“There won’t be any,” Stefeli reassured him. “All the time you were gone they lay still and looked around. Schwärzeli just walked about and it is like this every afternoon.”
Vinzi had known it well, but was glad to have Stefeli’s confirmation. Vinzi’s new prospect had made the children talkative, and they discussed the coming events and their possible consequences. They could talk without any interruption, for the cows were feeding quietly again, as they were supposed to do. All at once the sound of horns could be heard from different sides, warning them that the time had come to drive the cattle home to be milked.
Vinzi leaped up with surprise when he realized how quickly the evening had come. Stefeli took the bag on her arm and her stick in her hand and fetched Schwärzeli from where she was wandering about. Vinzi whistled and called his cows together and before long the children were on their way home with the little herd. The father was already waiting for them near the stable. On the days when the children had to go to the pasture with the cows their work was done for the day when they came home. As soon as their father returned from the stable they had supper, and soon after, when the mother had finished her tasks in the kitchen, she sat down to sing with them; after this they went to bed, and gladly, too, knowing that next morning another early start had to be made.
CHAPTER III
UNLOOKED-FOR EVENTS
AS soon as Vinzi was awake next morning he wished it were two o’clock right away, for he simply dreaded the long morning he had to live through before his lesson. But it went by much more quickly than he expected. A lot of running about had been necessary to keep the cows together, as they were always very lively at that time.
When lunch was over and the cows had settled down to rest, Vinzi looked steadily towards the mountains. Suddenly rising from the ground he said, “It must be two o’clock now. Yesterday the sun was just above that rocky peak when I got back. In an hour it will be above the peak.”
“Yes, Vinzi. The sooner you go the sooner you’ll be back. I want to hear all about it,” said Stefeli.
Vinzi lost no time. As he was climbing up the steps at Mrs. Troll’s he found Alida waiting for him. “You came at just the right time,” she called to him; “they are both away and we’ll be entirely alone. You must always come at this time.”