98 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



Coining down the long hill to Toinlevold we met with 

 our first regular accident. Alston's horse in trotting 

 slowly down a very gentle incline, suddenly fell heavily, 

 breaking both shafts and grazing one of its knees. The 

 horse fell suddenly over on its side, its feet flying out 

 sideways. Of course one shaft was completely broken, 

 snapping off close to the splinter bar. The other was 

 twisted up and cracked. 



The horse was not much hurt, the right knee being 

 slightly cut, and a piece of skin rubbed off the right 

 shoulder, and another above the right eye. Its whole 

 side was covered with dust. 



The whole thing occurred in a most unaccountable 

 way. The horse did not roll over the shaft, but fell 

 clean over. It seemed hardly a stumble, but a heavy 

 lurching fall on its side and shoulder. The place where 

 it happened was a gentle incline, almost level, and we 

 were going quite slowly at the time. It is a good 

 thing this did not occur near the beginning of our 

 tour. 



However, Iver, our lad, soon got the one shaft spliced 

 with cord and the other ' fished ' with a rail from the 

 fence secured with cord and wedged, and we were able 

 to go on. 



Below Tomlevold we saw a Lesser Whitethroat in 

 the fence ; it was tame, and we saw it well. 



We received a hearty welcome at Skoien, which we 

 reached about five o'clock. 



We were now able to hold a considerable conversation 

 in Norsk with the old gentleman, which we were unable 

 to do before and we were highly complimented by him 

 on our great knowledge of the Norsk tongue. Hem ! 



At ' aftensmal ' we had salad, and the first strawberries 

 we have seen in Norway and delicious they were. I 

 had them all to myself, as Alston cannot eat fruit. ' Oh ! 



