on it; this we think does not grow in +England. Then less numerous are a berry something between a raspberry +and a red currant, but of better flavour than either of them; and the +great and glorious 'moelte baer' (cloudberry); to say nothing of 'heste +baer,' and 'tutti baer,' and several others of unknown names. The last one +grows in England, but we have forgotten its name; they make jelly from +it here, and prize it highly for its acid taste. + + 'klarkling' (the English crowberry) [krekling] + blau baer (wimberry) [blabaer (_etymologically "blueberry", but not + the same as the American blueberry_)] + 'skin tukt,' another blue berry + [_probably "blokkebaer", also called "skinntryte"_] + something between a raspberry and a red currant [rips] + 'moelte baer' (cloudberry) [moltebaer, _also written "multebaer"_] + 'heste baer,' [_possibly "heggebaer"_] + 'tutti baer,' [tyttebaer] + we have forgotten its name + [_English "lingonberry", from its Swedish name "lingon"_] + +Song: + + [Footnote 4: 'Brod,' bread. The word does not rhyme to god, being + pronounced something like Broat, but it looks as if it rhymed.] + [_The Norwegian word is "brod". Here the writers almost seem + to be talking about the German equivalent "Brot"._] + [Footnote 8: 'Stor,' big, pronounced Stora before a consonant.] + [_The writers have misunderstood a rule. The word does vary + between "stor" and "store", but the difference is grammatical, + not phonetic._] + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Three in Norway, by +James Arthur Lees and Walter J. 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