The Three Comrades | Page 6

the Tatra Mountains will belong to the
Slovaks and also these woods. Because your grandfather lived there as
a great Slovak, you also as a good Slovak will be living. Just learn the
language of your father and draw near to that soil which they once
cultivated." The boys didn't grasp what he meant. They only felt that he
was their friend.
The evening came. They had to make a bed for the doctor beside
themselves on the hay. In the morning he drank the good milk and ate
the black bread with cheese. Then the boys took him as far as the "Old
Hag's Rock." On the way Ondrejko asked about his father. He learned
that he now lived in Paris and did not purpose to come that year for the
summer. The boy breathed more freely because he felt that if his father
came he would have to go to him, away from Bacha Filina and away
from Petrik. That would not please him; he did not want to go at all.
When the doctor took leave of the boys they followed him with their
eyes as long as they could see his straw hat, then they climbed the rock
to see him better, but in the meantime he had disappeared altogether.
Instead of that they saw on the other side of the "Old Hag's Rock" a
beautiful little valley, and in it a solitary house with small windows
which was made of wood and covered with shingles, standing there by
the brook. It looked like a fairy-story house set among the springs
coming out from the rocks. The herder Steve had told the boys several
times about witches who lived in solitary huts, and it seemed to them
that one of them might be living there. A large white dog sunned
himself in front of the hut. If Fido had been with them, he surely would
have started a fight with him. As the boys were looking at the cottage
the door opened, but no old woman came out, only a boy who was a
little larger than themselves, in a cape and belt, sandals, and with a hat
on his head. The dog jumped up, wagged his broad tail, and stretched
himself, yawned and barked happily. The boy stroked him on the head

and smiled at him, then both began to walk up toward the great rock.
The dog spied our comrades first and stopped. They could see he was
not as young as Fido, but that he was wise and did not bark uselessly at
anybody, so they knew that he must be friendly to people. Soon the
boys stood face to face, and the strange boy, whose dress indicated that
he was not from that section, greeted them in a friendly manner. He
asked them what they were doing and where they were from. They told
him that they had accompanied the doctor that far. Ondrejko dared to
ask him if he lived in that little house.
"The hut belongs to us, but I am from Trenchin. I came only a week
ago with my father. A distant uncle of my mother died, and because
there is no nearer relative my mother inherited this hut. Father wants to
sell it, but a nice bit of woods with fine timber belongs to the hut,
which we could use very well in our business. Therefore we shall stay
here for some time, cut the wood and take it along."
"And the dog is yours?"
"Yes, it is our Dunaj. He did not want to stay at home; we had to take
him along, though we had to pay for him on the railroad."
"Surely you didn't have him along in the carriage?" ventured Ondrejko.
"Oh, no; and he did not like where they locked him up, at all. He almost
knocked me down when he regained his freedom. Isn't that so, Dunaj?"
The dog whined and cuddled down at his master's feet.
"We too have a dog which is still young, but he also will be big when
he grows up," Ondrejko said, appraisingly.
"And where are you going?"
"Only up here on the rock to see what is behind it. In our country we
also have a large rock, but much higher and broader, and when you
look down from it it seems as if you look down into Sunshine Valley,
as the story goes. And after the storm a rainbow appears, like Heaven's

gate which appeared once to Jacob in a dream. Once upon a time I
believed that Heaven's gate was only there, but today I know that
Heaven is everywhere open that the Lord Jesus might come to us where
and when He wants to. Do you know Him too?"
"Who?" wondered the boys.