344 SHORT STALKS 



We rowed to tlie head of the lake, and Tostin's farm 

 was close by, in the middle of a fertile little plain, or 

 rather a plain which would be fertile, if a little more sun- 

 shine could reach the bottom of the valley. Tostin was a 

 prosperous man, his fields carry good crops and many 

 beasts. His rano-e of farm buildino-s was extensive. The 

 house itself was one of the best I came across. Liside 

 there were large well -furnished rooms, pictures on the 

 walls, and newspapers lying about, beds clean and comfort- 

 able, but alas ! the table carried nothing but a snow-white 

 tablecloth and silver spoons, whose brightness mocked 

 our empty stomachs. There was nothing in the house to 

 eat but oatcake, coffee, and milk products. However, it 

 was some chano-e to have the venison we had brouoht 

 with us cooked by other hands than our own, and to miss 

 the familiar liavour of our fry-pan. 



Tostin's pay for one day would have covered our 1)111 

 for board and lodging for two nights at a roadside station, 

 l3ut it was not sutticient to tempt him away from 

 home when we returned to the fjeld. He rejoined us 

 later on, but, for the time, he found pottering over 

 his unripe oats, and eating gruel, more interesting. 

 Certainly, the corn hadn't the slightest tinge of yellow 

 upon it, but he said it never did get riper in that 

 valley. So for the time we had to content ourselves with 

 a young and inexperienced hunter. Up to this time we 

 had shot eight deer in six days, but Kenny's great coup 

 hud exhausted all our luck. Thenceforth, we had uothino- 

 but failures. For eight days we failed to bag a single 

 deer, though we saw them nearly every da)'. AVe moved 

 from Sitter to swter, but nothiuii; reversed the tide of mis- 



