Our path was now in the wild fjelds. Ole had his peculiar landmarks. Sometimes it was a rock; sometimes a large stone placed edgeways or on the top of another. For some time we kept along the side of a rugged slope. A large black and white eagle soared above us with a hawk near it. It gave life to the scene. Soon afterwards we came to an old reingrav. This is a kind of pit or trap formed of loose stones, into which the reindeer were sometimes driven by the hunters. A portion of a reindeer’s horn was picked up by Noah and given to us.
Our way became more difficult. Each of the gipsies had to lead their donkey. The ground was in places very treacherous, and we often came to steep descents. The Puru Rawnee, who was loaded much more heavily than the other two, got her hind legs into very deep ground near some rocks, and was with difficulty extricated. At some distance beyond, in descending a slope, the Puru Rawnee went right into a quicksand. We had to unload her, and the ground being full of loose stones, we were afraid she would cut her legs all to pieces. Noah was almost despairing. It was his first experience of mountain work.
“What can we do, sir?” said he, in a melancholy tone, “in such rough roads as these?”
Ole Rödsheim came back to us, and we carried most of the things some distance down to firmer ground. Again loading, we started once more. Zachariah was as lively as ever, with his donkey the Puro Rye, making short cuts, and going now and then in advance, until warned to be careful. We kept our course, until at last, crossing a streamlet, in spite of every precaution, the Puru Rawnee sank right into another quicksand, out of which we had much difficulty in extricating her. The things had to be taken off. We proposed camping out where we were; for the donkeys, especially the Puru Rawnee, were getting tired.
Ole Rödsheim suggested that there was better camping ground on the other side a mountain ravine, a short distance beyond. We decided to make a push for it, and soon after succeeded in reaching a wide rocky ravine. The stream was broken into many rivulets. The torrent’s bed was strewn with loose rocks; so that with our tired loaded animals, we crossed with difficulty, and winding round the foot of a lofty knowle above the ravine, we entered a shallow gully at the back of it. Ascending a gentle slope to the flat summit of the knowle, we found an excellent camping ground.
The conical hill was just adapted for our tents. To our right the waters of many streams issued from the large snow-field we could see at a short distance up the ravine. In front, at the foot of a long slope, and crossing the end of the ravine, we could see the deep valley of the Gröna, and above us the Skarvehöerne.
Our tents were soon pitched. Ole Rödsheim said he should camp out if we could lend him a blanket. Our fire was lighted, and we shared with him our tea, eggs, fladbröd, and butter. Esmeralda lay on the ground near the camp-fire, and could not take anything. She was taken very unwell. She wished to be left in peace, and to Noah, who asked her again, she said “No!” so sharply that he quickly left her.
Ole Rödsheim went to make his bed under a rock on the side of the gully below us. His little wallet, and small brass camp-kettle in it, were left by our smouldering fire. Almost immediately after down came torrents of rain. We had just time to seize our waterproof rug which we slept on, and our guide’s wallet. Our first thought was for him. He had just formed a sort of nest like a coffin with loose stones, the lower part covered over by flat stones stuffed with loose heath and stunted birch. In an instant he was stretched in his form. Throwing the waterproof over him, we gave him his wallet underneath, and left him for the night. There was one satisfaction, our guide would be perfectly dry if not particularly warm in his mountain quarters.
Returning to the tents in pouring rain, we unfolded our waterproof, and placed it over the tents, for the moisture was already making its way through our blanket covering. Esmeralda had crawled in, and was lying in a very helpless state. We had to move her, whilst we made her bed, and packed her up comfortable for the night. She might be bilious from the middags-mad of potatoes and bacon; but she said afterwards it was owing to a sudden chill when she ate some snow, or from her wet feet. Giving her some brandy the last thing, for she did not know how she felt, we hoped our universal panacea would effect a cure.
Just before going to bed, the rain ceased; and going to Ole, a voice under the waterproof said he was very comfortable. As we were going into our tents, we could not help gazing on the magnificent sea of white mist rising from the deep valley of the Gröna below.[82]