Yesterday the temperature had been, at three o’clock, up to 90° Fahrenheit; to-day, in the evening, it was only 68°; towards seven o’clock it became cold. Between seven and eight o’clock we had tea of fried grayling, fladbröd, and butter.
After tea, taking Noah and Zachariah with us, we went to see a beautiful waterfall not very far along the valley, on the right of the road going to Veblungsnœs. The spray from it was at times blown in thin mist across the road. The steep, dark gray rocks of the “Sjiriaglns,” as we understood the name (it was so written down for us, but we do not find it marked in any of our maps), overhung the road. In the picturesque gorge of this part of the valley three diminutive log houses stood at some short distance apart from each other—the lowly shelter of the peasants of this rugged glen. What must be the life of these poor people! How hard their fare! but still they seemed contented. It may be they have a larger share of happiness than we could imagine possible. When we returned to the tents Zachariah tried to dry his trousers at a fire at the hanging rock.[62] Noah and Zacharia had been very wet in the morning. Noah had no change of trousers. Zachariah’s were soon smoked and singed, as the legs were stretched out on two crossed sticks fastened together, giving them the appearance of a mawkin to frighten the birds. Ultimately, at bed-time, it was stuck up within the tents near the water-cans and other things. As we were going to sleep, the unfortunate mawkin fell down with a tremendous clatter amongst the cans. Noah said it was a ghost. Zachariah pushed it at Noah. Noah sent it spinning at Zachariah. “Now then, Abel!” “Here, Lucas!” Bang went the mawkin into the pans again. We got up to lay the ghost, and ejected the mawkin forcibly from the tent; but in doing so our leg accidentally caught a can full of water, which emptied itself into Zachariah’s blankets. Zachariah’s hilarity was at once damped. As we turned to go to sleep, we heard him in loud lamentation about his uncomfortable state, which he had partly originated.
It was very wet the next morning. We awoke at seven, and somehow fell asleep again. The gipsies would sleep for ever. To our astonishment it was ten o’clock. Our gipsies got frokost ready at eleven o’clock. The damp mist gradually cleared from the mountains, and we had tea, fladbröd, and butter for breakfast. Noah and Zachariah were dispatched after breakfast to the bondegaard they had been to on the previous day, and returned with a mark’s worth of fladbröd and butter. They were very kind to them at the farm. We made a sketch of one of the peasants’ lonely log-houses of the valley, whilst Noah and Zachariah were fishing for our commissariat. The narrow road winds close to the cottage beneath the broken cliff. A snow plough lies on the other side the road. A narrow inclosure separates the road from the Rauma.
What a wild solitary existence in the depth of winter’s snow must the peasant owner of this cottage lead!
For dinner we had soup made of ham, peaflour, wild sorrel, rice, Liebig’s essence, and the dried meat of Holiaker for the third time. We tried to purchase some potatoes from the peasant living in the nearest log cottage to our camp, but he had none ready to get up. The musketos had not troubled us much since we had camped in the valley; but we had met with two large black ants, or, as the gipsies call them, “creas,” near our tent. They measured exactly three-quarters of an inch long.
After dinner we all went out fishing, whilst Esmeralda was left in charge of the tents. Several peasants came to look at the donkeys during the afternoon. Some travellers, hastily proceeding, stopped their stolkjerrers and, looking wildly round, hastened to where the donkeys were quietly grazing.
CHAPTER XXIII.
“He checked his steed, and sighed to mark
Her coral lips, her eyes so dark,
And stately bearing—as she had been
Bred up in courts, and born a queen.
Again he came, and again he came,—
Each day with a warmer, a wilder flame;
And still again,—till sleep by night,
For Judith’s sake, fled his pillow quite.”
Judith, the Gipsy Belle. By Delta.
MUSICAL PEASANT—CASCADES—THE LEANING-STONE—THE SERIOUS PEASANT—ZACHARIAH ILL—NO VENTILATION—THE MAGICIAN’S PEAKS—THE MANGEHÖE-“RAMULOUS”—ROMANTIC VALLEY—AGREEABLE VISITORS—THE SERENADE—FUTURE ROUTE—HORGHEIM—RIP VAN WINKLE.
The young peasant who played the concertina came and looked at the fence next the leaning-stone. He probably owned the adjoining enclosed land. Esmeralda said she thought he seemed doubtful whether part of his fence had not gone on to our fire. Esmeralda at once gave him some brandy, and he seemed pleased, and went and brought her a large heap of fire-wood. Strict injunctions had been given, that the dead wood, and there was plenty of it, should only be taken from the adjoining bushes.