The Captain mused a little. With the exception of Birger’s chance-medley, they had not seen a full-grown salmon[11] since they had come upon the river, and the loss was no light one. “I suppose,” he said, interrogatively, “it would be hardly worth while to fetch another top from the camp?”
“Not at all worth while,” said the Parson; “the wonder is, that you rose one full-mouthed fish on such a day as this. You are not going to rise another. Besides,” he added, “look at the sun! It is time for us to think of cooking, rather than catching. Birger will be wondering what is become of us.”
They were at no great distance from the camp, which, to their surprise, they found tenanted by Jacob alone, who, having got over his morning sulks, was busy in what he called a Långref, a miniature variety of which is not altogether unknown to our Hampshire poachers; but Jacob’s was a tremendous affair, more like what in sea-fishing is called a spillet or bolter, consisting of three or four hundred yards of water cord, and half as many hooks.
“Halloo,” said the Captain; “what has become of them all? Why, Jacob, where is Lieutenant Birger?”
“He is gone with the men to make an offering to Nyssen,” said Jacob.
“Who the devil is Nyssen?” said the Captain.
Jacob looked distressed. It is not lucky to mention the mundane spirits and those of hell in the same sentence; in fact, the less people talk about either of them the better, so, at least, the Swedes think, and therefore imprecate their curses by saying, “The Thousand take you,” leaving it for your own conscience to determine whether they are consigning you to saints or devils.
“There they are, you may see them yourself,” replied he, evading the question, and pointing to a bare rounded rock which rose above the wooded summits about a mile down the river.
The Parson’s telescope was in his hand in a moment; but all he could make out was, that they put something on the ground which they left there, and immediately entered the thick wood, which hid them from his sight. Jacob could not, or at all events would not, satisfy their curiosity, and they had nothing for it but to amuse themselves with admiring Birger’s handy-work, till that individual on his return should make his own report of himself.
And really the Lieutenant would have extorted praise from the head of the Kong’s-öfver-commandant’s-Expedition himself, so well and so orderly was the encampment made.