

THE CRYSTAL PALACE 321 



lost in this mysterious world. In my hurry I collide 

 with Hanssen's sledge, which falls off the table; he 

 looks round furiously. It is a good thing he could 

 not see me; he looked like murder. I squeeze in 

 between the bundles of clothing, and what do I see? 

 Another hole in the wall; another low, dark passage. 

 I pluck up courage and plunge in. This tunnel is 

 rather higher than the other, and I can walk, bending 

 double. Fortunately, the light at the other end shows 

 up at once, so that my journey in the dark is not a long 

 one this time. I come out into another large room of 

 about the same size as the last, and afterwards learn 

 that it is known as the Crystal Palace. The name is 

 appropriate, as crystals sparkle on every side. Against 

 one wall a number of pairs of ski are resting ; elsewhere 

 there are cases, some yellow and some black. I guess 

 the meaning of this at once, after my visit to Stubberud. 

 The yellow cases are the original ones, and the black the 

 improved ones. They think of everything here. Of 

 course, in snow black is a far better colour than light 

 yellow ; the cases will be pleasanter to look at, and very 

 much easier to see at a distance. And if they happen 

 to run short of marks, all they need do will be to break 

 up a case and make as many black marks as they want; 

 they will be easily seen in the snow. The lids of these 

 cases surprise me. They are no bigger than ordinary 

 large milk-can lids, and of the same form; they are 

 loose, as with a milk-can, and are put on in the same 



VOL. I. 21 



