1 82 LINES IN PLEASANT PLACES 



course making a slack line. The fish was still on 

 when he regained his feet and tightened up, but the 

 relaxation had been fatal, and the grilse presently 

 escaped. 



The Rocks, as I have said, were our favourite spot. 

 When the water became too low for ferrying across in 

 the boat we had to walk about half a mile down the 

 dusty road, then diverge across a bit of marsh, into 

 the moss of which the foot sank as in velvet-pile ; then 

 ascend a forest path, carpeted with pine needles that 

 made the walking most slippery ; then traverse a bit 

 of high plantation, and then walk or slide down a 

 steep, slippery, winding ascent to The Rocks them- 

 selves. In the hot weather we generally arrived at 

 our starting point in a bath of perspiration, and began 

 our fishing from a low platform, with a great rock con- 

 cealing us from the fish. This, however, was not the 

 favourite lie for the migrants, though it was the spot 

 where " Sarcelle " lost his salmon and grilse. I have 

 already stated that The Rocks formed a practically 

 straight line right across the valley. Sitting on the 

 highest point, which would be fifty yards above the 

 stream, there was outspread to our eyes an exquisite 

 panorama of typical South Norway scenery ; that is to 

 say, there were pleasing evidences of cultivation every- 

 where. Here, instead of having to get their bits of 

 grass with small reaping hooks, and send their baskets 

 of hay by wire down from the mountain tops, the 

 farmers enjoyed fair breadths of pasture and grain 

 crop, so much so that mowing machines could be used. 

 The verdure of these bottoms and easy slopes at the 

 foot of the hills was delicious, with mountains all 

 round, dark with pine, relieved with occasional rock 

 and patches of silver birch and other deciduous 

 foliage. 



