midday
Then they saw a homestead , all wreathed in green foliage ; there came a scent from it of dampness , of hemp , and it seemed for some reason that happy people lived there . Then they came upon a horse 's skeleton whitening in solitude in the open fields . And the larks trilled unceasingly , the corncrakes called to one another , and the landrail cried as though someone were really scraping at an old iron rail . At midday Olga and Sasha reached a big village . There in the broad street they met the little old man who was General Zhukov 's cook . He was hot , and his red , perspiring bald head shone in the sunshine . Olga and he did not recognize each other , then looked round at the same moment , recognized each other , and went their separate ways without saying a word .