274 SHORT STALKS 



US from the opposite direction ; drawing behind a bush 

 I waited with my rifle ready. Tliere was a faint rustle 

 and Geof appeared wdth his rifle presented at my head. 

 We had been stalkino- oiie another. 



After this w^e shifted our ground to Krokstad on a 

 branch of the fjord that runs far up into the mountain, 

 and here, unlike the generally soft tone of this fjord, tall 

 cliffs hang over still and inky waters. This moving about 

 from farm to fiirm is very pleasant. The quality of the 

 quarters varied, but, though we never knew what we should 

 find, we were always sure of a cordial recejDtion. Here in 

 this darksome corner of the world there was quite a fleet 

 of herring-boats which were busy day and night, and with 

 good results, to judge from the boats, nearly gunwale 

 full of silver treasure, which were being rowed across to 

 the larger smacks, for conveyance to Throndhjem. These 

 fish are called fat herrings and they deserve the title. 

 They were entirely without roe and all the oily juice of 

 their bodies was concentrated in the flesh. I want some 

 scientific man to tell me why they don't make maiden 

 herrings like that on our coasts, and why we are con- 

 demned to eat them only when in an interesting condition. 

 The attractions of this l)eautiful place were further 

 enhanced l)y vast flocks of gulls continually in motion, 

 and shoals of porpoises, justly called cacciatore di mare, 

 who were also eno;ao-ed in chasino; the herrinos. I was 

 told that a whale occasionally follows the shoals into 

 these narrows, and it is recorded that "sometimes he 

 swallows such vast quantities, that his bell}' will hardly 

 contain them, and is even ready to burst, wliich causes 

 the whale to set up a hideous roar." 



