TO GAASEFJORD. 07 



or so from the head of it passed a little lake. Not far from the 

 watershed we left the valley and climbed up on to the heights, 

 where we had a splendid view to the west. According to Fosheim 

 it was fine country for big game, but we did not see a single track 

 or sign of any animal, and eventually returned as empty-handed 

 as we had come. Some way down the valley we parted company, 

 Fosheim and the mate going across to the east side of the valley, 

 to see if they could bag a few hares ; Olsen, who seemed to 

 have lost interest that day, continued down the valley along by 

 the river, while I took my way up the slopes on the west side. 



I had not gone far up them before I observed two very small 

 animals away in the bed of a river; they were tumbling and 

 jumping about, and having a great game it appeared ; but what 

 sort of animals they were I could not make out at such a distance. 



I crept cautiously nearer to make inspection, and was astonished 

 to see how curiously like our own puppies they were. It was 

 hardly remarkable that they should look like puppies from a 

 distance, but it was remarkable that the nearer I went the greater 

 became the resemblance. I was much surprised as I made my 

 way towards them, and was certainly not less so when I was 

 forced to admit that no mistake was possible they were two of 

 our own puppies. It really had not occurred to me that these 

 small creatures, which had only come into the world a couple of 

 months previously, would be able to go so far. 



I remained standing a little while looking on at their game, 

 but suddenly I saw something move in the river-bed not far away. 

 It was a fox, which was stealthily watching them, and looking 

 very much as if he would like to carry one of them off. I stood 

 perfectly still ; I wanted to see how this would ' go off,' as Bay 

 says. The fox knew well how to stalk his prey ; he understood 

 the art of seeing without being seen, and slunk from stone to stone, 

 sometimes crouched low on the snow, sometimes curving and agile 

 as an eel. It was not long before he was within a few feet of the 

 puppies and ready for a spring, but they were so taken up with 

 their childish gambols that they saw nothing of what was going on. 



Several times I thought : now for it, and more than once the 

 fox was on the point of making a spring, but at the last moment 

 VOL. n. F 2 



