“You won’t find a better,” he cried, plunging knee-deep through the long grasses.
“Anywhere’s good in the sun, I say,” replied Ivanoff, as from the boat he fetched the vodka, the bread, the cucumbers, and a little packet of _hors d’œuvres._ All these he placed on a mossy slope in the shade of the trees, and here he lay down at full length.
“Not entirely,” added Ivanoff, with a droll expression of discontent, “for he’s forgotten the glasses.”
Full of the sheer joy of living in this warm sunlight and green shade, Sanine climbed up a tree and began cutting off a bough with his knife, while Ivanoff watched him as the little white chips kept falling on to the turf below. At last the bough fell, too, when Sanine climbed down, and began to scoop it out, leaving the bark intact.
In a short time he had made a pretty little drinking-cup.
“Let’s have a dip afterwards, shall we?” said Ivanoff, who was watching Sanine’s craftsmanship with interest.
“Not a bad idea,” replied Sanine, as he tossed the newly-made cup into the air and caught it.
Then they sat down on the grass and did ample justice to their appetising little meal.
“I can’t wait any longer. I’m going to bathe.”
So saying, Ivanoff hastily stripped, and, as he could not swim, he plunged into shallow water where the even sandy bottom was clearly visible.
“It’s lovely!” he cried, jumping about, and splashing wildly.
Sanine watched him and then in leisurely fashion he also undressed, and took a header into the deeper part of the stream.
“No fear!” was the laughing rejoinder, when Sanine, gasping, had risen to the surface.
The sound of their merry voices rang out across the river, and the green pasture-land. After a time they left the cool water, and lying down, naked in the grass, rolled over and over in it.
“Jolly, isn’t it?” said Ivanoff, as he turned to the sun his broad back on which little drops of water glistened.
“Deuce take your tabernacles,” cried Sanine merrily; “No tabernacles for me!”
“Hurrah!” shouted Ivanoff, as he began dancing a wild, barbaric dance. Sanine burst out laughing, and leaped about in the same way. Their nude bodies gleamed in the sun, every muscle showing beneath the tense skin.
Sanine went on dancing by himself, and finished up by turning a somersault, head foremost.