“Now, then, Lucas, don’t tell lies. Dawdy. There’s a state he puts himself in, the ballo shero!”
“Dik the Bongy Mouee!” exclaimed another. “Sheep’s eyes! ah, you talk backwards, like Amy, you do!”
Then Esmeralda would say satirically, “Well indeed, so manly! Doesn’t he put himself over every one, Ambrose does.”
“What is daughter saying?” answers Noah. “Blankesko! look at Ezekiel.”
“Ask Mr. Smith whether it is a lie. Oh, yes; Ambrose can do anything, he can.”
It was, however, satisfactory to know that in a few minutes they did not trouble themselves about their hastily expressed opinions of one another.
Our gipsies were shortly afterwards singing, “Gamle Norge,” humming a tune, or arranging our things with a merry laugh. Poor Mr. Rödsheim was sorely puzzled at the variety of names they seemed to possess; but at last Noah settled down into Mr. Ambrose, Esmeralda into Miss Daughter, and Zachariah into Master Zâkēē.
In the evening, as the Sœter girl collected her cows, there was something charming in her peculiar call. The high modulated pitch of the voice--tones at once plaintive and persuasive, seemed to lure the animals to her from the far distance. It was nine o’clock when we sang our gipsy song for them, and then ourself, Noah, and Zachariah sat by the fire playing the guitar, violin, and tambourine, as the young girls danced on the level green till ten o’clock.
Ole Rödsheim slept in state that night--the Englishman’s house was placed at his disposal. This log-house appeared to have been built for sportsmen, and had been occupied by English gentlemen, in 1869, for reindeer shooting; but on these fjelds, we were told, the reindeer were now scarce, and the rype not plentiful.[85]
Ole was stirring in good time. Eggs for breakfast, with tea, fladbröd, and butter, from the Sœter, for which we paid two marks, twelve skillings. Ole Rödsheim, who at first was scarcely inclined to touch tea, as he usually drank coffee, now seemed getting quite fond of it. One English gentleman to whom he had been guide, seems to have been equally fond of brandy. It was during forest travel in Australia that we first acquired the habit of taking tea with each meal. It is the custom in the Bush; and, as regards ourselves, we have found it sufficient stimulus for every kind of exposure and hard mountain work.