The record-union., 1894-09-15

|
and there was a look of eager expectancy
In the eyes of young Lars, whom we
| privately piled with questions without
avail.
Our last recourse was to draw the Pro-
lessor out at supper. This would be an
easy task, we thought, as we were alone
with him at the table.
! Our wager must be definitely decided,
! and, besides, we were becoming more
! deeply interested in the personality of
ne suppositious scientist, in young Lars,
| who had certainly been engaged as his
guide, and III this wondrous scholar sis
! ter, about whom we built all manner OF
pretty romances among her olden loved
| mountain saeter scenes.
10 every fair inquiry of the road the
| Professor politely responded. We gave
| him our names and vocations, which he
received with cOnciliatory "A-a-ahs?"
| We descanted upon the scenery. the Gu
riositles OF Norwegian travel, the peculiar
customs Of the country, and even en-
| deayored to awaken responsive conf
! dence through railing at the plenitude of
women in Norway.
! But the Professor with his "Ahs!" "Ex-
actlys!" quite sos!' and the like, merely
! munched his food and blandly permit
| ted us to interest each other as best we
| might.
At last my friend, with a sly wink,
set out upon an audacious venture.
My CHIEF disappointment in visiting
Norway" he gravely began, ''has been
IN falling 10 discover multitudinous evil
| dences OF glacial striationsI'
! The Professor here nearly upset his
| bowl OF groed In his excitement of indig-
! nation.
BAIL Tut, tuti Nonsense! An ab-
surd statement from an apparently in
! telligent traveller. Why, they are every
where. Thick as the leaves. Mark every
! rock at each valley side. You mUst be
! dreaming, sir. Bahi''
My friend merely opened his eyes as if
IN polite inquiry tor definite rebuttal of
his observation and calmly proceeded.
II am also satisfied, from most palms.
taking investigations-and this has been
source of perturbed anxiety TO me in
! NorWay!-that the so-called true glacier
is, as body, quiescent; that it does not
itself move; that only detached portions
of the parent accumulation"
Here Professor Detrius Moraine wrung
his lips with his napkin as if in verv
agony OF impatience, tossed it from him
with swapping fingers, and brought his
| fist down upon the table with so re-
! sounding whack that the dishes
| danced jigs and galops of the liveliest
| description.
That only detached portions of the
! parent accumulation-''
1.-The detached portion of the parent
accumulation represented in any person
! who will give utterance to such idiocies
! sir, is either scelestic ru ffian or an illim
| itible ass, sir! There's my card, sir. I
shall be here until morning, sir. Oh,
| Lord! what Stupetaction of Ignorance
Bahr'
| With this the doughty Professor stormed
| out OF the room, slamming the door vici-
ously behind him, and my ing enious
| friend, after deciphering the card and
handing IL TO for lnEnaatjnn
Twenty kroners, pleased" broke into
as hearty laughter as ever rang through
the dronlng passages of a stutfy Norwe-
gian inn, in which hilariously Joined.
well repaid in the result of the petty in
VeStment.
We fully resolved to present our hum
blest apologies in the morning and en-
deavor to secure the Professors toler-
ance If not his friendship and esteem but
we were informed by the inkeeper that
the brave knight Of science had paced his
room until after midnight awaiting
some message from the two dolts he had
| met at SUPPER" and, disappointed in this
| had snatched few hours of rest, and de-
| parted long before we had arisen for the
| dreary Midtfjeld with happy-hearted
| Lars.
In relating this. the weather land
! lord shrugged his shoulders and shook
his head forebodingly. Then, glancing at
VIC II OLSh w dSbSS Va LIl6 he SdlO
gloomIly:
Lars will come back. His sister, Han
sine, will return. Ali the saeter girls and
the herds will descend in good time to the
i valleys. But the mountain storms are
making early, and If we see that forhaer-
det lobdurate) man again, fear the folk
of Romsdal will have to dig him out from
under the MidtGeld srowsp
1t was this remark which determined
our remaining in and about Ormeim un-
til we had set eyes on the fair Hansine
and could surely know that Professor
DeLrius Moraine had turned his back
upon the dangerous fields of Norway.
1t is no easy task to climb to these Nor
wegIan Saeters Some are from twenty to
sixty miles from the valley hamlets and
farms. That of Klippe, or Crag- hollow,
which Lars and the Professor sought,
was perhaps no more than twelve miles
distant from the Romsdal highway, but
certainly more than twice the distance by
/ the clrcuitous and tortuous way,
The patG was plain enough to Lars, as
to all those Norwegian Alpine clim bers,
and TO the wise ponies utilized to carry
| supplies to the saeters and bring back
| again their pack loads of butter and
/ cheese; but stranger to these mighty
ravines and crags would have been ire
| trievably lost after half days wander
| dering-
I
rescue professions of cattle, sheep, goats
and ponies laden with huge packs with
pots and kettles swaying melodiously
! beside them grave mountaineers carrying
! enormous burdens while smoking their
comforting pipes and lissome saeter girls
/ in their bright bodices, white caps and
/ short skirts, each bearing upon her shout
] ders yoke, from which depended bask-
! cts, clothing and all manner of saeter pa
| raphernalia, and each cavalcade pre-
ceded by the farmer owner, blowing un-
| earthly blasts from his lur, or birch bark
| trumpet, and these reminders of the de-
1 sertion OF the mountains of their summer
| occupants urged Lars and the Professor
! forward at renewed speed.
AS 1T was, they were obliged to pass a
! night beside lonely tarn, shut in by
black, forbidding walls, with snow-clad
peaks for the only outlook beyond.
Here Lars genius for surmounting
/ difficulties was aptly illustrated. During
| the last two hours ascent Lars had gath
| cred here and there every dead branch
| of wood that came in sight, as well as
| bunches OF juniper branches. With his
/ tollknlv, or belt knife, which every Nor
weglan peasant carries, and some bits of
| strong cord possessed by every Norwe-
! gian postboy for mending broken har-
ness, he had arranged these in compact
| punches, bestowing them on his head,
| shoulders and body, until he was COM
! pletely hidden from sight.
With the dry wood he built cheerful