THROUGH WILD EUROPE 297 



they came. At one of these shepherds' huts we 

 were compelled to go begging for a meal, for when 

 I had sent Andreas away he had thoughtfully taken 

 all the ' grub ' with him, and now couldn't be found. 

 We found them milking their flock, and had to wait 

 until they had finished. 



I had never before known the use of a sheep's 

 tail, now I realized that if useless to the animal it 

 forms a very useful handle for the shepherd. Two 

 men sat at the entrance of a fold enclosing some 

 fifty sheep, and as each animal came forward it was 

 seized by the tail, pulled backwards over the pail 

 and milked dry in less than half a minute, and then 

 pushed forward to make room for another. As 

 soon as they had finished they conducted us into the 

 hut while they set about making some polenta over 

 a fire made in a hole in the ground. Maize meal 

 was cooked like porridge, mixed with water and a 

 pinch of salt, in a round iron pot. This rises like 

 bread and is turned out solid, and cut into slices with 

 a fine string. You can't cut it with a knife. It 

 looks like sponge-cake, and eaten with fresh sheeps' 

 milk isn't half bad ; but I shouldn't like to live 

 entirely on it all the year round as these shepherds 

 do. It is very satisfying, and we went on the 

 strength of it until the evening. In fact, Rettig 

 couldn't eat any supper that night, so it lasted 

 him till next day. 



