88 
WILD NORWAY. 
true, coursed over the river; but the grass and wild- 
flowers had hardly awakened from their winter’s sleep, 
and the foliage even of the hardy birches was scarce 
fully unfolded. Yet I observed to-day a single orange- 
tip ( Cardamines ), and found a white wagtail’s nest 
with six eggs already half-incubated, in a rough stone 
embankment by the riverside ; while chattering field¬ 
fares had hatched out some few young in the hazel- 
coppice where we lunched. Presently Ivar got up, 
took off his hat, and shook hands, saying, “ Tctk for 
madenf according to the pretty and courteous Norsk 
custom. 
Our next pool was Mogstad, a very long stream 
formed by the junction of the river at the foot of a big 
gravel islet. At first sight I had not thought it a very 
likely resting-place for fish, since, despite its length, 
only the upper part was deep, the current running very 
fast and clear, and of uniform depth, except in the 
strong central stream. But I was wrong, for hardly 
had I got the four-inch blue phantom set spinning than 
a fish came at it with a bang that well-nigh jerked the 
rod out of hand, and hooked himself as firm as two 
triangles well inside, with another on the cheek, can 
hold. I felt his weight, and realized that I was fast 
in a fish the like of which I had not held before. For 
hitherto my small experience had been in comparatively 
puny rivers and slow-running streams which afford 
scant scope to the salmon to develop his powers or to 
use his speed. In such waters there is but little running 
—it is merely a case of “ hold him hard.” But here, 
in the huge swirling salmon-rivers of Norway, it is a 
different affair. Often as I had read descriptions, I 
