130 
WILD NORWAY. 
merely splashing the water over his back. Then he 
returned to his island-home, on which I felt sure must 
be the nest. Energy, of course, proposed a swim-out 
(150 yards) to solve that problem; but, unluckily, a 
rather tired nature moved “ the previous question ” 
(whatever that may mean), which was eventually carried 
by a small majority. 
Various other ducks and water-fowl there were on 
this lovely lake, to some of which, I see in my notes, I 
allotted names; but, these being more or less of the 
nature of surmises, ’twere better to omit them. These 
things only served to aggravate our disappointment in 
failing to find the boat; without this nothing further 
could be done, and regretfully we set our faces home¬ 
wards, reaching our hospitable roof at Giila, after some 
forty hours -fj eld-tramping, in time for the Sunday’s 
dinner and the “after six” evening with the salmon. 
Virtue, however, on this occasion was its own reward; 
for, though I raised and struck a fish in Nyegaard 
stream, yet, on feeling the touch of steel, he shot 
upwards at such speed towards the boat that the line 
was slacked and he was free. 
HAY-SLEDGE. 
