For Ondrejko they built a special room beside the shepherd’s hut.  There were three large sheepfolds, and “Bacha” Filina had charge of them all.  Ondrejko had in his room a real bed, and a spare one prepared for the doctor when he came to see him; but, because he was rather lonesome, he preferred to sleep with Petrik on the hay, and because Fido couldn’t follow them to the loft up the ladder, he at least guarded the ladder so nothing would happen to the boys.  Bacha Filina was a large man like a giant.  His face was aged and stern; all his teeth were still perfectly white and he had not a single gray hair; but, strangely, his eyebrows began to get gray.  But, when he creased his forehead above his eagle-like black eyes which could see everything far and wide, it seemed as if storm-clouds were gathering.  Not only both the boys, but everybody else was afraid of these storm-clouds, even the herdsmen and the sheep, as well as the longhaired, fourfooted guards of the sheepfold.  Bacha Filina did not get mad easily, but when he did, it was worthwhile.  Though Ondrejko was the son of his lord, Bacha Filina didn’t let him get by with anything.  The boy had not been taught to obey; however, Filina taught him this hard lesson without scolding him or touching him with even one finger.  When the doctor brought him to the mountains he said to Bacha, “What this boy needs is to eat black bread and drink whey.  He has been raised on fancy foods and they do not agree with him.  It would be good for him to wash in cold water, but he is afraid to get wet.  You must not worry about him being a Lord Gemer because it is a question of his health.”

“Oh, that!” said the Bacha, wrinkling his forehead, “I am able to handle such a little brat”—­and he was.  The first few days Ondrejko did not dare resist this big man in anything, and now he would not even dream of it.  The boys did not know a more noble man in the whole world than Bacha Filina.  He didn’t bother much the whole day what they did, but in the evening before the sheep were gathered, he sat with them in God’s beautiful nature before the cabin, and there they could, even had, to tell him everything.  They sat near him, one on the one side, the other on the other, and Fido laid his great hairy head on the knees of his master and looked on so wisely, that it seemed he, too, would want to tell all that happened during the day.  He was still a young, lively fellow.  You could see by his nose and ears he was not trained very much; his fur was often quite tangled because he started quarrels with the older dogs, Whitie and Playwell.

The first time Bacha found the two boys sleeping together on the hay he frowned and they were afraid of what was going to happen—­but nothing at all happened; he only ordered Ondrejko to spread his sheet on the hay and cover himself with a blanket; so they both covered themselves and slept very well in the fragrant hay.

CHAPTER TWO