THE JOURNEY'S END
The medium-sized, vigorous-looking man who formed one of the group on
the veranda, hurried forward to meet them. He was dark with long black
wavy hair. He wore white woolen trousers, a sort of big sleeved tunic
or shirt of coarse but very clean linen, well belted in at the waist
by a broad scarlet woolen scarf. Over this was a sleeveless sheepskin
jacket, the wool inside, the outside gayly embroidered. On his feet
were goatskin sandals.
His wife was slender and quite fair. Like her husband, she was
evidently wearing a holiday dress. This was a white gown covered
with red and black embroidery, a brightly colored apron, and several
necklaces of colored beads and coins. A gay kerchief, fringed with a
row of spangles, was set well back on her light brown hair. She also
advanced to meet the newcomers.
A bright-eyed boy of about twelve and a very pretty girl about four
years younger were left standing and staring by the doorway. After
greetings had been exchanged and all had descended from the carriage,
the farmer said something to his son who immediately went up to Jonitza
and offered him his hand. At the same time he proposed showing him the
grounds while supper was being placed on the table.
Jonitza at once accepted the offer. He was anxious to see what was
outside, and, besides, his legs felt so stiff from the long ride that
he longed to exercise them.
Neither of the boys spoke at first, although they glanced shyly at each
other now and then. At a corner of the house the ice was broken in an
unexpected fashion. They walked right into a flock of geese who set up
a "Honk! Honk!" and made a peck at Jonitza who happened to disturb them
most.
Taken by surprise, Jonitza jumped awkwardly to one side. Nicolaia,
his companion, could not restrain a laugh. The next minute, evidently
fearing that he had hurt his new acquaintance's feelings, he put his
hand on his shoulder in a friendly way and suggested a visit to the
pigs.
"Katinka," he called to his sister, who was shyly following them, "go
get something to take to the pigs."
Katinka turned obediently and ran into the house. She soon reappeared,
carefully holding a pan.
The pigs proved worth visiting. They were of the wild boar species with
an upright row of funny hard bristles on their backs. They were so full
of play, too, that Jonitza was genuinely sorry to hear the call to
supper.
"It's just splendid here!" he whispered to his mother as he saw her for
an instant alone before entering the big kitchen which served also as
dining-room.
Jonitza now noticed that although the farmer and his son had kept their
hats on in the house, they were careful to remove them before sitting
down to the meal.
This meal was quite an elaborate one. There was fishroe and olives,
mutton and cheese, and rye bread about two inches thick and pierced all
over with a fork. This was broken, not cut. There was also a kind of
_mamaliga_ cooked in milk and called _balmosch_. This was placed on the
table on a big wooden platter, cut with a string, and eaten with layers
of cheese.