THE ALM IIUTTE. 123 



white bread, the remains of a dried sausage, and a small 

 bottle of rum. We inspected our store, and I then blew 

 the fire into a blaze, while Maxl prepared the usual dish 

 of the hunter and mountaineer. It is made in this wise : 

 some of the flour was turned out into an earthen pan ; 

 a certain quantity of water with the yolk of one egg was 

 then added (the other being kept for tomorrow's break- 

 fast); and the whole having been well stirred, water 

 was poured in till it grew sufficiently thin. The frying- 

 pan, containing great lumps of butter, was now put on 

 the fire, and, when this boiled, the contents of the pan 

 were emptied into it. The cake was allowed to get brown 

 on one side, care being taken however that it did not 

 barn; it was then turned, and with an iron instrument 

 the whole was chopped up into pieces varying in size 

 from a filbert to a small walnut. An apple was sliced in, 

 some more butter added, all well stirred up together, 

 and when every little piece was nicely brown, it was 

 turned out smoking into the pan ready to be eaten. 



Sitting on the raised ledge, with our feet inside and 

 towards the hearth, we ate our supper, and well pleased 

 was Maxl at the praise I bestowed upon his cookery. The 

 schmarren was really excellent : to make it well is said 

 not to be so easy as it appears, and without due at- 

 tention the cake becomes heavy and dough-like. A slice 

 of bread and a good draught of water completed the 

 repast. We had lighted one of the long dry resinous 

 strips of wood, and stuck it into the wall to serve as a 

 lamp while supping; but now, while sitting over the 

 embers, we from time to time flung a dry chip or two 

 upon them, and the flickering flame they made threw 

 around a sufficient light. The shutters of the windows 

 were well closed and fastened on the inside, — a very ne- 

 cessary precaution, for should a poacher chance to ap- 



