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276 THROUGH NORWAY WITII A KNAPSACK.
Having thus learned that the premises were unoccupied,
I crawled into them, put on my extra shirt over my
waistcoat, and all the socks I possessed on my feet and
hands ; then coiled myself into the hollow place in the
stone, laid my pistol within easy reach, in case of
quadrupeds, and using my knapsack for a pillow, soon fell
asleep. After about two hours I awoke, and found
myself terribly cold; on further investigation, I
perceived that I was wet also : in fact, that I was lying
in a pool of water, and that water was dropping from
the rock above. Heavy rain was falling, the air was
thickened with mist, and the nice clean hollow in
the stone proved to be a basin, worn by the dripping
from the rock above, and evidently a regular water
receptacle.
The rain and mist, combined with the darkness of
the night, rendered it almost impossible for me to
proceed ; yet, being so thoroughly drenched, it was not
agreeable to stand or sit still. I was on the side of a
mountain partly covered with low bushes and stunted
birch-trees. After slowly proceeding a little way, a
brilliant thought occurred to me: I determined to make
a fire, and set to work accordingly. A withered tree
offered fuel; but after three or four hours’ perseverance,
I only succeeded in getting up a crackling and a
smoulder: but it served capitally to pass away the time.
I should advise all benighted travellers to light a fire,
or try to do so: the gathering of the fuel, the building
it up with scientific arrangements for currents of air,
the lighting and blowing, the awakening hopes when
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