64 A RIVER OF NORWAY 



many of them half out of the foaming water. 

 Sometimes a fish will jump one of the little 

 falls, and, merely skimming the pool above, 

 will take the next fall "in his stride." And 

 a glorious sight it is to see a 20-pounder 

 making so light of the obstacles. Other fish 

 seem to have a dislike to jumping, and will 

 swim up the falls, with much twisting of bodies 

 and whisking of tails ; a far more toilsome 

 means of ascending, one would suppose. Others 

 seem to have no eye for their work, and will 

 jump short or crooked, and fall back over and 

 over again. Most of the pools are so built that 

 it is difficult for a fish to jump right out on to 

 the rocks, and I have only known one to do 

 so, and be killed. 



Very interesting too is it to stand on the 

 wall at the top of the ladder and see fish come 

 through the hatch into the river above. After 

 the turmoil of the little pools it must be a 

 startling change to enter the spacious smooth 

 running river ; and they usually appear to pause 

 a moment and to contemplate the situation. 

 Then they sail away majestically into the depths, 

 and unless we chance to meet them higher up, 

 are no more seen. 



