was as brown as a red herring.

In proof of his admiration of this baby our artist made a sketch of it
on the spot, and presented it to the delighted father, after which he
was introduced to the Norseman's wife, and treated to a cup of coffee.
When Sam returned from this visit, he told his companions that he was
quite amazed at having got on so well with the language, and was warm in
praise of his host, who, he said, laughed more heartily than any man he
had ever met with. It is just possible that the Norseman may have had
more occasion afforded him for laughter than usual, for Sam had waxed
very talkative, and had been particularly profuse in the use and abuse
of his pet phrase, _ver so goot_.

Soon after this the yacht's head was turned into the Nord Fiord, at the
head of which dwelt the father and mother of Hans Ericsson. Here Hans,
to his unutterable delight, found the fair Raneilda on a visit to her
mother; for Raneilda was a native of that remote valley, and had gone to
Bergen only a year before this time.

Here, too, Sam Sorrel found splendid scenery to paint, and Grant
obtained numerous specimens of birds for his museum.

This reminds me, by the way, that our naturalist, who was amiable and
eccentric, on one occasion nearly drove his comrades out of the yacht.
One day he shot a young unfledged gull or puffin, or some such creature,
whose brief existence had only conducted it the length of a down coat, a
little round body, and a pair of tremendously long legs. Well, this
object was laid carefully past [sic] in a spare berth of the yacht, in
which they used to stow away all manner of useless articles--chairs and
stools that had broken their legs, etcetera--and which went by the name
of the infirmary in consequence. About a week after, there was a most
unaccountable smell in the infirmary. Several stuffed birds hanging
there were suspected and smelt, but were found to be quite fresh. One
or two of them were put out to air, but still the smell grew worse and
worse, until the most obtuse nose did not dare to go near the infirmary.
At last they became desperate. A general and thorough investigation
was instituted, and there, in a dark corner, under a hair mattress, and
flat as a pancake, lay the poor puffin, alive!--but not with the life
wherewith it had lived before it was shot--and emitting an odour that is
indescribable, a description of which, therefore, would be quite
unprofitable. The puffin was pitc