ALFHEIM, 1913 201 



north was bathed in a warm glow, then the more dis- 

 tant peaks caught fire, and lastly the mountains above 

 the eastern horizon caught the reflection and turned 

 a vivid rose colour. The stars were shining overhead 

 before I landed to enjoy an excellent supper, a primi- 

 tive rubber of bridge, and then bed. 



The two following days were spent nearly in the 

 same way, but with varying success. The next day, 

 when we all had a picnic lunch at Vangen, was a dis- 

 appointment from a fishing point of view. I started 

 to explore the lower part of the river, full of hope. I 

 had borrowed a landing-net this time to be on even 

 terms with big trout, and confidently offered to bet 

 that I would return with not less than two dozen 

 fish. Fortunately for me there were no takers, for 

 everything went wrong. In the first place I tried the 

 fatal policy of endeavouring to make a short cut, a 

 most foolish thing in an unknown country. As usual 

 my short cut turned out to be an uncommonly long 

 one, and I stumbled up and down hill over boulders 

 and swamps, forcing my way through briars and thick 

 brush, catching my fly in the branches, barking my 

 shins, and getting hotter and Grosser every minute. 

 To add to my misfortunes a thick mist came down, 

 and a drizzling rain began, and I had left my mack- 

 intosh behind. When at last I reached the river I 

 found before me a long stretch of quite shallow water, 

 and an impassable stream divided me from some big 

 pools which I could see a little lower down. I made 

 my way up to the water in which I had fished the day 

 before, which turned out to be no great distance off, 

 as I had been travelling in a half circle, but had very 

 little success, as the mist had put the fish down. 



