AN ENGLISH FISHERMAN—THE HAUNTED MILL—THE TOURIST’S PURCHASE—NOAH’S GOOD FORTUNE—THE STRAND FJORD—A WOMAN’S CURIOSITY—THE HEROINE OF OUR BOOK—A NORWEGIAN SEAMAN—THE MISTAKEN MANSION—THE AURDAL CHURCH—FRYDENLAND STATION—A ROADSIDE HALT—THE APPRECIATED GIFT—THE SEVERE YOUNG LADY—THE KIND-HEARTED PEASANT—KRŒMMERMOEN—IMPULSE AND REASON.
What delicious shade. Our water was soon boiling near the old mill. Our readers must not suppose the mill was a large one; it was about four times as large as a good-sized sentry-box. We may have even exaggerated the size. Norwegian mills are not on the ponderous scale of English ones.
The middags-mad consisted of our Stee trout cold. It was a fine trout, either steamed or boiled. In the heat of the day, the trout was pronounced by our gourmand gipsies excellent; some vinegar was allowed with it, besides tea, fladbröd, butter, and fried eggs.
The time had marked two o’clock when we arrived. The pleasant slope of green turf where we sat commanded the road. Whilst we were taking our midday meal, two Englishmen, one having a fishing-basket slung over his shoulder, passed in a stolkjœrre. Then we saw two young Norwegian tourists, in their high laced-up boots, one of whom carried a skin knapsack; they were pushing on at a swinging pace. Noah and Zachariah of course fell asleep. Esmeralda went to the old mill, and fancied she heard a curious moaning sound, something like groaning in it. We did not investigate it; besides, the mill was fastened; neither had we any permission from the owner to go into his mill—sit up in a haunted mill a few feet square! If the wheel should be turned by the ghost, where should we be? Ground to flour, eaten by a Norwegian for his middags-mad—made into fladbröd, and eaten by some English tourist. If we are to see ghosts, let it be in an old castle, family mansion, or the ruins of an abbey; but a mill;—besides, where was the owner?
As we sat on the green slope, we observed a wooded promontory, stretching into the fjord, below the road, and sent Noah to reconnoitre for camping ground. The Tarno Rye, we found, had a sore back; our bruise-mixture was applied. Noah reported unfavourably for remaining. The donkeys were loaded, and we quickly left the dingle, and the haunted mill. Somehow we had lingered, and lounged, in the pleasant shade, till after five o’clock. En àvant was the word; away went tall Noah in advance, with the Puru Rawnee before him, the rest following, bag and baggage, as hard as the party could go, Noah with his coat off and his trowsers tucked up.
In the distance we could see Ulnœs church, near the “Strand Fjord.” Now we met a party of English tourists, bent upon enjoying themselves. Donkeys are drawn up in line for them to pass as we push on, with Noah in front. One said “Hvor meget,” pointing to Noah’s stick; probably he took us for Norwegian gipsies. Noah made no demur. The fir staff was in the Englishman’s hands in two seconds, whilst the gipsy pocketed two coins, which, we believe, made him one mark two skillings richer. Our passing was so hasty, that nothing more was said, as the jovial party, with much glee, carried with them Noah’s staff, as a souvenir of the incidents of travel.
Noah was well chaffed by Zachariah and Esmeralda. Noah was in high glee; he had sold the stick he had picked up yesterday, for one mark two skillings. Mephistopheles was miserable with vexation, that he had not a fir stick, to sell at one mark two skillings, to some English tourist. A division was even suggested. As the shorengro of the party, we should have come in for the lion’s share. Nay, there is a precedent in Isaac Walton, where the gipsies divide a sovereign. Esmeralda supported the idea, but the suggestion was without result.
Very shortly after we had passed Ulnœs church, we saw a peasant standing on the roadside. His gaard was not far from the road. At first, when we asked him, he said he had no fladbröd, but afterwards said “Ya.” Esmeralda and ourself went down to his house. First, he brought down two very large rounds of fladbröd. When we gave him a mark, he gave us half a mark back, and brought four more large rounds down. One large round of fladbröd generally costs two skillings.
It is difficult to purchase, even fladbröd, in harvest time: most of the peasants are away from their houses. If we had not been provided with a good commissariat, and had trusted to what provisions we could purchase, our party would have, indeed, fared very badly during their wanderings.
It was now getting dusk. We were near the shores of the Strand Fjord; nothing but inclosures met our view on either side the road; we must soon camp somewhere. It was nearly nine o’clock, when we came to a steep, barren, stony bank above the road. The upper portion was scantily wooded with birch trees and bushes. Hobson’s choice. The donkeys were unloaded, a fire lighted, and our baggage put on the only available ground, behind a low rock, just above the road.