222 HAPPY HUNTING-GEOUNDS 



told afterwards that fish of a pound and upwards are 

 often caught there. Shortly after five the pedestrians 

 returned delighted with their long expedition, and 

 after tea at the spot where we had lunched we rowed 

 back along Stor Vand, now unruffled by a single 

 ripple, the great rocks showing so clearly below the 

 smooth translucent surface that it was hard to distin- 

 guish reflection from reality, shadow from substance. 

 It reminded me of the Sils Lake in the Engadine 

 when first frozen over, where the skaters on the black 

 ice can then distinguish the piles of the old lake dwell- 

 ings below their feet. Changing lights purple, 

 mauve, and golden glowed on the great peaks. I 

 returned full of gratitude to the kind hostess for having 

 given me so perfect an opportunity of seeing the 

 beauties of the valley while still unprofaned by in- 

 dustrialism ! When we got home we heard that work- 

 men had been engaged during the day in cutting down 

 the trees round the little log- house at Hammeren. 

 The next day was my last, and the morning broke 

 sunny, fresh, and clear. 



On the following morning I was to join the Aaro 

 at Christiansund for her voyage to Hull, but the 

 special steamer which was to convey me over the fjord 

 was not due till midnight, so I had another day to 

 tempt the trout. It was considered that the Sundal, 

 the big river, presented the best chance, and I was 

 sent there with Ole to fish from the boat. Whether 

 through carelessness or impatience I succeeded, when 

 changing my grouse and red hackle fly for a Greenwell, 

 in driving the hook into my forefinger beyond the 

 barb so firmly that it refused to come out for anything 

 short of a surgical operation, which Ole successfully 



